Halle Mitchell
Written by Abby Turner
In high school, Halle Mitchell’s younger sister Kirby would ask their mom to take peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and hot chocolate to the homeless on Thanksgiving. She would scrounge up change in her car to give to them, too.
“She would do something for everybody, even if she had nothing,” Halle said.
When their mom called Halle to tell her that Kirby was suffering from an acute illness and septic shock, that’s when she found out Kirby was an organ donor. Through the devastation of their loss, Halle wasn’t surprised by her sister’s choice. She had grown up around Kirby’s generosity her whole life.
“She was always the most loving,” Halle said. “She was always the most loyal, and she’d always make you laugh.”
One year after Kirby’s death, Halle said “yes” at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles when she was asked about organ donation. She called it a “no-brainer.” She received a new license with a little red heart on it, a symbol of her choice and a reminder of her sister’s love.
Halle is now 32 and in her first year of medical school at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. She learns from those who have died by studying their bodies and often thinks about how the generosity of others in death can help advance medical science and save lives. In 2024, Halle was awarded an educational scholarship by Indiana Donor Network Foundation. Read more about her story and scholarship here.
Born in Boston but raised in various cities around the United States, Halle and Kirby’s father was a doctor at different military hospitals. Although she was always surrounded by medicine, it took Halle a while to realize it was her calling; until she went into public health, worked for a fire department, and found her way back to medicine.
Halle and Kirby
When she reflects on her life, Halle said she is the proudest of her growth. Instead of just learning to appreciate her milestones, she now appreciates her life experiences for shaping her into the woman she has become.
“Things change you for the better,” Halle said. “I’m grateful for that now.”
Now she thinks of every day as a gift, and her family’s annual day of kindness on Kirby’s birthday is a reminder of their sister and daughter.
“This is a gift, to be able to learn and be able to help people,” Halle said. “It’s a privilege to live.”
Halle wasn’t always set on the idea of being an organ donor, and she said it scared her. But, since her sister’s generosity inspired her, she wants to motivate others to do the same.
“At the end of the day, if you’re passing, you have that opportunity for someone else to have more experiences in their life that they may not if you don’t donate,” Halle said.
It only takes one person to make a difference and save a life.
