03-05-2025
New mural is lasting reminder for Colorado students of organ donation
As part of National Donate Life month, students at Cimarron Middle School participated in a series of activities centered around gratitude and organ donation. There were school-wide announcements, lessons about experiencing gratitude from everyday life, and conversations about life saving organ donation.
"Middle school students are just at that age where they're soaking up all the information. They don't know that in a couple of years they're going to be asked a question that's a very important question when they turn 16, that checks the box on whether or not they want to be an organ donor," said Chris Zimmerman, principal at Cimarron Middle School.
CBS
For Cimarron students, the face of organ donation is Molly Corlett, a former students of the school.
"Molly really made a difference when she was at our school. She brought kindness and leadership to everybody, and she still has a presence here," Zimmerman said.
"Molly was a great person," said Rylee Zimmerman, a 7th grader.
Molly passed away suddenly from an undiagnosed medical condition at the age of 23. She was an organ donor.
"And the hardest day of our life becomes the best day of someone else's life," said Molly's mother, Cindy, as her voice breaks.
Cindy Corlett remembers the day Molly checked that box.
"She...16... and she came out with her license. 'Look what I got.' Every 16-year-old so proud of their license. And she said, I distinctly remember this because I didn't want to talk about it, she said, 'I checked yes. I'm going to be an organ donor,'" Corlett recalled.
Molly gave six organs to save the lives of five other people.
"I think about those five people and their families. The ripple effect for generations that we will never know and the difference that Molly made," Corlett said.
CBS
Now, Molly's miracle is memorialized in a mural on the wall of the school's gym. It was a surprise for Corlett. It will serve as a reminder to everyone who sees it what a gift donating life can be.
"There's so much comfort in knowing that she lives on, even though she is not with us," Corlett said.
Molly's Miracle is a service organization started by the Corlett family, to honor Molly with acts of kindness. Cindy Corlett encourages every family to have the conversation about organ donation even through you may not want to.
LINK: Donate Life
