A Wonderful Young Man Who Helps Others
Shamarcus McCullough was very active in sports. He played football and basketball at Parkway South High School. He enjoyed boxing at his neighborhood recreation center. As a young father, he spent free time with his son. “If you saw Shamarcus, you saw his son,” said Shamika McCaster, Shamarcus’ mother. “Anything he could do to be involved, he was involved. He was a good father.”
Shamarcus was an organ and tissue donor at 20 years old after his life was taken unexpectedly in July 2017. He lives on in the lives of five organ recipients. “He was very loving and caring, a generous, all-around wonderful young man,” Shamika said.
He made the decision to help others when he received his driver’s license. “He’s the one who brought up the idea of being an organ donor,” Shamika said. “He was always about giving and helping. Being his mother, I wasn’t going to go against his wishes knowing that’s what he wanted. It’s a wonderful thing. Anytime you can give life or help someone continue life, that’s a blessing.”
Shamika and her family have found comfort in his decision. They’ve also found a community by attending events at Mid-America Transplant, like the donor family workshop. “That was the first event we came to,” Shamika said. “It was absolutely wonderful. It made me feel welcome, I was a part of something again. Even though I don’t have him, I have them. I have so many people going through what I’m going through.”
