Reno Aces Game will Honor Nevada’s Youngest-Ever Organ Donor

RENO, Nev. — Audrey Jade Hope Sullenger was rushed to the hospital in May 2011 at just three days old. Although paramedics were able to restart her heart, she was declared brain dead after 48 hours. Her mother, Felicia Hill, decided to donate Audrey’s organs, which saved two lives.

Audrey’s cause of death remains unknown, and Hill believes her daughter was born to save lives. Her heart saved the life of then 3-week-old Addison McArthur, and her kidneys saved 38-year-old Hydee Efondo Lim.

“When I was approached by Donor Network West to see if I was willing to donate Audrey’s organs, it was an immediate yes––I knew the good that could come out of it,” said Hill. “We’re continuing to educate people on what Audrey was able to do with her tiny life 13 years later. It brings so much peace and comfort knowing that her life wasn’t lost for no reason.”

Hill and her two daughters, Olivia and Moriah, will honor Audrey by running the bases during the second inning at the Reno Aces’ Home Run for Life game, presented by Donor Network West, Friday, April 26, 2024, at Greater Nevada Field as the Reno Aces take on the Sugar Land Cowboys.

As a longtime Donor Network West ambassador, Hill uses her platform to destigmatize organ donation by sharing her daughter’s story and legacy.

One donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and heal up to 75 lives through tissue donation.

Donor Network West, northern Nevada’s only federally designated nonprofit organ procurement organization, is proud to support Home Run for Life baseball games during the Reno Aces’ 2024 season. Now in its third season, the partnership brings critical awareness about organ donation to the northern Nevada community, especially with nearly 700 Nevadans on the national waiting list hoping to receive life-saving organs.

“Audrey has deeply impacted the northern Nevada community through her legacy,” said Janice Whaley, president and CEO of Donor Network West. “It is an honor to recognize her and the decision her family made to give the gift of life to others. Donor Network West is proud to partner with the Reno Aces to commemorate northern Nevada’s donors and donor families.”

Six times per season, the Home Run for Life game series honors a northern Nevada community member who has either received a life-saving transplant, lost a loved one who gave the gift of life through organ donation or helped provide support and healing to those impacted by organ, eye and tissue donation.

“Some of the most impactful moments through the season are when we get to honor our community’s organ donors, donor families and organ recipients through the Home Run for Life game series,” said Chris Phillips, General Manager and COO of the Reno Aces. “Donor Network West continuously serves northern Nevada in highlighting the impact of organ, eye and tissue donation, and the Reno Aces are proud to partner with them in those efforts.”

Anyone can register to be an organ donor. To learn more and to join the organ donor registry, visit DonorNetworkWest.org.

— @MyDNWest —

Media note: If the media would like an interview with Felicia Hill in advance of the April 26 Aces game, please contact [email protected]. Photos of Audrey Jade Hope Sullenger are available for download here.

Photo cutline: Audrey Jade Hope Sullenger became the youngest organ donor in Nevada when she died at six days old, saving two others through organ donation. Her family will honor her during the Reno Aces’ ‘Home Run for Life’ game, presented by Donor Network West, Friday, April 26 at the Greater Nevada Field to encourage others to register to become an organ donor.

About Donor Network West

Donor Network West saves and heals lives by facilitating organ and tissue recovery for transplantation and research. Established in 1987, Donor Network West is designated and certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), is a member of the Organ Donation Alliance and is an official Donate Life organization. Donor Network West is federally designated to serve 45 counties in northern California and northern Nevada, Donor Network West partners with the Department of Motor Vehicles and the state-authorized donor registries to help increase donor registration. For information, visit www.DonorNetworkWest.org and follow us on social media: @mydnwest.

About the Reno Aces
Since 2009, the Reno Aces, Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, has been a fixture in the northern Nevada community providing family-friendly entertainment and Minor League Baseball in downtown Reno at Greater Nevada Field. Over the past 14 years, over 4.5 million fans have passed through the turnstiles, and the Aces have contributed to thousands of different non-profit charities throughout the region. For more information about the team or tickets for the entire 2023 season, visit RenoAces.com or Text TIXX to 21003.