Cimarron Middle Honors National Donate Life Month

Cimarron Middle School recently took part in National Donate Life Month with a week of meaningful activities to raise awareness about organ and tissue donation - and to honor the legacy of current and former students.

The inspiration came from Cimarron student Pochie and his mother, Melanie. As an infant in foster care, Pochie’s liver began to fail, and he received a life-saving transplant. At the time, Melanie was working in the transplant department at a hospital and cared for Pochie - later officially adopting him in 2015. 

“It’s important to recognize that without the gift of life that families like Molly’s and others give, people like Pochie wouldn’t be here today,” Melanie said.

Molly Corlett, a Cimarron alum and daughter of former assistant principal Cindy Corlett, passed away unexpectedly in 2022 at age 23. Molly had chosen to be an organ donor when she got her driver’s license at 16, and her donation saved five lives.

To honor both stories, Cimarron partnered with Donor Alliance to offer students interactive science lessons and conversations about the importance of checking the donor box. The week culminated in a flag-raising ceremony on April 11 to celebrate Molly, Pochie and the life-saving power of organ donation.

Following the ceremony, the Corlett family was surprised with a mural in the school gym dedicated to “Molly’s Miracles.” 

“It’s nice to have both sides,” Cindy said. “The donor family feels the devastation and the recipients feel the joy.”