Cheryl Eshenour
Hershey, PA
Mother of organ donor

Cheryl Eshenour, dedicated wife and mother of three boys, tragically lost her son, Jonathan, in a bike accident in 1997. Despite the grief the Eshenour family experienced, they made the decision to give the gift of life and Jonathan was able to save four lives through organ donation.

At the time, the Eshenour family spoke with a grief counselor who helped guide them through the healing process. That experience inspired Cheryl to volunteer to help others experiencing similar grief and educate them on the importance of organ donation.

Cheryl also served on the advisory committee for the Governor Robert P. Casey Memorial Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Trust Fund, where she advocated for even more support for families experiencing grief. As a result of Cheryl’s advocacy, Pennsylvania now has a network of over 200 counselors trained in how organ and tissue donation affects the grief and mourning of loved ones.

To honor Jonathan’s memory, the Eshenour family also organized a memorial bike ride, walk, and silent auction with all money raised to be used in the development and construction of a recreational trail system for people to safely ride and walk. Over 10 years, the “Bike It—Hike It for Jon” event raised $380,000 for the recreational trail.

An organ donor’s story goes on and on. So can yours. Register today to change lives tomorrow.