Israel endured so much in his short life. But even in the hardest moments, he brought so much light. One of my favorite memories from his transplant journey was how he never went by his real name. The first doctor we saw when he was admitted asked him his name, and Israel replied, “Batman.” From then on, he cycled through names from his favorite movies: Randall, Pascal, and eventually Lewis.

“If I had waited another six months, my story wouldn’t be the same.” Katherine was born into a world shaped by loss. Her older sister, Gracie, was diagnosed with Fanconi anemia (FA) shortly after the family moved to the United...