‘Live-Like-Libby, Love-Like-Libby’: Honoring others through a legacy
For her entire life, Libby Hankins lived with Cystic Fibrosis, a pulmonary disease that takes a toll on the lungs and digestive system.
GORDO, Ala. (WCBI) – April is Organ Donation Awareness Month. It aims to spread awareness about organ, eye, and tissue donation and honor those who give the gift of life.
For her entire life, Libby Hankins lived with Cystic Fibrosis, a pulmonary disease that takes a toll on the lungs and digestive system.
“When we first found out, we had some decisions to make about how she was going to live her life,” said Hankins’ mother, Susan Estes. “I knew that whatever time we had, we wanted her to live a normal life. We wanted her to go to school and have friends. And we wanted her to have life goals.”
Estes said at the time of her diagnosis, Hankins’ life expectancy was 30 years.
“When Libby was 12, she started culturing a bacteria called Burkholderia cepacia,” Estes said. “Burkholderia cepacia cuts your life span in half. So, if her life span was 30, we were down to 15.”
Hankins’ life was full of doctor’s appointments and a routine at home.
“A handful of pills in the morning, a handful of pills at night,” Estes said. “She did four breathing treatments in the morning.”
Despite the obstacles she faced, she wanted to live a normal life.
“She was a cheerleader in high school, she was homecoming queen at Gordo High School,” Estes said. “She had a good group of friends that allowed her just to be Libby. Not the Girl with Cystic Fibrosis.”
When it was time for college, she moved away to prove to herself and her family that she was capable.
She was cheering for the University of West Alabama, majoring in special education, and was even involved in Greek life.
“When she turned about 21, she hit a wall with her lung function,” Estes said. “It was time to decide if she could have a transplant.”
They loaded up and went to Duke, and became part of the 10% that they accept for the transplant program. She got the call for lungs after 65 days. Emotionally, this was tough for Hankins.
“She said ‘Somebody had to leave for me to be here.’ She said ‘I’ve got to do something because I’m not just living for me,'” Estes said.
After 11 months, things started to turn south.
“She came home one afternoon and said ‘Mama, my legs feel funny.’ By the time we got to Duke, she could not walk,” Estes said. “We tried every possible thing we could think of. But in the end, she went to heaven. Our lives have forever been changed, because someone made a selfless decision.”
However, Hankins’ story wasn’t done there. She would not sign the transplant papers until they agreed something good would come from all of it.
The “Live-Like-Libby, Love-Like-Libby Foundation” was born.
“We focus on special needs children and Adults, animal rescues, cystic fibrosis research in families, transplant families, and organ donor awareness,” Estes said.
The nonprofit also focuses on community needs and holds events to help others in the community.
“She gave us the greatest gift by making us promise that something good would come from it,” Estes said. “I believe she knew that I would lay in the bed and never get back up. I know that we’re doing what she wanted us to do, and that is to continue her legacy, and it’s an honor and privilege to be able to do that.”
The week leading up to Hankins’ transplant, which was April 17, is known as “17 Acts of Kindness Week” to honor her legacy.
