Rhonda Bradley, owner of Fishtales, is pictured with the Oyler family at the “Coffee for a Cause” event which was held in support of the aHUS Foundation and Donate Life.
When a young mind has a mission to accomplish, anything is achievable. This is exactly the case for Rylee Oyler, a sixth grader at Lake Oconee Academy. Rylee has had quite the year, after her mother, Robin, donated a kidney to her father, Donnan, in February. During the transplant, it was discovered that Donnan has an extremely rare disease called aHUS (atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome). In his recovery after the transplant, he started an online coffee and tea business, 50 Trails Coffee, with the purpose of drawing funds and awareness to the AHUS Foundation for Disease Research and Donate Life Georgia. Using his transplant as a platform to make a difference, Donnan turned his recovery into a way for him to save or improve the lives of others with transplants or AHUS. Rylee was inspired by her father and decided that she too wanted to help with the company; now, 50 Trails Coffee is a testament to the Oyler family’s resilience and desire to help others
Donnan’s life before his transplant was very limited, as he had trouble traveling or spending time with his family; therefore, Rylee couldn’t have been happier after the transplant to discover her dad becoming more active and free again. Now the family is able to go on family vacations, such as a recent trip to the beach, and spend a lot more time together. Despite the success of the transplant, the experience showed Rylee that people are often scared of organ donation, but Rylee knows and openly shares how one person, through donation, can save or better the lives of up to 70 people.
When Rylee learned of her Dad’s idea for 50 Trails Coffee, she knew she had to help out in any way that she could. She advertised the business by word of mouth, through pictures on social media, and by attending events for the business. On July 1st, 50 Trails Coffee had their pilot event and open house at Fishtales; they used this venue to not only expand the business but to give their testimony and to tell the community of the project’s purpose. Rylee took this opportunity to reach out to the community about organ donation, and she led four people to sign up to be organ donors, potentially helping to save or improve up to 280 lives. Rylee’s motto when it comes to organ donation is to “never be afraid because God will always be there to protect you”. This community couldn’t be happier to support the AHUS Foundation and Donate Life Georgia, but we are most proud of the dedication of the Oyler Family. Through the perseverance of Rylee and her family, The Lake Country has become a stepping stone to help save countless lives. 50 Trails Coffee is sold locally at Fishtales, so be sure to get your choice of coffee or tea to support the Oyler family’s cause; the business also sells coffee online at 50trails.com.
This article is from Inside The Gates | September 2017
If you would like to make a difference, please purchase coffee on Friday, September 24, 2017 from 50trails.com. All proceeds will go directly to the aHUS Foundation.
Thank you,
Donnan