Maissa Abdallah loved laughing, dancing around rooms, swimming and giving to others. Even after she took her life on Aug. 10, 2024, she gave the ultimate gift: Her donated organs saved four people and inspired a story in "Gifted: The Docuseries", which premiered April 1. The project takes viewers on a journey through the impact of organ donation.
Abdallah's mother, Kim Cupp, remembers her daughter as joyful and deeply caring.
"She loved everyone but herself," Cupp said. "She loved spending time with her family. She loved to laugh. She loved making other people happy."
The Mid-America Transplant team approached the family about donation when doctors learned Abdallah was a registered organ donor. Honoring her daughter's wishes felt natural for Cupp.
As the family navigated the grief, they were also asked whether they would participate in Robert Horsey's docuseries. Despite the heartbreak, she said saying "yes" felt right.
"She would have absolutely loved [being part of the docuseries], being the center of attention and being a part of something so big," Cupp said. "It just seemed like the blessing that would come after, and we would have something wonderful to look at as opposed to the tragedy of her death."
St. Louis native Robert Horsey is a critical care registered nurse and University of Missouri-St. Louis graduate. His series looks at the humanity behind organ donation. It touches on "donor heroes" from across the country across its three episodes, including the stories about donors and the impact donations have on their families, medical professionals and donors' loved ones.
Horsey has dedicated much of his 21-year career to organ donation and transplantation. That work introduced him to families experiencing unimaginable loss while still choosing to help others.
"I was just so impacted by those families as they went through the donation process," Horsey said. "They're experiencing possibly the worst day of their life, and yet they still have the empathy to care about people waiting on the transplant list."
That emotional experience first inspired Horsey to write a novel about organ donation in 2017. But he soon realized film could reach a broader audience because there were so many powerful stories to tell.
Horsey's project sees the donor families through the emotional donation process.
"It never ceases to amaze me, the strength of a donor family, not only their ability to say yes in that period of time and help this save the lives of other people, but what Kim and her family did in real time have the strength to share Maissa's story with me," he said.
For Cupp, participating in the series became part of her recovery.
"It has been such a blessing and a healing process to see the outcome," she said. "Now, being a part of step one to meeting the person that got her liver, it's been a beautiful journey."
On Mother's Day last year, Cupp received a letter from the recipient of her daughter's liver. She said the letter was proof for her that Abdallah's life continues on, just in a different way.
It was exactly what she needed.
The two have remained in contact and attended a donor ceremony together in April.
Cupp also believes God put her and Horsey together to tell Abdallah's story.
"I prayed for God to take her addiction away and to heal her here on this earth. But God has bigger plans than we do, and His plan was for her to go and never be dealing with addiction again and to leave a legacy that would give, ultimately, four people new lives."
Organ transplantation is a lifesaving medical reality for thousands of Americans each year. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, more than 49,000 transplants were performed in 2025 alone. Someone is added to the national transplant waiting list every eight minutes.
Horsey hopes "Gifted" helps viewers to spark conversations about organ donation with their families and consider registering as donors themselves.
"One of the pillars of the docuseries is to inspire people to consider their gifts," he said. "It's the power of yes that changes lives forever."
To learn more about Maissa Abdallah, "Gifted: The Docuseries" and the impact of organ donation, listen to "St. Louis on the Air" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
"St. Louis on the Air" brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Layla Halilbasic is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
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