A heartbreaking video has gone viral showing 18-year-old cheerleader Kimber Mills being wheeled through the halls of the University of Alabama Hospital for her final “honor walk” before becoming an organ donor. Kimber, a senior at Cleveland High School, was one of four victims in a shooting near Palmerdale on October 18.
Known for her school spirit and dreams of becoming a nurse, Kimber was taken off life support on Tuesday after suffering fatal injuries. Her vibrant personality and kindness made her beloved by classmates, teachers, and friends.
According to investigators, 27-year-old Steven Tyler Whitehead arrived at the party, got into a fight, and opened fire. He has been charged with three counts of attempted murder and is being held on a $180,000 bond.
Kimber’s sister, Ashley Mills, said her younger sibling was “caught in the crossfire” after Whitehead began harassing one of her friends. “She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Ashley said, her voice breaking.
Despite their grief, the Mills family chose to honor Kimber’s wish to donate her organs. “She had too much trauma to her brain,” Ashley explained. “We didn’t want her to suffer anymore. Organ donation was what she wanted.”
During her final walk, hospital staff, students, and community members lined the hallways, many holding hands or wiping away tears as Kimber was taken to surgery. The emotional moment was shared widely online, touching hearts across the country.
Her heart was donated to a seven-year-old boy in Ohio, and her lungs to a woman in New York. Several other organs also went to patients in need.
“Kimber was really loved by the whole community,” said a close friend. “Even in death, she gave others the chance to live. That’s exactly who she was.”