Lyric Marie Benson
The above picture shows me with my daughter, Lyric, when she was 6 years old (1987). She was a beautiful, loving, and intelligent child with a wonderful future awaiting her. She had played the violin, the piano, read voraciously, and loved to be on stage to entertain. She left the Kansas City area at age 12 to live in Casablanca, Morocco, and attend an American School. Lyric became valedictorian of her high school class before entering college at Yale in the field of theater.

Comedy and Tragedy
As we all recognize the long-time theater icons of a smiling face and a sad face, so goes this story. Lyric graduated from Yale in Theater Studies, with honors, 2002. Her next step was the Big Apple where she worked at an upscale restaurant in the evenings while auditioning for roles during the day. It's a competitive industry, but she soon got small parts on Comedy Central, All My Children, and Law and Order. She also did voiceovers for cosmetic commercials, but her big breakthrough was a print ad for the New Yorker magazine. It was an American Express ad in which she was the poster representative for the Tribeca Film Festival. The ad showed up on posters and billboards throughout New York City for several weeks. Her career appeared to be on its way. Then.....one night out of nowhere, she was tragically shot in the face by a jealous ex-boyfriend. Her life and dreams had ended at age 22.

The Horrible Aftermath

Unimaginable. Horrifying. Beyond a nightmare. How could my daughter be gone? After being kept alive at Belleview hospital for a day, Lyric was pronounced dead on April 25, 2003. Her organ donation sustained the lives of five individuals. Her tissue was preserved to help others and her pancreas was donated for islet cell research. Lyric's story spread across the nation, ABC Primetime, and especially the New York City and Kansas City communities. Despite the media hyperbole about glamour and social storylines, the trump story was Lyric's gift of life. It is that beautiful and miraculous event that truly connects with the heart and soul.

I have set up a nonprofit fund, LYRIC OF LIFE, which is headquartered in the Kansas City area where she grew up. Contributions will go toward education of organ donation, financial assistance for donor and recipient families, and theater scholarships for high school students. If you feel that organ donation is important and you wish to reach out to others through the name of Lyric Marie Benson, you may do so at the address listed below. Contributions are tax deductible. You may also contact me at: tbop48@aol.com. I welcome any questions or comments. Thank you for listening and making an informed decision.

Terry Benson, Lyric's father

LYRIC OF LIFE / P.O. Box 4142 / Overland Park, KS 66204

Terry Benson
Copyright © 2001  Lyric of Life. All rights reserved.
Revised: 04/11/06.