We each carry within us gifts enough to give life and hope to as many as fifty other people. Through tissue donation, one life given makes renewed life possible for dozens nationwide and internationally. In the restored lives of these grateful recipients, the life and memory of donors lives on.http://www.fiftylives.orgThis is a Test
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Thomas (Tom) Clifford Eggers, Tissue Donor

Tom was born June 4, 1952 in Portland, Oregon and grew up in a loving family. Tom was a son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, papa, uncle, brother-in-law and cousin.

I met Tom in August 1969 working together at a fast food restaurant. I knew immediately Tom was a special, caring and dynamic individual. I married my soul mate in March 1970.

In May 1971 we became proud parents of our wonderful son Jason and just 3½ years later we were blessed with our beautiful daughter Melanie. He loved his children with all of his heart.

Over the next thirty years we were blessed with seven grandchildren. Tom loved them so much! When he passed we asked each family member one word that described Tom, Dad, Grandpa and Papa. They described him as protective, safe, exciting, strong, intelligent, knowledgeable, bold, loving, with integrity, witty, reliable, ‘ohana’, passionate, compassionate, “Wiffle’Waffle” and soul mate.

Music was always a big part of Tom’s life. He played in a band in high school. He shared the love and special connection that music provides with his son, and they enjoyed playing guitar together for decades. For Tom, the lyrics to the songs were just as important to him as was the melody.

In early years Tom enjoyed outdoor activities such as camping, motorcycling, rock-climbing and white-water rafting. He especially loved creative endeavors such as photography and woodworking.

Tom worked most of his life in construction. His last seven years, Tom worked as a general manager for a wholesale building materials supplier, where they described him as an “integral part of the business” and “incredibly passionate about his work.”

He truly cared for others, not just with empathy, but also with action. A leader by example, Tom was about results and his commitment often inspired others, as was the case when Tom co-founded and served as president of ReFIT (formerly Remodelers Foundation), which works to refit homes for the elderly and people with disabilities. He also volunteered numerous hours with organizations such as SOLV and Washington County Disability, Aging & Veteran Services. Just before his passing he led his grandson’s Cub Scout den in building a puppet theatre, which they donated to the Play-Therapy department of a homeless shelter.

On March 14, 2009, my dear husband died of a sudden, massive heart attack at the early age of 56. We found out later that he didn’t suffer at the time of his death. He was loved by so many; over 400 people attended his funeral services.

Tom signed up to be a donor when he first obtained his driver’s license as a teenager. Over the years he shared his feelings of the importance of being a donor. Many of our family members have signed up because of Tom.

We are so proud of this man who made such a difference in all of our lives. Tom’s generous spirit still lives on even after his passing through his tissue donations. We all love and miss him so much.

In January of 2012 I had an accident and fell from a ladder about 7 feet onto the deck at my home. The fall caused the ligaments holding my collar bone to snap as well as bruising my ribs and shoulder. The end of the collar bone next to the shoulder raised about 1-1/4 inches, which destabilized the shoulder.

As part of my job I climb towers ranging in height from 35 feet to nearly 600. I barely had any movement in the shoulder and almost no strength at all. There was no way I could perform those duties. Even after months of rehab I was unable to climb anything other than a small ladder and even that was not as safe as I would have liked.

I was reminded pointedly that climbing was part of my job description and if I was unable to perform my duties I would have to find work elsewhere.

After discussing this with my doctor we decided that surgery was the only option left and we scheduled it for late October. He used a ligament that had been donated through a donor program to repair my shoulder. Since then I have been in therapy to restore the capabilities I had lost due to the fall. I now have full range of motion and much of the strength I had lost is returning. In April I am scheduled to go get my certification training so I can resume climbing.

This has saved my job and my livelihood. While I do not know who donated the tissue that saved my livelihood, he/she has my heartfelt thanks as well as the family that allowed the donation without objection.

I, and all of my family members, have signed up as tissue/organ donors since this has happened. I urge everyone to consider becoming a donor and letting your friends and family know of your decision. Your donation may save a life or, as in my case, help them to be able to support their family either in the work environment or even to continue their way of life. George Olvera passed away 11-30-2012 after many years of heart disease and diabetes. As a tissue donor, researchers have an opportunity to study the long term effects of uncontrolled diabetes on eye tissue and vision. George had the foresight to want to make sure future generations don't suffer the hopelessness and loss of vision that marked his final days.I have had the pleasure and honor of working in the tissue banking industry since 2001. I was always a firm believer in the donation process, but my beliefs and commitment to the industry were truly reaffirmed in 2009 when my father, Dale Evans Roe, unexpectedly passed away on February 22. All of the sudden I went from working in the donation field to becoming part of a family faced with making the decision of giving life to others and the one granting consent. We made the decision to donate as my father had always talked about how proud and fascinated he was of my career and that he hoped he could help others when his time came. As he always was during his life, my father was a hero as he was able to help more than 50 people through his gift of skin, tissue, bones, and corneas.

This experience greatly enhanced my beliefs and commitment to the donation process as well as increased my abilities, understanding, and competencies as a donation professional. Having been on the other side of the coin, I am able to understand, sympathize, and connect with families on a much deeper level and I am able to share the wonderful joy that my family and I feel in knowing that my father was able to help so many through his selfless gifts.

Brian Roe, CTS - Indiana DirectorIn January 2012, I had a molar with a 2-time root canal break under the gum line. Unfortunately, the molar was no longer able to be saved without causing damage to my gum line and continuous infections. I chose to have the tooth pulled and a bone graft put in place to give support for an implant. My story is simple, but my gratitude is immeasurable. I am a Tissue Recovery Coordinator; so this process has come "full circle" for me. I thank my donor every day, and appreciate every donor's altruistic gift to others. I tore my ACL, amongst other ligaments, towards the end of my junior year in high school in a basketball game.

Basketball was my life, and because of the severity of the tear and the degree of dislocation in my knee, my initial doctor told me that basketball probably wouldn't happen again. I went to a different surgeon, who replaced my ACL with a donor tendon. With intensive therapy, I played every game my senior year and earned a scholarship to play college ball. Without the donor tendon, I probably would have never played ball again.Tina Vannatta

Seven years ago I underwent my first ACL reconstruction surgery. At the time, I had no idea donated tissue was used during that surgery.

It was the summer before my junior year of high school when I tore my left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) while playing soccer. I was devastated. Since I was a young girl, I had always wanted to play soccer at the collegiate level. Typically, college coaches recruited girls during their junior year of high school. I could see my dream of playing in college slipping away. Thankfully, I had ACL reconstruction surgery soon after the initial injury and I was on the road to recovery. After six long and hard months of physical therapy, I was released to play again. I was beyond excited. My chances of getting recruited were still high.

But during my second game back, I tore my left ACL again. Once again, my dreams were shattered. Despite this setback, I underwent surgery and physical therapy again and was released to play right before my senior season of high school soccer. I made it through the season without any problems and was fortunate to get the opportunity to attend a college showcase tournament with my travel soccer team. I had not given up hope and was excited to play in front of college soccer coaches.

Unfortunately, I tore my right ACL during the second game of the college showcase. At that point, I had decided I was not meant to play soccer in college. I underwent ACL reconstruction surgery for the third time and endured the six long months of physical therapy; however, I did not return to soccer.

The next year, I attended Ball State University and completed my freshman year of college. Although I enjoyed every minute of that year, I knew something was missing and that something was soccer. I missed not only playing but also being apart of a team. So I decided to tryout for the Ball State Women’s soccer team. After training hard and not losing hope, I successfully walked onto the team. I secured a starting position and was chosen as a captain my second and third years on the team. My dream of playing soccer in college came true!

Recently, I found out that the tissues used in all three of my ACL surgeries were donated. Without those tissue donations, I would not have had the opportunity to play soccer in college. Although my path was a bit bumpy, the donated tissue allowed me to fulfill one of the dreams I had since I was a young girl; to play soccer in college. Although my soccer career is over, I still play on an adult indoor soccer league, run in races (5ks up to a marathon), and lead an active lifestyle. I am so thankful for the individuals who donated the tissue that was used in all of my surgeries. Without their generosity, I would not be able to do half the activities I enjoy today.
Hello, my name is Raquel Gonzalez and I moved to California in 1991 with my 3 year old daughter Brittany. Brittany graduated from Torrance high in 2007. She had such a carefree, loving, and fun personality, and anyone who met her loved her instantly.

Brittany didn’t have a real plan after graduation, other than hanging out at the beach and working at the mall. I suggested that maybe she might want to go to Slidell, Louisiana to visit her grandparents, my mom and dad. They live very close to New Orleans and I knew she would have a blast. I wanted her to go visit for the summer and come up with a plan for furthering her education. Well, she ended up loving it in Slidell. She got a job at Slidell Memorial Hospital working in food services and she really loved it. I was happy for her and my parents were really enjoying having their oldest grandchild there with them. She had to buy a car to get back and forth to work, so that meant she needed to learn how to drive and get her license. Here in Cali she didn’t need a license because she rode her bike everywhere and she didn’t mind riding the bus, so it was never an issue. So she got her license and my parents helped her buy her first car. She was really loving life and having a great time; she met her boyfriend Joe and was making lots of friends. I missed her so much, but as long as she was happy then I would be happy.

In January 2008, I went home for a visit. She was so excited to show me where she worked, and I was happy to see her doing so well. One night I remember having a chat with her and she said, “Mom, are you an organ donor?” I really wasn’t sure where she was going with the conversation, but she pulled out her new DL license and showed me that she was and we were just chatting about it, not being very serious. She said, mom if I ever die, I want my eyes to be donated because they are my best feature. I told her whatever, okay, okay! Let’s not talk about this subject, because she wasn’t going to die before me. Who knew that 3 months later I would have to be faced with this decision?

After my visit, I came back to Cali and I missed her even more and she had also gotten really homesick and wanted to move back home. She was really torn, because she had a boyfriend and a job that she loved, but she missed being here with me and all of her friends. I told her to work out a plan with her dad to move back. They arranged for her to move back at the end of April. He was going to drive to Slidell, rent a trailer and tow her car back. I was excited to know she would be moving back to Cali.

On the evening of April 4th, my life changed forever. I was in Anaheim with my fiancé, Gabriel, getting ready to see Bon Jovi in concert with our friends. While we were in the car waiting to park, my phone rang and it was my mom. She asked to speak to Gabriel, which I thought was strange, but I handed the phone to him. I saw his face turn white and he said you need to tell her and he handed the phone to me. My mom was screaming and crying saying Britt had been in a terrible car accident and she was in the ER and she wasn’t sure how bad it was, but she thought I needed to come home. Of course, I am all the way in California, and there is not a quick way to get to my daughter. I called her dad, Tracy, and told him what was going on and ask him to get online and try and find us a flight ASAP. Well, there were no flights available because everything headed into New Orleans was cancelled due to a storm. The same storm Britt was driving in when she lost control of her car and hit a telephone pole.

Well, we couldn’t wait for a flight, so my ex-husband, Britt’s step mom and I, hopped into his truck and headed to Louisiana. We drove 33 hours almost nonstop, with only a 5 hour break to rest. We made it to the hospital by Sunday afternoon. Britt was in a coma. She was on a ventilator and had sustained a very bad head injury, along with a punctured lung and broken ribs. She really didn’t have a scratch on her, it was all internal. My poor baby laid there surrounded with tubes and monitors. The thought of her dying really never entered my head... I knew she was a strong, healthy 19 year old and was going to come out of this and have a great story to tell. She was also in the hospital where she worked, so most of the nurses and staff knew and loved her. She was constantly surrounded by friends in the hospital, we had a love journal and friends and family were leaving her notes of encouragement. I knew it would be a long haul, but was confident she was going to make it out of this.

On the morning of Wednesday, April 9, 2008, I made my way over to the hospital and the nurses stopped me and they were so excited to tell me that Britt had started breathing on her own and they were going to remove the ventilator. I couldn’t believe it, she was doing so good, even started to move her arms and hands. There was hope and I couldn’t have been happier. Around 10:30 that morning the nurse came into the room to remove her breathing tube and all of a sudden Britt started turning red and was tensing up... the bells and buzzers on the machines started going crazy and the nurses pushed us out of the room and we really didn’t know what was happening. I knew it was not good... they took Britt out and I wasn’t sure where they were going, but my family and I all went down to the chapel and started praying. We just hoped she would be okay and after about an hour or so we went back to ICU. Brittany was brought back to the room, but I knew something was not right. She was very still and all the tubes were connected again. The doctors wouldn’t really tell us much, we waited for specialist to come in and run some more tests on her to determine if she was brain dead or not. At 3:30pm on April 9th, we were told our baby was determined brain dead due to a blood clot to her lung which caused lack of oxygen to her brain and there was nothing further they could do. She was not ever going to wake up, she was on ventilator support. I try to think back on that moment, but it is very blurry... I just remember being brought into a small little room and her doctor and another lady were there and they started talking about allowing Brittany to be an organ donor. She was young and healthy. Of course, if I had to make that decision, I know I would have consented, but I am so very grateful that Brittany had already made that decision for herself. It is not a decision any parent should ever have to make. I am so proud of my daughter!

Several weeks after Brittany’s death, I received a letter from LOPA (Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency)

Brittany’s left kidney and pancreas was given to a 43 year old father of one.

Brittany’s right kidney was given to a 45 year old woman who is single with one child and was on the waiting list for 7 years.

Brittany’s liver was given to a 46 year old husband and father of one child.

Brittany’s gift had the ability to help up to 50 people.

I am proud to say that my daughter saved lives and improved the quality of life for many others and their families.

I believe it is one of the most unselfish gifts anyone can give.My husband passed on Sept 12, 2011 in a motorcycle accident. He was a tissue donor; we had an open casket and so many friends and family said that's why they were not donors because they wanted an open casket service. So, many of them registered to become donors afterward. I miss him very much but he improved and touched so many lives because of this.Ken and I met through mutual friends and were married in December 2000. We shared our three children from previous relationships and we were blessed with a daughter in 2004. We were a full house. Ken loved sports. He worked out all the time, was fit and athletic. Football was his favorite by far. On April 25, 2005, he complained of heartburn after a spicy dinner. I didn't think anything of it and told him to relax and to lay off the jalapenos. Within minutes I realized something was wrong. He had lost consciousness and was slumped over. I told my 8 year old son to bring me the phone and to take the baby next door until I go get him. The ambulance showed up and did what they could but it was too late. The family and I decided to make a donation.

A few years later, I met Garrett, a divorced father of two. One of which was an organ recipient. We had lots in common. He convinced me to do some homework to see where my husband's donation went, so I wrote to CTS and received a letter with a list of 19 people who received tissue from Ken. Due to the circumstances of his passing, no organs were usable but tissues were. Even though his death was a tragedy, it allowed those 19 people to live happy healthy lives.
http://goo.gl/kHHbIKyle is my nephew and he helped my deceased husband and myself with so many things around our home as we both were handicapped. I remember him coming thru the door with a smile on his face and a HI you knew that next you were going to get a big bear hug and a I LOVE YOU. He never left without a big hug and a kiss. I cannot say enough about Kyle and his family they were always so wonderful to both of us. I will always miss him.My Husband and I met the family in 1970, so we were blessed with seeing Debbie grow up get married to Joe and have the boys Joey and Kyle when the boys were young it was our joy to watch the boys around Christmas time and to watch the movie about the Grinch that stole christmas over and over and over many times during the evening we would have them. To this day I think of those days at Christmas time. Kyle has affected my life with the fact he was there for us to watch grow and was a nephew to us. http://goo.gl/7p2SWBoth of my husband's parents have given their eyes and tissue in the last year and half. They would be so very happy to know that they helped in this way. I know that we are very happy to say that they did.http://goo.gl/dX5DmMy story starts with my son, Rocky, who at 22 passed away in a motorcycle accident in May of 2006. His short life was spent playing sports, riding dirt bikes and helping the underdog. Whenever he would get on a motorized machine or in a car, I would always say to him, “Please be careful”. Having a mother and brother who died in a car accident in 1980, I was always worried. His response to me became, Mother, I can die crossing the street today and if we always live in fear of dying, we never live.

We had conversations about death and what he did like and dislike, but the one thing we never discussed was what if we die today? What then? Would you want a funeral, cremation, would you want to donate your organs and tissue to help others? As a person who always gave, his answer no doubt would have been yes.

My son loved living on the edge and when he became a father his whole outlook changed. His life became this precious gift given to him, a daughter, and what he was and was not going to do. Though family was always important to him, having his own daughter taught him even more how precious his life actually was.

I will say he never waivered on when it is your time to go, it is time. That fateful night in May our phone rang and my worst nightmare began. My son was brain dead and we needed to make a decision. I made decisions, felt life was unfair but tried every minute to hear my sons words, we do not get to choose when our life on earth is done. We chose to allow him to became a donor because he would have given you his lung anyway if you needed it. Though from a donor mothers prespective, one of the most difficult things I will ever do, is saying to the Doctor, Yes. I felt like I had butchered my son, and so many other things that roll through your head as you spend those last hours with him that it was eating me alive. Did I make the right decision? Am I really sure this is what he would have wanted? Then I remember my son and the giving person he was and know that it has to be the right thing. We had talks about what he wanted and Roc believed in cremation and had I been aware and educated on organ donation, maybe I would have had that conversation as well.

I finally decided to take my sorrow and turn it into something positive. What can we achieve from our sorrow, what can we teach that precious gift our son gave to us before he left, how can I help others see and learn what I have learned? If our story can at least get people to think and talk about it, then we are doing something. The letters and notes we have received from those that have benefited from my son's death has given me a new outlook on donation. I can now say that with this tragedy in our life, I have had this conversation with my other children and loved ones. Is it a great conversation topic? No, but when is a good time? I can tell you from experience it is not when you are sitting in ICU being told that your child is brain dead. Too many other emotions are running through your head and you are not in the frame of mind to even be thinking straight.

However, had it not been for the staff at PNTB, staff at Saint Alphonsus Hospital being involved and lending me the thoughts and education, I’m not so sure I would be telling this story today. I can tell you my son was always lending a helping hand, sticking up for or helping out the underdog. So making this decision to donate his organs and tissue has helped 7 people live, 2 people see and countless others benefiting from his tissue donation. His gift of life. I will not tell you it is an easy decision but one I believe should be discussed. We were able to take a terrible tragedy that we had no control over and turn it into something so positive that my son was able to one last time help out the underdog and give the gift of life.

As our family looks for ways to find the positive, I know my son has given something special to many people including a memory we can share with his daughter as she was only 8 months old at the time of his death. Many people we know have now made the decision to designate themselves Organ and Tissue donors on their driver’s licenses due to living this tragedy with us and learning about Organ Donation. I can only ask that you have this conversation with your family and friends, educate yourself and them, as it can make a difference. Let me end by saying that the letters we have received from the recipients of Roc’s organs has taught us that our decision to allow Rocky to become a donor was the right one and why I can say our decision was a good one. Have this conversation with your loved ones and in my son’s words…Pay it Forward.

http://goo.gl/Ay5tfMy husband, Robert Klausner died suddenly of a brain aneurysm when I returned home from work. He kissed me, told me he loved me and 2 minutes later he started to seize up and have a stroke. He was only 32 years old when this happened and we had a 5 year old and 2 year old that were his whole life. When my youngest was diagnosed with cancer he stayed home with him, took him to his chemo appointments and was a wonderful father. He was a donor and saved over 40 lives with his organ donation. He is a true hero who is missed every day and I was so lucky to be married to him for 3 years.

Sarah Klausnerhttp://goo.gl/aHQDGIt has been 22 years since my baby girl was born, I will never forget that day, because not only was it a day full of joy, but also filled with sorrow. You see my daughter was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. It is genetic, almost always fatal, we did not know what hit us. The first few hours of her life were filled with a lot of questions, decision making, and just trying to wrap our heads around the fact that our beautiful baby girl was going to die. Jessica Lynn, so precious, so small, yet such a special little soul. She touched so many lives in her brief stay on this earth. Jessica lived just 5 and 1/2 weeks, longer than almost any baby with this diagnosis, we knew she was special from the day she was born. She was destined to touch so many people. When Jessica died we were asked if we would be willing to donate her eyes and tissue. We agreed and she went on to help 10 others live through her gift of life! She helped people to see again, she helped people to live again. Though bittersweet it was a fulfilling thought to know that she helped and touched so many others. I still think of her every day, and miss her, but part of her lives on in 10 other people! That is the true miracle.http://goo.gl/FsfhoMy story is about giving life but not by tissue donation. In September 2010, I donated a kidney to my big brother. In January 2010, he was diagnosed with FSGS (a fairly common kidney disease). He was put on 30 some medications right away. The doctors told him when he was diagnosed, that he should have about 4-5 years before his kidneys totally failed and he would require dialysis. He was hospitalized several times after being diagnosed, including a hospital stay in March where he had double pneumonia and septic shock where he lost most of his remaining kidney function.

In April, my family and I began talking about being tested to see if any of us could be a donor. My father and mother were disqualified due to health reasons. My brother’s wife was not a match. However, she was willing to be put on an exchange list. I was on a business trip when I learned of their test results by email from my brother. I responded and told him not to worry and that he would have a kidney when needed. When I returned home, my husband and I went to be tested. About 3 weeks later on my way home from work on a Friday night, I received a phone call telling me that my husband was a compatible match and I was a perfect match. My husband’s kidney could last 20 years, where as my kidney (the perfect match) could last up to 30 years. I could feel the tears roll down my face. I think partly out of sheer joy and partly because I was scared. I pulled off the road to absorb everything – my gut feeling from the beginning was right. I was going to be my brother’s donor. The next day, I told my family the news and never looked back.

Over the next four months, I went through many more tests to ensure I was indeed a perfect match and that I was a healthy candidate. In June 2010, due to my brother’s condition, he had both kidneys removed in preparation for the transplant. He was producing too much protein. Therefore, his kidneys had to be removed in hopes that they would not affect the new kidney. This was a very hard time for me. It was very hard to see my brother so weak and in pain. He began receiving dialysis treatments two days later.

The transplant was scheduled for 3 weeks later. However, it was delayed several weeks due to his blood count being too low. The doctors wanted Kevin to get his blood levels up in order for the transplant to be successful. A blood transfusion was not an option as that would make us not a match for the transplant causing him to reject my kidney. Each week the doctors would check his progress. Finally, the date was set for Thursday, September 9th, 2010.

About one week before the transplant, I learned which kidney I would be donating. The doctors told me that they would be taking my right kidney because I had a couple of very small kidney stones in that kidney. They wanted to leave me with the stronger one even though the left kidney was easier to remove. I had named the kidney “Betty” and at that point we decided to rename the kidney “Betty Rolling Stone Burns”.

The transplant was a success! Everything went as planned without any complications. My parents said my brother’s color looked great almost immediately after the transplant. My brother spent the first day in ICU while I was on the transplant floor. Less than 24 hours, I got out of bed for the first time even though it was painful and asked to go see my brother. I walked about halfway down the hall and asked for a wheelchair. The next day, my brother was moved to the transplant floor, four doors down from me. We visited each other several times the next couple of days. I left the hospital on Saturday evening, while my brother left the hospital on Sunday. I returned to work 4 weeks after the transplant, still sore, but strong enough to get back into the swing of things. The healing process just takes time.

Although, my brother’s kidney disease came back three months later, he is still doing much better than he was before the transplant. The doctors actually misdiagnosed him at the beginning. Instead of having FSGS, he has a different form of kidney disease called IGA. He received 4 experimental treatments of chemotherapy and has been in remission ever since. The kidney may not last the 30 years first anticipated, but he has many years to enjoy life again that he did not have before the transplant. That makes everything worthwhile. I am so happy that I get to see him doing the things he loves to do and he has more time to spend with his two sons. This experience has changed my life forever. I do not want to be the person that does not do anything when someone I know is in a time of need because I don’t know what to say. I now know the smallest gesture can mean so much and all I want to do is to help others. I want to educate others about kidney disease and ways to help prevent it. I don’t want others to go through the same thing. Lastly, I want to educate others on the importance of the decision of becoming a donor (living or deceased) and how it can give someone a second chance at life.








http://goo.gl/0GSTPMy grandson, Evan, was hurt while riding as a passenger on a four wheeler with his Aunt in Oregon and he was transferred to the Shriners Burn Unit in Cincinnati in May. He received a donor graft and that started the healing process for him to get the next graft and then finally his own tissue to cover his healing wound. I am so blessed to be a part of Community Tissue Services. I never thought that what I did would impact my life and my families lives. Without the donor graft to start the healing process for him, his stay could have been longer. He is on the cover of the Shriners Newsletter and we are so blessed he got such loving care through this process. Evan is an avid baseball player and he had to miss this season but he will be back next season playing his heart out. The donor graft he got helped him so much, and to the donor family that gave this life-saving gift we will be forever grateful.

Debbie Edwardshttp://goo.gl/DIUnOJoe Masello - 1/19/96 - 9/26/10
Community Tissue Services/Dayton OH
Tissue Donor

Our Joe; funny, smart, loyal, loving, and kind are just a few adjectives that describe the son that never disappointed his family.

One of Joe's greatest attributes according to his friends was that he was always there to listen, lend a hand or offer advice. Even though Joe was too young to make a decision on tissue donation, we know he would have made that decision when the time came because that was Joe.

"It matters not how long a star shines what is remembered is the brightness of the light" Joe was our "bright star" and he will be forever remembered and loved.

We will always feel an emptiness within our hearts, yet through tissue donation, we will always know that Joe even in death has "lended a hand" and helped someone in need, which gives us some solace.

There is only love,
Joe's Familyhttp://goo.gl/2uFfhIn January 2011 I feel my family came full circle when I was a recipient of tissue during my neck surgery. In Oct 2009 I lost my sister in a bicycling accident who was an organ donor. Even though my tissue graft made a small impact compared to organ donation it all affects lives and this is the best way to help each other as human beings. These donors are the true heros in our community.http://goo.gl/ym6TS On December 21, 2005 my oldest son Jamie, who was 30 years old, took his life. He had suffered from depression for much of his life, but was so creative, such a gifted writer, and artist. He was an awesome uncle to his nieces, and nephew, who nicknamed him their "Uncle Fun". He worked on the barges on the Mississippi River, but that fall had gone to New Orleans to work doing underwater salvage in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. There he saw many things, that looking back now, probably affected him in ways we didnt even realize. But I can honestly tell you that he probably lived more in his thirty years on this earth, than most of us do in a lifetime.
Because of my experience as the recipient of a bone graft five years prior, I was well aware of the need that exists for donors. So when I was told that he had signed his drivers license to be one, it gave us comfort to know that part of him would live on through others.
Since Jamie's passing I have been volunteering as a speaker for our local organ procurement organization. And as difficult as it is sometimes to tell our story, it helps me to know that on those days when they hear it, and they see the photo of his smiling face...He is remembered.http://goo.gl/Y9ZSgIn October of 2000 I began having terrible neck pain, numbness in my arm, and into my fingers. After an ER visit, and an MRI I was diagnosed with degenerative discs in my neck. One of the discs had deteriorated so much, that the bones were pressing on the nerves. I was then told that I would need surgery to fuse the bones with a bone graft. I had 2 options, I would either need to have bone removed from my hip in an additional surgery. Or I could opt to use the bone of a donor. At that time I was unaware that anything such as a bone bank even existed. But being self employed, I knew that any kind of hip surgery could keep me from my job as a hairstylist even longer. So I opted to use the bone of a donor, and felt so thankful that such an option was available to me.
When I awoke from surgery, I not only had 2 screws and a metal plate in my neck, I had the bone of some wonderful person who was generous enough to give me that gift.
Many times after surgery, I have thought about the person who donated the bone I recieved and what kind of person they might have been in life. Always thinking how lucky I am that someone who didn't even know me, gave me such an amazing gift.
After my surgery, I wore my green ribbon pin and bracelet, becoming a huge advocate of donation, not knowing at the time how it would eventually impact my life again.
Please read Jamie's story on here. It is about my son, and my experience as the mother of a donor.http://goo.gl/xrrAIWhen I was 3 years old, I lost vision in my right eye due to a virus. The doctors had hoped that with a cornea transplant, I might be able to tell a cat from a dog and prevent the left eye from over compensating for vision. I now have 20/40 vision. It is impossible for me to express my thankfulness for my donor, my hero, who gave everything so that myself and others could have life or an enhanced life. Through the love of of this one young man, I can see, I am in college and will celebrate my 16th year as a cornea (tissue) recipient. Because of this, many others have become full organ & tissue donors (as am I) and through this one display of genuine human love, others too, will be able to share their own stories.http://goo.gl/yKQARGiving Life (KELO Land)
By Erich
Published: April 17, 2011, 10:00 PM




ABERDEEN, SD - For many, the highlight of April might be the snow leaving for the season. But for others, it's very special because April is National Donate Life Month.

Dr. Larry and his wife Kelly of Aberdeen hope their story of life inspires others to join in.

"I got married late April and decided with my wife we'd just live out that time and that was going to be it. And then to hear that you only have two months, I was devastated," Larry said.

That was in 2008 when, in his mid-50s, Larry suffered a severe heart attack. He survived but it led to serious complications. He went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

"That's when they ran a battery of tests, found out that I was in stage IV heart failure," Larry said.

He received a pump for his heart to keep him alive while he sat on a list waiting for a heart donor. His wife Kelly describes the time as a roller coaster of emotions.

"It's an awkward list to be on,” Kelly said. “People would say ‘we'll pray for a heart’ and we'd say ‘we don't pray for a heart because somebody needs to die for a heart to be available.’"

From hospital visits to hospital stays, that emotional wait continued more than 200 days for the couple, until May 2009 when they got a call. There was a heart.

"I told Larry and he broke down. We prayed for the donor's family, knowing that somebody is suffering a tragedy," Kelly said.

"They called me about 6:00 in the morning and by 8:00 that morning we were out at Aberdeen Flying Service. By 10:00 we were back at Rochester and by noon I was in the operating room," Larry said.

He survived that procedure too. But that didn't mean things were easy thereafter. There was still a lot of physical recovery ahead and emotional too.

He received his heart from a 20-year-old college student named Austin who died in a motorcycle accident in Minnesota.

"I was questioning why, you know. He had just finished his sophomore year of college, a young man had just started life and why I got to live and he didn't," Larry said.

But some of those feelings started to change after the Alexanders were able to meet with the young man's family who lives in Tennessee.

"They were all out on the front lawn and they just greeted me with open arms and it was just an emotional time," Alexander said.

They each took turns listening to the heart beating in Alexander's chest. Shimon’s mom explained that the 20-year-old wanted to be a donor and was vocal in encouraging others to do the same.

"She was so eloquent when she said to my husband, ‘what happened to Austin was the worst thing possible. My son died in a freak accident but that has nothing to do with you getting his heart,’" Kelly said.

ERICH: Does it almost feel like they're family now?
Larry: They are family; they are family.

He once faced a couple months left to live. It's now been a couple years.

"I want to honor him and encourage people to donate life, to be organ and tissue donors because you save someone's life. You may never know but the ones who are back here who get the organs and tissues, we know and we appreciate it," Larry said.

Larry is still recovering from the transplant and taking several medications so his body doesn't reject the heart.




http://goo.gl/pawNLMy sister Karen was killed in a drunk driving crash in March of 1998. She was 18 years old and a freshman at St. Bonaventure University. She was an athlete, and played softball for 12 years. Soon after receiving the tragic news of her death, my parents were faced with the hard decision of whether or not to donate her tissues and organs. They decided that Karen was a very giving and generous person, and this is something that she would have wanted. Through that donation, Karen was able to help at least 10 people. It's that decision that made me want to check "organ and tissue donor" on the back of my driver's license. I've started Crusade Against Impaired Driving in Karen's honor, and each August we hold a softball tournament in her memory. To learn more about CAID, head to www.karenscrusade.org.

Karen's sister, Deannahttp://goo.gl/23JeQMy husband, Emil, passed away on September 11, 2011 after a 2-week fight following a stroke and severe brain hemorrhage. I knew he was an organ donor, but after speaking with a representative from Lifebanc, I didn't realize the extent of what organ and tissue donation could do for other people who needed and were waiting for this 'gift'. The lifebank reps were very comforting during the worst few weeks that I had been through in a long time. My husband's accident (stroke) was not only very sudden, but his passing came within 2 weeks of the stroke. It's amazing at how quickly one's life can change. I'm grateful to know that my husband's donation of organs and tissues reached out to help so many people in need. Lifebanc is truly a great group of people and what they help to accomplish can't be explained in words. God Bless!

Vickyhttp://goo.gl/BniD2My daughter Kendra was a normal, happy, and seemingly healthy 4 year old at the start of the summer of 2009. However, over the Fourth of July weekend she became sick and was taken to her family doctor who suggested she be seen at the emergency room at Akron Children’s Hospital. The ER team immediately knew that something was seriously wrong. An x-ray revealed that her heart was taking up two thirds of her chest cavity and it was unable to supply enough blood to the organs of her body.

The team arranged to have Kendra life-flighted to Cleveland Clinic and prepared the family for the worst case scenario during the flight. By Gods grace, Kendra survived the flight. Doctors determined that Kendra had Cardiomyopathy, a serious heart disease that causes the heart muscles to become inflamed and not work properly. Because Kendra’s heart was failing and her other organs were shutting down, it was determined that she needed a heart transplant. She was placed on the top of the transplant list immediately. Three days later a donor heart was found and successfully transplanted into Kendra.

Kendra took many weeks to recover and is doing well now. She is 6 years old now and Kindergarten.

Leahttp://goo.gl/1mC5jSomeone today is looking at the world through my mother's eyes. Florence Marie had a beautiful soul and never failed to see the beauty in everything around her. I know her recipient has received the many other gifts she shared with her family as well as her gift of sight.

Theresahttp://goo.gl/851g7My brother, Todd, was killed in a car accident on July 11, 1994. He had already made the decision to be an organ donor and was able to donate his corneas. He was 21 at the time, five years older than me, and we were incredibly close - he was my best friend. He was a college student and pilot - he loved flying. He was a big football fan - he loved the Cleveland Browns and Ohio State. We would have long talks on the phone, and I always knew I could talk to him about anything. On the night he died, we spent some time alone together and had one of our long talks...I waved good-bye to him as he left to go to his apartment, never knowing it would be the last time. I miss him every day, but I am so proud that his last gift was to be able to help someone else.http://goo.gl/JeD5uMy husband of 22 years, Larry, died suddenly on December 23, 2009. He was a strong believer in organ donation. He would always say, "When I die, just donate my entire body to organ donation. I won't need my body anymore and if I can help just one person live a better life than I wouldn't have died for nothing."

To our shock and horror, out of nowhere my supposed healthy robust, hard working husband passed within 15 seconds without warning to a massive heart attack as we finished buying our last Christmas present. He was full of life the moments before he died. A sparkle in his eyes, a spring to his step, full of life and so happy to start a 2 month long awaited and needed vacation. He died on his first day of his vacation. He was driving the car out of the store parking lot and onto the major highway when he made a noise and 15 seconds later was gone. I had to stop the car in the middle of the highway. I was lucky that we both weren't killed that day leaving our 3 children without both parents.

Needless to say were devasted and we have been lost without him.

I received a letter today from the Donate Life organization and went hysterical crying as I read the letter.

I am so proud to report that my late husband Lawrence's donation of life has so far helped 44 people in 17 states in the US. His eyes gave the gift of sight to 2 people in Taiwan!!!

I love you Larry so very much and am so proud of your dedication to organ donation!!!

My children always thought of their father as their hero. He truly is a hero!!!

GOD BLESS YOU LARRY....... RIP my dear husband! ♥

I urge everyone to become organ, eye and tissue donors! There is nothing like the feeling of knowing your loved one lives on in others all over the world!!! I can honestly say, today was the best day ever to find out this information!!

Sincerely,
Virginia
New Jerseyhttp://goo.gl/etqsxOur son (now nearly 11) has had his life saved by tissue donations twice. He received a donor heart valve when he was just 4 mos. old, and again at 8 years old. Not a day goes by that we don't think of the amazing gifts he has been given... gifts we couldn't give him... gifts someone didn't have to give, but willingly gave in their time of grief. We can never thank the donor families enough. You're all heroes!http://goo.gl/RjpQRwhen i was 24 my heart was struck by a virus I ended up getting cardiomyopathy where your heart enlarges I am lucky to be alive today I had congestive heart failure and was almost on the verge of dying at a young age but I got on the transplant list at nyc presbyterian hospital and got my new heart August 28 2008 its been 2 1/2 yrs now I feel like normal but there are a bit of limitations which I have adjusted I am alive thanks to a 20 yr old donor from bronx ny http://goo.gl/btDQ2As a volunteer of Community Tissue Services, I understand the impact of the decision to become a donor. The gift of Life is something that no person should take for granted, and donation gives opportunity to give life. Get involved, become a donor!http://goo.gl/aLdQTI am an advocate for organ, eye and tissue donation. I encourage others to register to be a donor in their state donor registry. Glad to see a website where tissue recipients and donor families can share their stories with others. It helps people understand the importance of tissue donation and how you can impact 50 lives.