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How to Start the Conversation on National Donor Day

Have you talked with your family about your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor? It can be difficult to start the conversation. We have a few tips to help you share your decision with your loved ones on National Donor Day.

Signing up as an organ, eye and tissue donor means you have made the decision to donate your organs and tissues at the time of your death. It is important to discuss your decision with your family as it will take priority over your family’s preferences.

Making the decision for yourself in advance makes it easier for your family during a very difficult time. Discussing donation with loved ones will help them feel confident and prepared when they are presented with information about the donation process. So #StartTheConversation today and celebrate your heroic choice to save and heal lives with your family!

Here are a few tips to help you start the conversation:

• USE YOUR LICENSE OR ID

Your driver license or ID is a great conversation starter! Check if the designating symbol (a grey-scale heart with a 'Y' for Colorado and two red hearts for Wyoming) is on your license or ID. Discuss what the symbol means, remind your family that they need to say Yes each time they renew and share with them what your decision is and why.

• SHARE A STORY ABOUT DONATION

Do you know a recipient or a donor family? Organ, eye and tissue donation touch thousands in our region each year. Share a story about someone who made the heroic decision to be a donor and how, as a result, that decision saved another life. Find local stories for Colorado and Wyoming.

• KNOW THE FACTS & SHARE

Just one donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and save and heal up to 75 lives through tissue donation. There are nearly 2,000 awaiting a lifesaving organ transplant in our local region. Learn the facts of donation and share with your loved ones.

We encourage you to start the conversation on National Donor Day. Celebrated on February 14th each year, National Donor Day is a perfect opportunity to share the love by signing up as an organ, eye and tissue donor and then sharing your decision with your family. Share your decision on social media with #StartTheConversation to encourage others to do the same. Sign-up anytime online at Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming.

Record Donor Designation Rate for Wyoming in 2018

How do we know if residents support organ, eye and tissue donation? We measure the public's support of donation with the donor designation rate. Although small in population, Wyoming stands tall when it comes to saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. The donor designation rate (DDR) is the rate at which individuals join or remain in the state donor registry as a percentage of all driver’s licenses and ID cards issued within a specific period of time. Donate Life America reflects the national DDR average is 48% of Americans nationwide who sign up to be organ, eye and tissue donors when obtaining or renewing their driver license or state ID.

• Residents Support Donation

In Wyoming, 91% of residents who participated in our public perception survey said they support organ donation. Often, they do not sign-up because they want to learn more or believe untruths about donation.

• Outreach to Educate

Through outreach, public education and working with community partners, we continue to share the facts about donation and dispel the myths. Pair this outreach with Wyomingites' pride in taking care of their own and it's a successful combination for lifesaving growth!

• 2018 Record DDR

Over the last three years, we have seen an increasing support of organ eye and tissue donation. In December of 2018, Wyoming hit a record-setting monthly donor designation rate of 63%! Growth was evident throughout the year and Wyoming finished 2018 with a 60% DDR! This DDR is well above the national average and places Wyoming in the top ten of all states for high donor designation rates.

As we set our sights on 2019, we will continue to strive to save and heal lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation in Wyoming. With nearly 150 Wyomingites awaiting a lifesaving organ transplant and thousands more in need of healing cornea and tissue transplants, the increasing DDR gives hope to all.

Remember to check Yes when you obtain and renew your driver license or state ID. Sign up anytime online at DonateLifeWyoming.

Record-Breaking Year for Organ Donation and Another Great Year for Tissue Donation – Colorado & Wyoming

Donor Alliance Breaks Record for Number of Organ Donors

For 2018, Donor Alliance, the federally designated non-profit organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming, recorded a record-breaking year for organ donation and transplantation, ultimately, saving more lives! Through the generous gifts of donors and their families, Donor Alliance facilitated more transplants than ever by 5.6 percent, exceeding the previous high set in 2013, and a 33 percent increase since 2009.

• Organ Donors - a record 160 organ donors
• Organs Transplanted - donations saved the lives of 489 people
  • Record year for kidney transplants, 268
  • Record year for heart transplants, 59

“We are incredibly proud and grateful to have facilitated a record number of lifesaving organ transplants in 2018,” said Sue Dunn, Donor Alliance president and CEO.

Another Great Year for Tissue Donation

Through procedures such as skin grafting and reconstructive surgeries, these life-saving and healing donations will help thousands of people regain mobility and have active lives after disease or trauma.

• Tissue Donors - an amazing 1,684 tissue donors
• Record year for skin donors, 1,512

“We continue to be inspired by the selfless donors and courageous families who make the powerful decision to give the gift of life."

Annual Snapshot:

"Additionally, with more than two-thirds of Colorado and Wyoming residents signing up to join the organ and tissue donor registry, our community’s incredible generosity is once again on display."

More Coloradans & Wyomingites said Yes to Donation!

Colorado has one of the nation’s highest-performing state donor registries with 69% of driver’s license/ID card applicants registering as organ and tissue donors. Wyoming is also amongst the top 10 nationally at 60%.

• More than one million residents signed up to become donors in 2018
• An anticipated 1,058,000 in Colorado and 80,520 names in Wyoming added to the organ and tissue donor registries
• The donor designation rate reached 69.04 percent in Colorado
• The donor designation rate reached a record 60.34 percent in Wyoming

2018 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Winner

This year also marked the culmination of a near decade-long performance excellence journey for Donor Alliance, with the organization being named a 2018 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner. The award honors exemplary U.S. organizations and businesses that demonstrate an unceasing drive for radical innovation, thoughtful leadership and administrative improvement. Donor Alliance was recognized for its dedication to continuous improvement and achievements in engagement, organizational effectiveness and sustainability, which are instrumental in the organization’s work to maximize all donation opportunities.

"This support coupled with the expanded use of innovative technologies and dedication to the mission helped save more lives than ever in our region last year.”

Innovative Technologies

As a result of a decade-long performance excellence journey; the organization enacted a number of innovative processes last year that supported the increase in lives saved:

• Facilitation of the first donor under the HOPE Act (meeting HIV+ criteria)
• Implementation of a CT scanner to help maximize the gift of life by allowing a single liver to be transplanted into two donors

Record Year for Transplants Locally

Donor Alliance partnered with the area’s 110 acute care hospitals and four transplant centers to set records in a number of additional areas in 2018, including the coordination of 167 additional transplants from donors outside our region. Additionally, 173 transplants from living organ donors at our area's four transplant centers saved even more lives.

How You Can Help

Despite the marked achievements for donation and transplantation across the region in 2018, 2,000 people in the area continue to wait for a lifesaving transplant. With these patients in mind, Donor Alliance continues to tirelessly educate the public on the need for donation and collaborate closely with hospital and other partners throughout the two-state area. For more information about donation, or to sign up as an organ, eye and tissue donor, please visit DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.

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Know the Facts: Who Can Be a Donor?

Why Don’t People Sign Up To Be a Donor?

Lack of Knowledge: Many of those that have never considered organ donation or have delayed signing up to become a donor, do so because of inaccurate information or assumptions about organ donation and transplantation.

“I’m Not Healthy Enough”: In both Colorado and Wyoming, someone thinking they are not healthy enough to become a donor at the time of their death is the second most common barrier to signing up to become a donor. Twenty percent of Coloradans and 17 percent of Wyomingites that haven’t signed up to become a donor haven’t registered because they assume they’re not healthy enough, according to independent research that we conducted in 2017.

So, Who CAN Be a Donor?

The truth is, ANYONE—regardless of age, lifestyle or medical condition—can sign up to become a donor. Even those with chronic conditions and other health issues can register to give the gift of life. Learn the facts about who can become a donor.

Real, Local Story

[caption id="attachment_18870" align="alignleft" width="300"] Kate with her mom, Gail[/caption]

Kate Gallagher - Monument, CO: Despite her liver disease, Kate was able to save the lives of others through organ donation. Kate was on the waiting list for a liver transplant when she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on March 12, 2012 and passed away before she could receive a new liver. She was 26-years-old. As an organ donor, she saved three lives that day: one of her kidneys went to a grandfather from western Colorado, the other went to a grandmother and her heart went to a 12-year-old girl who had suffered a heart attack on the basketball court.

Just one donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and save or heal more than 75 through eye and tissue donation. Interested in becoming a donor after death? Learn more about the process.

Once you’ve made your decision, signing up is easy! Just say Yes each time you obtain or renew a driver license or state ID, or visit our registry websites, www.DonateLifeColorado.org or www.DonateLifeWyoming.org, and click the ‘Become A Donor’ button!

In 2017, we conducted a study examining Colorado and Wyoming residents’ sentiments surrounding organ, eye and tissue donation. We’re sharing some of the results on Donation Essentials to educate the public on the donation process, barriers to registration and what exactly the little heart on your driver license means.

Donate Life Float Wins Judges Award at 130th Rose Parade

Thousands of flowers and volunteers helped create this year’s beautiful Donate Life Rose Parade Float. The judges took note and awarded the float the coveted Judges Award!

Award – Meaning, History

This year the Donate Life Rose Parade Float was awarded the Judges Award for most outstanding design and dramatic impact. This is the third time, since the float’s inception in 2004, that the float has taken home this specific award. The Donate Life Rose Parade Float crew also took home the Judges award in 2008 and 2012. Over the years, the Donate Life Rose Parade Float has taken home a variety of awards:

Queen's Trophy - 2009
Theme Award - 2010, 2011, 2014
Isabella Coleman Trophy - 2016
Theme Trophy - 2017
Theme Trophy – 2018
Judges Special Trophy - 2008, 2012, 2019

Donate Life Float – Mission, Meaning, Materials

Award-winning float designer Charles Meier created the float’s beautiful design, and Fiesta Parade Floats produced it.

-Mission: This is the 16^th year that the Donate Life Rose Parade Float has participated in the parade with the same mission, to save and heal lives by sharing the gift of life and delivering the message of organ, eye and tissue donation to the world.

-Meaning: Going along with the overall Parade theme of Melody of Life, this year’s float theme was Rhythm of the Heart highlighting the musical diversity and rhythms of Africa.

-Materials: Fresh flowers and other natural materials such as seeds, leaves and bark.

Donate Life Colorado Float Rider: Colleen Reed

The float is accompanied by those that have been impacted by organ, eye and tissue donation. Recipients ride the float, living donors walk alongside and the dozens of memorial “floragraph” portraits are of deceased organ, eye and tissue donors. Every year, Donor Alliance sponsors one person to go represent Donate Life Colorado in the Donate Life Rose Parade Float. This year, Colleen Reed, a liver transplant recipient from Denver, was the sponsored rider! Colleen’s transplant journey began on New Year’s Day, 2016 and came full circle this year at the 130^th Rose Parade in Pasadena, Ca.

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Visit the Rose Parade website for more information.

To best support the Donate Life Rose Parade Float mission, sign up to be a donor! You can do that by visiting our state registry websites and clicking the ‘Become a Donor’ button: DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.

2019 Donate Life Rose Parade Float Rider – Colleen Reed

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This year, we are honored to be represented at the 130^th Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif. by Colleen Reed. Colleen is traveling from Denver to ride aboard the 16^th annual Donate Life Rose Parade float on January 1.

Following the 130^th Rose Parade’s theme, “The Melody of Life,” which celebrates music, the 2019 Donate Life float’s theme, “Rhythm of the Heart,” depicts a colorful design featuring musical instruments and cultural artifacts that invite parade audiences to experience the music of Africa.

Colleen will be joined aboard the float by 17 others from across the country whose lives have also been impacted by donation and transplantation. The float has become the world’s most visible campaign to inspire donation.

What a Difference Three Years Makes

On New Year’s Day 2016, exactly three years prior to this year’s parade, Colleen learned from her doctor that her liver was full of tumors. She had a rare, and in her case aggressive, sarcoma that had taken hold of her liver and her life. After realizing that the sarcoma could not be treated with chemotherapy and radiation, and that the only treatment option was a liver transplant, Colleen joined thousands of others across the country waiting for an organ transplant on the waiting list.

More than eight months after being diagnosed, Colleen received a lifesaving liver transplant. In the midst of tragedy and loss, the donor’s family supported the donation process and saved Colleen’s life and the lives of others. Colleen thinks of her donor and their family every day. She is riding aboard the Donate Life float in honor of her donor and hopes to live in ways that bring honor to their life.

Watch the Rose Parade

The 130^th Rose Parade will start at 8 a.m. PST on January 1, 2019 and be broadcast live in the US by broadcast partners ABC, NBC, HGTV, Hallmark Channel, Univision and more. Check local broadcast listings for more information. For more information about the 2019 Donate Life Rose Parade float, visit http://www.donatelifefloat.org.

How You Can help

Colorado and Wyoming residents can register their decision to be donors by saying Yes each time they obtain or renew a driver license or state ID, or at www.DonateLifeColorado.org or www.DonateLifeWyoming.org, anytime.

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El Proceso de Transporte de Órganos y Tejidos

En vista de las noticias recientes y la atención en torno a un vuelo de Southwest Airlines con destino a Dallas que dio la vuelta para devolver un corazón humano a Seattle, queríamos compartir información sobre el proceso de preservación y transporte de órganos y tejidos.

Aunque Donor Alliance no puede hablar sobre ese evento específico, ya que está fuera de nuestra área de servicio, nos han informado que el paquete contenía un corazón destinado a un trasplante de válvula de tejido, que no requiere un cronograma tan estricto como un trasplante de corazón completo ni necesita un acompañante médico. Nuestros amigos en Sierra Donor Services proporcionaron esta información: "Aunque este regalo fue redirigido, fue recibido sin daños por LifeNet Health para preparar las válvulas para futuros trasplantes. No había un destinatario previsto, ya que las válvulas cardíacas no están listas de inmediato para el trasplante, sino que deben ser preparadas por un procesador de tejidos acreditado".

Por lo tanto, es un buen momento para compartir los hechos del proceso y aclarar algunas inexactitudes en torno al Proceso de transporte de órganos y tejidos

[caption id="attachment_18720" align="alignright" width="295"] Organ and Tissue donation Process[/caption]

El Proceso de la Donación de Órganos

Órganos recuperados para trasplante incluyen: corazón, pulmones, riñón, hígado, páncreas e intestino delgado.

-Preservación: Una vez que los órganos han sido recuperados, el tiempo se vuelve esencial para el éxito del trasplante. Cada órgano se preserva cuidadosamente utilizando soluciones especiales y se empaqueta en hielo para su transporte al Centro de Trasplantes donde se realizará el trasplante. Existen procesos específicos para asegurar que cada órgano se empacare y etiquete de manera apropiada.

-Transporte: La mayoría de los órganos viajan al hospital del receptor en espera, escoltados por el cirujano recuperador y luego son entregados al cirujano que realizará el trasplante. Dado que nuestra área de servicio cubre todo Colorado y la mayor parte de Wyoming, a veces se requiere un vuelo para transportar los órganos desde el hospital de donación hasta el centro de trasplantes. En ese caso, trabajamos estrechamente con un servicio de vuelo chárter privado para transportar los órganos a los centros de trasplantes. Si se necesita un vuelo comercial, los órganos siempre son acompañados por un mensajero certificado.

Proceso de la Donación de Tejidos

Los tejidos recuperados para trasplante son: huesos, tendones, válvulas cardíacas, venas, arterias, piel y córneas.

-Preservación: Una vez que se obtienen los tejidos para el trasplante, se colocan cuidadosamente en la solución de preservación adecuada, se empaquetan y etiquetan. Todos los tejidos se conservan en neveras, donde se monitorean las temperaturas.

-Transporte: Los tejidos se envían por mensajero a los procesadores de tejidos, quienes realizan pruebas adicionales para asegurarse de que sean seguros para el trasplante y los preparan para los receptores. Durante el transporte de los tejidos desde la instalación de recuperación hasta el procesador de tejidos, hay una comunicación regular y consistente entre ambas partes para asegurarse de que los tejidos lleguen dentro de los plazos necesarios. Los corazones recuperados para trasplante de válvulas deben llegar a la instalación del procesador en un plazo de 24 horas desde la recuperación. Debido a que los tejidos se procesan, hay plazos de conservación variables, algunos tejidos pueden procesarse y almacenarse durante hasta cinco años. Los procesadores de tejidos utilizan los tejidos recuperados para crear numerosos injertos para trasplante en procedimientos como reemplazo de ligamento cruzado anterior, cirugía de derivación de arterias coronarias, injertos de piel, algunos procedimientos dentales y más.

Es importante recordar que esto es solo una parte del proceso de donación y trasplante de órganos y tejidos.

Puedes obtener más información sobre el proceso de donación de órganos y el proceso de donación de tejidos en nuestro sitio web.

En Donor Alliance, nuestra misión es salvar y sanar vidas a través de la donación y el trasplante de órganos y tejidos. También estamos aquí para compartir los hechos relacionados con la donación. Si alguna vez tienes alguna pregunta sobre la donación y el trasplante, te animamos a visitar nuestra página de Preguntas Frecuentes sobre la Donación o llamarnos al 303-329-4747. También puedes visitar nuestros sitios web de registro, DonateLifeColorado.org o DonateLifeWyoming.org, para obtener más información y registrarte como donante de órganos, ojos y tejidos.

Join us to celebrate the gift of life at the 9NEWS Parade of Lights this weekend

This weekend, join us and residents from across Colorado and Wyoming that have either had a family member become a donor, or who have received a transplant themselves, to celebrate the gift of life at the annual 9NEWS Parade of Lights. The annual holiday tradition will feature the Donate Life Colorado “Gift of Life” balloon, a jumbo balloon in the shape of a gift box, honoring organ, eye and tissue donors and representing the hope made possible by donation. Families of donors and transplant recipients from across the two-state area will lead the balloon. Among those walking in this year’s parade, include the following advocates with inspiring stories of being touched by donation and transplantation:

• Douglas Carlson, liver recipient, Littleton, CO: Douglas received a lifesaving liver transplant nearly 20 years ago after being diagnosed with a rare liver disease. Last year, Douglas celebrated his 73^th birthday and continues to work hard to honor his donor by staying healthy, playing ice hockey two days a week and working with a local boy scouts troop.
• Maria Avalos, mother of a donor, Thornton, CO: Maria’s daughter, Jasmine, passed away after a tragic accident when she was just 17 years old. Always a kind and generous person, Jasmine’s legacy lives on through the seven lives she saved through organ donation.
• Rob Fettner, two-time heart recipient, Aurora, CO: At the age of 22, Rob was diagnosed with heart failure. He received two lifesaving heart transplants – one at the age of 30 after 9 months on the waiting list and his second at 35 after spending another 13 months in the hospital waiting. There isn’t a day that goes by that Rob doesn’t thank his donors for another chance to spend time with his friends and family and live his best possible life.
• Sydney Rhodes, sister of a donor, Lakewood, CO and Dylan Rasmussen, heart recipient, Cheyenne, WY: Sydney’s sister Kenzie tragically passed away in October 2004, just four days before her 18^th As a registered donor, Kenzie was able to save the lives of five recipients through donation. Since Kenzie’s passing, her family continues to make connections with her recipients and have met her heart recipient, Dylan, and his family. Dylan has had Kenzie’s heart for 14 years, and Sydney and her family can’t imagine anyone more deserving. Dylan and his family will be joining Sydney and other members of Kenzie’s family in escorting the Gift of Life balloon on Dec. 1.

This year marks the 43^rd year for the two-mile long parade, which is free to attend and features marching bands, ornate floats and a special appearance by Santa.

For more information about the 9News Parade of Lights, including the parade route, visit: http://www.downtowndenver.com/9News-parade-of-lights/.

Re-vamped Registry Websites

Our local registry websites DonateLifeColorado.org and DonateLifeWyoming.org, have a new look!

The new and improved website provides streamlined information in efficient infographic style, is easy to navigate and full of essential information.

Check out the new sites, let us know of any suggestions and spread the word!

Honoring the Gift With Memorial Tribute Packs

Donor Alliance offers resources for funeral and memorial services to assist donor families in honoring the gift of donation. We are able to provide a memorial tribute pack, which includes Donate Life bracelets, pins, pens, brochures and a Letter of Honor highlighting the Legacy of Love their loved one provided in becoming a donor. These items can be placed on the memorial table during the funeral service, providing a sense of comfort and consolation that their loved one lives on in the lives of the grateful recipients.

A special thank you to Horan and McConaty North Metro/Thornton for collaborating with Donor Alliance to display tribute pack items for multiple funeral services. We appreciate the opportunity for collaboration with you in providing this special recognition for the families we serve! To obtain more information about our memorial tribute pack and how you can partner with Donor Alliance to provide families with an opportunity to share their loved one’s donation legacy, please contact Lindsey Wolman, Donor Alliance Funeral Services Liaison.

Advocate Spotlight: Scott Pinkney

Donor Alliance volunteers and advocates are the heart and soul of our efforts to inspire and inform our community about the importance of registering as organ, eye and tissue donors in Colorado and Wyoming. Each of our volunteers and advocates has their own unique and inspiring story to tell. This month, we are featuring Scott Pinkney, a liver recipient.

What is your favorite memory volunteering for Donor Alliance? My favorite memories are the hugs I receive after sharing my story with medical personnel. That and being able to tell them "Thank you!" So many of them care for us when we are ill but never get to see us after receiving our gift of life. I am proud to be a liver transplant recipient and, thanks to the Donor Alliance, have an opportunity to share my story on behalf of organ, eye and tissue donation.

What is your proudest accomplishment? After writing and deleting different "accomplishments" I finally picked... being a husband to my beautiful wife. Being the person she can trust; the person to help raise our children, the person she can talk with or yell at if she needs, but most of all, the person she can love and who will love her.

What is the last book your read or movie you saw? Would you recommend it? My favorite books are service manuals, and I don't really watch movies but I love to watch documentaries. One documentary I would definitely recommend is "Transplanting Hope," which aired on PBS. It is an amazing documentary that shows the many sides of donation and transplantation. If you do watch it, be ready to shed a few tears!

What is something that not very many people know about you? I'm colorblind. When our kids were young, my son asked me what color one of his crayons was, I told him to throw it to me, which he did. I said, "It says blue." My kids really helped me out on the 4th of July; as we watched fireworks, they would tell me, "That's a blue one! Ooooooo, there's a green one!"

What’s your favorite season & why? Winter!! I love the hush that comes over everything when it's covered with snow. We lived in Georgetown and Fall River Road for years. Picture big blue spruce trees covered with snow and a frozen stream running through your backyard; th

[caption id="attachment_18557" align="alignright" width="300"] Scott and his wife, Shirley[/caption]

at's what I loved. It's also the time of year we go on our family sledding trips; sitting around the fire sharing beer, wine and stories!

If you could take an all-expenses paid vacation, where would you go? My wife and I would take an Alaskan cruise! It's been a dream of ours since we've been married. She surprised me by purchasing tickets years ago, but then I was listed for a transplant and we were unable to go. One day I hope to surprise her with "two tickets to paradise!"

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Something my father told me, "If you want something, work for it." He wanted me to appreciate the feeling you have after working for it. It's something I'm trying to pass along to my grandson.

Staff Spotlight: Cali O’Dell

We’re so proud to work with each and every one of our staff members here at Donor Alliance. In our Staff Spotlight, we like to take a minute to let you learn more about who we are and why we work at Donor Alliance. Cali O'Dell, a Donor Alliance HR Generalist, is responsible for a variety of human resources activities within the organization. Cali says that she chose to work for Donor Alliance because she strongly believes in our mission to save lives through organ donation and transplantation!

Name: Cali O'Dell

Position: HR Generalist

Years at Donor Alliance: 3 years

Tell us a little about your role with Donor Alliance. As the HR Generalist I am responsible for a variety of human resources activities including: benefits administration, new employee on-boarding, oversight of the wellbeing program and much more!

What is the best thing about working at Donor Alliance? I love the people I get to work with. We are an extremely mission driven organization, and it is evident in the work we do and the drive and passion our employees do it with. I am in one of those roles at Donor Alliance that exist in most organizations. But I love that I get to work for a place that literally saves lives. Everyone here is extremely hard working and passionate. It’s a wonderful thing to be a part of!

What does donation & transplantation mean to you? Changing lives! There are so many people affected by organ and tissue donation, beyond those that receive these heartfelt gifts. There are the families that get more time with their loved ones; there are the families that know their loved ones lives on even after death. It’s incredible to hear their stories and to know that even in a small way, I played a part in that change.

When you’re not working, what do you like to do for fun? I spend most of my time outside of work with my fiancé Colin and our two dogs, Penny and Lou. We love taking the pups to dog parks around the city on the weekends, or on fun hikes. I also recently got into raising backyard chickens and we have two beautiful Wyandottes, named Donna and Leslie, who provide us with hours of entertainment and delicious fresh eggs!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? I don’t think anyone ever actually gave me this advice, but it is something I have learned in having dogs all my life - live in the moment. I can’t say I do this all the time - I have definitely done my fair share of getting caught up thinking about the past or the future, but I do my best to remind myself every now and then that to live in the moment. Enjoy it. Enjoy those you are surrounded by at all times, because it will not last forever.