Lives are saved every day because of organ donors. Donor Alliance says right now 68 percent of Coloradans have registered to be organ and tissue donors. Connor Randall is a two-time organ recipient who says the organization changed and saved his life. At three months old, Randall was different than so many infants his own age. “They listened to my heart and said something isn't right and that I should go to Children's,” said Randall. He had to have heart transplant surgery.“That heart came from a little boy from Texas,” Randall said. “His family was able to give me the gift of life through their tragedy.”
News and Media Relations
February 14, 2018
Man’s life saved twice by organ donations – 9News – Denver, CO
February 13, 2018
National Donor Day is Wednesday – Fox 31 – Denver, CO
In Colorado, nearly 2,500 people are on the waiting list for a lifesaving transplant. Rod Clark was one of them. Back in 2011, the local law enforcement officer went to the doctor for what he thought was a lingering chest cold, but he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, or scarring of the lungs, a condition that could be fatal in three to five years.
January 24, 2018
Heart recipients celebrate Donate Life Night with the Casper Coyotes – Casper Journal – Casper, WY
Anthony McCumber and Jason Wynia dropped the puck Jan. 20 celebrating Donate Life Night, and beginning the Casper Coyotes vs. Colorado Jr. Eagles Hockey Game, an honor earned after a difficult journey during which they each received a gift of life. Both are Wyoming heart transplant recipients.
January 22, 2018
Durango woman’s lungs donated to save another’s life – Durango Herald – Durango, CO
There’s a famous quote from author Ralph Waldo Emerson that many advocates and people forever changed by organ and tissue donations often cite, which says, “The only gift is a portion of thyself.” The line, taken from Emerson’s 1844 essay “Gifts,” is a reminder that the best gifts don’t cost any money. Instead, one’s time, compassion and kindness – truly one’s “self” – is the ultimate act of love. For former Durango resident and Park Elementary School teacher Beth Brunso, who died in December 2016, and the woman who would go on to receive her lungs, and subsequently, a second chance at life, the sentiment becomes even more literal and meaningful.
Read the story here.
December 27, 2017
Colorado man alive thanks to organ donors now devotes life to teaching others about donation – KMGH 7 News – Denver, CO
It's the season of giving and it's hard to imagine anything better than the gift of life. Right now, there are currently more than 2,500 Coloradans waiting for an organ transplant. Jeff Leone used to be one of them, as he's received a kidney transplant twice. The first time was from a 23-year-old who was killed in a car accident. That difficult experience has pushed Leone to become an advocate for Donate Life Colorado. He also teaches transplantation science classes to middle school and high school students.
December 5, 2017
Organ Recipient Dispels Misconceptions, Doesn’t ‘Waste The Gift’ – CBS 4 – Denver, CO
The former Denver Public Schools teacher will represent Colorado on the 15th annual Donate Life float in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., in January. The float aims to inspire others to save and heal lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. Leone and his kidneys travel to teach the science behind donations and transplants to students across the state. He made a stop at the Denver Center for International Studies Tuesday morning.
November 29, 2017
Why I donated a kidney to a stranger – Denver Post, Your Hub – Denver, CO
By Jose Amezola Beltran, Living Kidney Donor - Right now, there are more than two thousand Coloradans waiting for a kidney transplant and more than 98 thousand people waiting nationwide. The average time a patient spends on the waiting list is 3-5 years. For me, it was an easy decision to help. After considering becoming a living kidney donor for some time—and after a bit of resistance from my loved ones—in 2013, I donated my left kidney to a woman I had never met in Sacramento, Calif.
November 29, 2017
Finding Triumph in Tragedy: Honoring My Son’s Gift of Life – Denver Post, Your Hub – Denver, CO
By Donor Mother Kelli Jantz: Join me in raising awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation this holiday season. I lost my son when he was just 14 years old. Jake was my youngest and loved the things that many teenage boys do: sports, playing X-Box and hanging out with his friends and family. A football fanatic and member of his high school team, Jake would get up at 5:45 a.m., a full hour and fifteen minutes before the rest of his friends, to prepare for his football games.
November 8, 2017
National Donor Sabbath highlighting the importance of organ, eye, and tissue donations – KUSA – Denver, CO
Organ transplants are life-saving procedures. According to National Donation organizations, 22 people die each day while waiting for an organ. This weekend is National Donor Sabbath, November 10 through 12, a three-day observance where faith leaders, donation, and transplantation professionals, and families impacted by organ transplants work to educate people about the need for life-saving organ, eye and tissue donations.
September 28, 2017
DMV Appreciation and Organ and Tissue Awareness Week – KCWY 13 – Casper, WY
This week has been declared as recognition to organ donors through a proclamation by the governor. So what does being an organ donor really mean to people? It's a little box to check when filling out for your driver's license, but for some it's a lifesaving little box. Ryea O'Neill at Donor Alliance told News 13, “About fifty-nine percent of Wyomingites have signed up and support organ, eye, and tissue donation. That places Wyoming ninth in the nation for that donor designation rate."
September 26, 2017
Governor Mead Proclaims DMV Appreciation Week – KTWO – Casper, WY
Governor Matthew Mead proclaims Sept. 25- 29 as DMV Appreciation Week in the State of Wyoming. K2-TV speaks with Ryea O'Neill of Donate Life Wyoming to learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation.
August 29, 2017
The Gift of a Lifetime- Left Hand Valley Courier – Niwot, CO
As if having a traumatic brain injury in common wasn’t enough, Jim Eastman and Scott La Point now share another life-altering event. Six weeks ago, La Point’s left kidney was transplanted into Eastman,bolstering his health and adding years to his life. Eastman’s journey to replace his failing kidneys is a masterful study in how to gracefully navigate a terrifying health issue. La Point’s story speaks to how offering support and charity can be a way of living every day.