Advocate Spotlight: Mark Holder

Donor Alliance Advocates for Life are the heart and soul of our efforts to inspire and educate our community about the importance of signing up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor in Colorado and Wyoming. Each of our Advocates have their own unique and inspiring story to tell. In this Advocate Spotlight, meet Mark Holder, a passionate Liver Recipient from Laramie, WY. Mark has been a dedicated Advocate for Life for 2 years!

Get to Know Mark Holder in this Month’s Advocate Spotlight:

What’s your favorite memory of volunteering at Donor Alliance? Share my transplant story along with advocating for individuals to become registered donors. I also enjoyed participating in the Wyoming Signature Events and I look forward to more volunteer activities in the future.

What is your favorite season & why? I love the winter season when everything is blanketed in snow and the world slows down a little to reflect on the year. I love the symbolism of the birth of light at the end of the longest night of the year. My other favorite season is the Spring. I love the explosion of new growth, the budding of new leaves and flowers.

What is your proudest accomplishment? My proudest accomplishment is having a wonderful relationship with my wife, three children, seven grandchildren and to have had a forty plus year career in healthcare working with and serving patients from all walks of life.

What is the last book you read? Would you recommend it? The last book I read was Kathleen Dean Moore’s book entitled Earth’s Wild Music. This is a great book about environmental philosophy and a lament/plea about the voices of landscapes and animals nearing extinction and a call to save them. A truly beautiful and haunting book.

What song would you sing at karaoke night? A song I might sign at karaoke night might be “Grace” by ?Kate Havnevik. This was a song that carried me through so many nights during the time of my transplant and recovery.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Try not to take everything too seriously, too look at everything with “Beginners Eyes”! And to find beauty in everything!

If you’re interested in volunteering with us we’d love to have you join our Advocates for Life program! Get started.