Behind the Spotify Playlist

Music has a way of connecting us all. In April, Donor Alliance, the nonprofit that facilitates organ and tissue donation for transplantation in Colorado and most of Wyoming, created a Spotify playlist for National Donate Life Month.

The playlist gives people an opportunity to listen to songs those connected to organ and tissue donation hold near to their hearts. For some, it’s their loved one’s favorite song who was a donor. For others, the song connects them to their transplant journey.

For Kristen Adcock, the song “My Hero” by the Foo Fighters reminds her of her son, Connor, who was a tissue donor. She added the song to the Spotify playlist as a tribute to him.

“’My Hero’ was Connor’s favorite song by his favorite band. It’s a song about an ordinary person being a hero,” said Kristen. “To me, organ and tissue donors are just ordinary people who are heroes. Connor is my hero.”

Kristen now has a tattoo with part of the song’s lyrics on her arm. She displays it with pride, knowing Connor’s legacy has not been forgotten. His lifesaving and healing gifts helped more than 50 people. Each year, tissue transplants provide hope to people suffering from injury, disease, trauma or blindness.

After Connor passed, Kristen joined Donor Alliance as an advocate volunteer, connecting people to the mission through her story and inspiring Coloradans to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor.  Given Kristen’s clinical background and her passion about Donor Alliance’s mission to save and heal lives, she was hired as a donation consultant for the organization. Through her role, Kristen maintains Donor Alliance’s partnerships with hospitals in the Denver-Metro area.

About National Donate Life Month

Since 2003, Donor Alliance and the nation have been observing April as National Donate Life Month to raise awareness about the importance of donation. It’s also a month to honor the heroic donors and their families, like Connor, who said “yes” to organ, eye, and tissue donation. Nearly 1,300 people in Colorado and Wyoming are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant in our community, and thousands more are in need of a lifesaving and healing tissue transplant.

Raising a Donate Life flag is the cornerstone of National Donate Life Month. When a donation occurs in a hospital, a Donate Life flag is often flown to honor the gift of life. During April, this cornerstone event expands beyond the hospital to include the entire community to raise a flag in unity, remembrance, and support.  Cities and towns have also proclaimed April “Donate Life Month” to highlight the importance of registration to save and heal more lives in our communities. Locations across Colorado and Wyoming are illuminated in blue and green, the colors of Donate Life, including the Denver City & County Building and the Colorado State Capitol.

Donor Alliance encourages people to shine their own light at home to help raise awareness this month. You can request a free #ShineALight kit at DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org. The kit comes with a candle and sign to display in your window to highlight the need in our communities. This year, Donor Alliance is distributing 307 kits to honor the 307 heroic donors last year who provided more than 900 lifesaving organ transplants.

In 2023, there were also nearly 1,700 tissue donors who provided more than 100,000 tissue grafts to those in need.

How is Donor Alliance involved with National Donate Life Month?

Donor Alliance is a federally designated organ procurement organization – one of 56 in the United States. Donor Alliance honors a donor’s decision to give the gift of life and walks alongside the family during the organ recovery process to ensure their loved one’s gifts are safely received at transplant centers in a timely manner. Our organization also recovers tissue to save and heal more lives across our community. Additionally, Donor Alliance manages the Donate Life Colorado and Donate Life Wyoming registries. Through Donate Life, the symbol of the cause, Donor Alliance educates and inspires the community about the importance of registering to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor.

How can you provide support to those on the waiting list?

You can register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor by saying Yes, the next time you obtain or renew your driver license/state ID or register today at DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org. The little heart with the Y on your driver license means you have joined the Donate Life registry. That little heart has a big impact – one person can save up to eight lives through organ donation and save and heal up to 75 lives through tissue donation. So, it’s important to also discuss your decision with your family. During a difficult time, families have told Donor Alliance they found comfort knowing their loved one’s decision.