Bill is a U. S. Marine Corps veteran and former law enforcement officer in both Florida and South Carolina. He received a tissue transplant after he was involved in a serious automobile accident on March 19, 2014, when he was trapped inside his truck and received serious thermal and chemical burns to his right arm. Bill was treated at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, where he underwent three different tissue graft procedures, requiring donated tissue. He is now an advocate for donation and proudly displays his Donate Life Recipient pin on his work jacket lapel, which sparks conversations about donation.  His wife, Patti, a South Carolina DMV Branch Manager, frequently shares their personal story at work with coworkers and customers, and Bill and Patti’s daughter, Kourtney, volunteers her time with Sharing Hope SC and Donate Life SC, to inspire others to register and donate life.

Carolyn Dickson of Fresno, California lives her life in the spirit of service. She has served in the United States Air Force and volunteers for several community and faith-based organizations. She also champions environmental causes and works in community relations for a major recycling company. Carolyn was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis in the 1970’s, a disease that affected her lungs. She depended on an oxygen tank or a concentrator to do any kind of activity until receiving a double-lung transplant in 2016 that saved her life. Carolyn became a Donate Life Ambassador with Donor Network West to share her story and help inspire others to Donate Life. She is alive today because of the generous decision of the Espinoza-Castro family to donate the organs of their 37-year-old mother, Maria Castro Martinez. Carolyn and her husband, Larry, had the amazing opportunity to meet their donor family in 2017 and have since built a special bond with them.

When her sister Marta became ill and needed a third kidney transplant, Cathy did not hesitate to get tested to become her sister’s living kidney donor, and she donated one of her kidneys to her sister three months after giving birth to her third child.  Thanks to this gift of life, Marta lived 31 years with her kidney and was able to get married, become a mom, travel with her husband and enjoy life with her family and friends.  Cathy has also enjoyed a full life since donating her kidney in 1980, and she is very grateful for enjoying the company of her sister for many years after her transplant.  Even though Marta passed away in 2011 after battling ovarian cancer, Cathy continues honoring her legacy and sharing the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation by volunteering her time as a OneLegacy Ambassador.

On New Year’s Day 2016, Colleen Reed was diagnosed with Hepatic Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma, a rare, and in her case aggressive sarcoma that took hold of her liver. Her only treatment option to survive this rare disease was through a liver transplant. On August 25, 2016, with roughly 70% of her liver comprised solely of tumors, Colleen received a lifesaving liver transplant. This amazing gift of life was shared generously by her organ donor. In the midst of tragedy and loss, the donor’s family supported the donation process and saved Colleen’s life. Colleen knew about the miracle of organ donation and transplantation through the work of her spouse, Jennifer, who works at Donor Alliance. She is forever grateful for the gift of life from her donor and donor’s family; for the love of her spouse, family, and friends; and for the excellent care she received at Kaiser and UC Health.

For the first 28 years of her life, Donna struggled with a congenital heart condition that prevented her from participating in most physical activities.  She tried several medical procedures, and at the age of 28, she received a life-transforming heart valve from a donor, a 34-year old woman.  It has been 17 years since her procedure and, thanks to her donor, Donna has achieved things that she never thought possible, like dedicating her life to fitness and helping others overcome their own physical and mental limitations.  She has completed marathons, triathlons and century rides, before discovering CrossFit for the first time. She now lives in Baltimore with her husband, Ken, and she is the co-owner of Arenal Fitness. She honors her donor every day by living her life to the fullest and by helping others achieve their fitness goals.  Thanks to her donor, Donna lives a life without restrictions.

Diagnosed in 2004 with cardiomyopathy, Dr. Robert Hill managed his condition with medication, and continued his life as a single parent of three beautiful little girls, while at the same time finishing his doctoral program. In February 2017 it all came too close to an end. After several visits to the local hospital, he experienced severe stomach pains and decided to visit Cedars Sinai Medical Center, where he spent the next two and a half months waiting for a matching heart that would save his life.  Finally, a perfect heart and kidney match was found, and he received a lifesaving transplant. Thanks to the gift he received from his donor, Richard, Robert was able to return to his job as Dean of Student Services, and he can now hug his seven daughters and foster relationships with family and loved ones. To honor his donor, Robert is writing a book as a fundraiser for Richard’s daughter.

Emma Rothman has been involved in supporting efforts to increase awareness of organ and tissue donation since she was twelve years old. In 2013, Emma and her family established a nonprofit organization called Hearts for Emma, to assist families of children with heart disease and support educational initiatives relating to heart transplantation and organ and tissue donation. In 2011, Emma went into cardiac arrest after a virus infected her heart. Diagnosed with hypertrophic ventricular cardiomyopathy, she was placed on an induced coma, and shortly after, she received a lifesaving heart transplant.  Fifteen days after being admitted to the hospital, Emma was discharged, with a new heart and instructions on how to take the best care of hers at home. Looking at nineteen-year-old Emma Rothman today, you would have no idea that she is a transplant recipient. She is a sophomore at Syracuse University, and she lives life to the fullest. Her transplant does not hold her back from experiencing life; it motivates her to do more.

When Eric was in his late 20’s, he was diagnosed with Keratoconus in both eyes, and he received a cornea transplant to restore his sight. A few years later he was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease. He was the third member of his family to be diagnosed. He started dialysis in 2012, and was in the process of being listed for a kidney transplant when several friends came forward to be tested as donors. That is how the sister of Eric’s ex-wife decided to be tested, too. She never let the family dynamics deter her passion of seeing if she could donate. She was a perfect match and on January 3, 2013, Mary Beth donated a kidney to Eric. Since his successful transplant, and as a way of honoring Mary Beth and his cornea donor, Eric has been volunteering with Iowa Donor Network, sharing his story and inspiring others to donate life.

Jeff Walburn went in for a common gallbladder surgery and learned the next day that his liver was failing, and he would need a transplant within 5-10 years. However, within three months, Jeff was gravely ill and was told he needed to be placed on the organ transplant waiting list right away.  After 10 months on the waiting list, Jeff received his gift of life in February 2008. While a family grieved the loss of their 15-year-old son in Indiana, Jeff’s life was saved by this special angel. Jeff is beyond grateful that he has seen both of his children graduate high school and college, watched his son play college baseball and had the privilege of walking his daughter down the aisle. Now Jeff honors his donor, John, by volunteering with LifeGift and Donate Life Texas and is a mentor to fellow liver recipients.

Diagnosed at the age of 23 with kidney failure, Jenny Stansel never let her illness deprive her of the experience of being a mother to her three children, and a partner to the love of her life. She pushed her physical challenges aside in order to participate in school events and community functions. Jenny’s career as a flight attendant has allowed her to venture the remote communities of Alaska, her beloved home state, to experience the Alaskan wilderness and cultures. In December 2012 a colleague of Jenny’s, Jodi Harskamp, was displaced from her house after a fire. When Jenny offered a compassionate gesture to Jodi and her family, she had no way of knowing that Jodi would return the gesture by becoming her living donor. On March 13, 2017, Jenny received a kidney from Jodi. They remain friends to this day and continue to pursue their love of flying, while advocating for organ donation. Jodi will also be honored on the 2019 Donate Life float as a walker.

After prescription arthritis medicine damaged his liver over the course of three years, a liver transplant was Jim’s only option for survival.  At the time of his diagnosis, he was told he had two to 10 months to live. Jim received the call that changed his life two days after Christmas in 2008. Since the moment he woke up from his surgery, Jim has shared his eternal gratitude for his donor and their family. “If it weren’t for the liver transplant and the decision made by my donor’s family, my grandchildren would have only known me through a picture in a scrapbook,” says Jim whenever he is asked about the gift he received. A retired Millburn High School English teacher and football and softball coach, Jim has continued to educate young people as a NJ Sharing Network volunteer, sharing his story with hundreds of local high school and college students.

As a full-time working single mother, Jolene was diagnosed with a kidney disease—the same disease that plagued her brother. On August 12, 1993, after being placed on the waiting list, Jolene received her first transplant. Thanks to this gift of life, Jolene was able to go back to work, support her son’s school activities, and ultimately watch him grow. In 2000, Jolene received the news that her new kidney was failing. After more than 10 years of dialysis and waiting, she received a second kidney transplant in 2011. Her two donors have helped Jolene see her son graduate college, enter adulthood and begin a successful career. Last year, Jolene was placed on the waiting list once again. As she awaits a new kidney, she volunteers her time as a OneLegacy Ambassador, sharing her message of gratitude, hope and resilience as inspiration for others to register and donate.

Kaylee Rayburn, of Yukon, Oklahoma, was a blessing to her family since she was born. Shortly after birth, she was jaundiced and Kaylee’s doctors ran several tests. After many days of testing and eliminating, they told Kaylee’s family that she would need surgery to confirm a Biliary Atresia diagnosis. At just five months old, Kaylee began her transplant journey. For the rest of her first year of life, she was in and out of the hospital. On January 29, 2001, a liver was available for Kaylee and the transplant was a success. While her family was thrilled for this gift, they mourned for the mother that had just lost a child and made the difficult decision to donate. Kaylee now enjoys a life full of all the things she loves. She enjoys horseback riding, gymnastics, softball, tennis and ballet. Kaylee works hard in school, and she has traveled to Mexico and Hawaii.

In January 2017, Madelyn (Madie) Nicpon underwent a routine surgery to have her wisdom teeth removed. Her mouth was numbed as part of the procedure. Several days later, the right side of her tongue remained numb, causing her difficulty to speak, eat, and practice sports at school. Madie and her parents sought medical help, and they soon learned that the persistent numbness in her tongue was the result of damage to her lingual nerve, the nerve that provides sensation to the tongue. The nerve had been damaged during the procedure to remove her wisdom teeth. Madie underwent surgery to repair her lingual nerve in May 2017 and, thanks to a donor’s gift of tissue (a processed nerve allograft,) her damaged nerve was repaired. The donated tissue ultimately allowed Madie’s lingual nerve to regenerate, restoring sensation to her tongue. Today Madie is back to organizing class activities, is academically at the top of her class, and will play lacrosse for a top-tier university in the Fall of 2019.

Mike was born with Nail-Patella Syndrome, a hereditary condition that affects the skeletal system, causing kidney issues. After his father died when Mike was nine years old from the same condition, he was told he would one day need a kidney transplant. He was 34 years old when that day came. He started dialysis and was officially listed on the transplant waiting list. On April 1, 2001, Mike received a call that changed his life forever. A kidney was available for him. As Mike and his family prepared to go to the hospital, Mike felt the gravity of another family grieving the loss of their loved one. Nearly 18 years after his lifesaving procedure, Mike enjoys his life to the fullest, traveling with his wife and spending time with his grandchildren. He is forever grateful to his donor, Sandy Pekrul, who will be honored on the Donate Life float with a floragraph.

Renaye Fink just celebrated her seventh lung transplant anniversary.  Growing up with a genetic disease she inherited from her parents, Renaye’s health slowly deteriorated, until her lungs completely failed.  By the time she was placed on the transplant list, she could not walk across the room without getting out of breath, and she was barely able to eat. She was on oxygen 24 hours a day. After her transplant, Renaye enjoys life to the fullest, and she throws a party every year to honor the gift of life she received from her donor. Renaye has volunteered her time to share the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation at Bakersfield high schools, DMV offices and hospitals.  Renaye honors her late mother, who was a teacher, by volunteering at a local Elementary school for their guided reading program, and as a reading tutor for Kern Adult Literacy Council.

Born with a rare genetic mutation of Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome (HPS), Steven Shank experienced health issues growing up, but he never stopped enjoying life. Born with low vision, Steve grew up practicing downhill ski racing as a child, and mountain biking as a young man. As an adult, he started experiencing lung problems. In less than a year, Steve went from shortness of breath, to total lung failure. After surviving a turbulent hospital stay and being placed on a special machine to help him breathe, he received the lifesaving gift of a double lung transplant at age 40, thanks to his generous organ donor, Tommy, and the Mayo Clinic’s multidisciplinary team. Celebrating two years with Tommy’s gift, the Shank family has never adventured more. A ski trip to the mountains of Colorado, Times Square, bike rides and time together to enjoy every day. Today, Steve and his wife volunteer as Donate Life Ambassadors to share their story of donation and raise awareness for HPS.

Tim Day did not take the typical path to heart transplant.  A lifetime of autoimmune disorders put him on this journey. Bouts with rheumatoid arthritis, Graves’ disease, and ulcerative colitis paved the way for hyper-eosinophilic syndrome (H.E.S.), a rare disorder in which select white blood cells malfunction and attack healthy tissues in the body instead of defending it.  Tim’s case started in 2012 with a short stint of H.E.S., which was successfully treated, but the disease moved to his heart and caused severe cardiomyopathy at age 45. Tim’s diseased progressed, and he was admitted to the hospital, where he had surgery to implant a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) until a suitable donor could be found.  After a couple more setbacks, Tim finally received the lifesaving gift of a new heart on May 31, 2015. While his family celebrated this enormous gift, there was another family suffering the loss of a dear loved one, and Tim is immensely grateful for the gifts he received.