Let's Talk About Life

The holidays are usually viewed as a time of happiness and rejoicing, but for some people, it can be a period of painful reflection, sadness, anxiety, and depression. Feelings of sadness that last throughout the holiday season, usually from November through December, are often referred to as the holiday blues. But for someone who has lost a loved one, this time period can be more than the holiday...

The first successful cornea transplant was performed in 1945 by Dr. Charles I. Thomson at University Hospitals, but it wasn't until 1958 that Cleveland established a local eye bank. Northeast Ohio has a rich history of service and innovation in supporting those who experience issues with sight. At the center of the eye healthcare community has been the  Cleveland Eye Bank Foundation . Once known a...

It goes without saying that things mean more to us when they hit close to home – and that is precisely the experience that the host of  Let's Talk About Life , Colleen Gerber  had earlier this year. Listeners to the podcast know that Colleen is a kidney transplant recipient – twice. Because of her own experience, she has a passion and deep respect for organ, eye, and tissue donors and understands...

Roy Allen Bumpers  first came to know Lifebanc when he participated in the  Lifebanc Stepping For Life  shows. Roy was part of the  Kappa Alpha Psi  fraternity and helped make that event a success. Although Roy knew at the time that he had kidney disease, he lived his life and tried to maintain good health. That worked for years, until an unexpected trip to the hospital revealed he would need to b...

Roy-Allen Bumpers  was first introduced to organ donation and Lifebanc through participating in the Stepping for Life show. As a member of  Alphi Kappa Psi , he and his fraternity brothers work hard to help educate college students and their families about the need for more registered organ donors. Roy had a personal stake in the events because he had been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.  W...

It sounds like the beginning of a joke: two guys walk in to a bar. However, the conversation that took place was no joke and forever changed the lives of Mark Scotch and Hugh Smith. After talking about general topics like sports, politics, and the weather, Mark was surprised when Hugh got up to leave. Mark kidded him, saying it was still early enough in the day to enjoy another beer, but Hugh expl...

In the darkest moments of crisis and trauma, Lifebanc Family Support Liaisons sit with families in their pain and offer the opportunity to leave a legacy of life. These interactions are intense and emotional and often create a bond between Lifebanc and the donor family. Two women,  Kelly Armstead-Dickerson (Lifebanc Family Support Specialist)  and Jaylene Roberts (donor mom) discuss their experien...

We know thousands of Ohioans have registered their donation decision through the  Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The Ohio Donor Registry  is managed by the state of Ohio through the BMVs and each agency ask citizens if they would like to give the gift of life. September is National BMV Appreciation month, and a time to thank our partners for helping to save lives.    It is not an exaggeration to recogn...

Colleen Flynn Goss knows what a challenge looks like and has remarkably overcome many in her life time with style and grace.  Being a young woman in her teens, Colleen noticed her vision was changing and it was discovered that she had a disease that affected her eyesight. It use her significant visual impairment.   Although her vision was deteriorating, Colleen didn't let that deter her from her e...

End of Life advance directive and preplanning may be uncomfortable to think about or discuss. Although it may be a topic that is easier to avoid, making those decisions for yourself will help your loved ones at a time when they are in the midst of grief and a highly emotional period. In tragic circumstances - your family is in the grips of making many end-of-life decisions and arrangements. The ac...

Marva was a young women when she came to work at Lifebanc. Although she didn’t have a personal connection to the mission, she loved being part of saving lives. Little did she know that, many years later, her husband would be one of the lives saved by a donor hero when he received a heart transplant.  Listen in as  Deacon Kenneth and Marva Smith share their story about how Lifebanc’s mission became...

A group of geniuses from the Lifebanc Quality Services department created a process called the Whiteboard Walk About to communicate how each department, and ultimately each staff member - plays a key role in the success of Lifebanc and how we are all connected. Lifebanc, and all recovery agencies are highly regulated and to ensure that we not only know and follow regulatory procedures, the Lifeban...

Do you know that 60% of those on the national waiting list are either, African Americans, Hisapanic/Latino, Asian Pacific Islanders or American Indian/Alaska Natives.  But these groups make up less 50% of those who receive transplants.  Also, these groups are less likely to register as OET donors. Linda D. Kimble, Executive Director of Cleveland MOTTEP discusses this important issue and what is be...

No one could imagine how life would carry on when four teenagers from Brunswick, Ohio were killed in a car crash, a day before their high school graduation. Kevin Fox , one of the teens in the car, made the decision two years prior to the accident to be a registered donor. Kevin's sister, Colleen Fox talks about her brother and why they celebrate him and the lives he saved through organ donation a...

For 35 years, Lifebanc has coordinate thousands of letters and cards sent to and from donor families and recipients wanting to connect. At the heart of this process is  Mary LaRiccia,  Bereavement Services Coordinator and  Elissa Berman,  Sr. Bereavement Services Counselor.  Listen as they discuss the many aspects of communicating and what it takes to connect families touched by donation or transp...

Part two of our conversation with  longtime Cleveland TV personality,  Jan Jones.   As we learned last week,Dr. Sheldon Artz was an amazing man and his transplant story was certainly dramatic and unique. After his heart transplant, Jan and Shelly shared 15 added years together.  During those years, becoming Lifebanc ambassadors and advocating for organ donation became a passion for them. Even afte...

Their story was magical, like something out of the movies. Longtime Cleveland TV personality  Jan Jones  and renowned plastic surgeon  Dr. Sheldon Artz , or “Shelly” as we came to know him, fell in love and began a journey together that would challenge even the strongest of couples. With a history of heart issues, Dr. Artz was thrilled when a heart for transplant became available. To everyone’s sh...

Being winded and out of breath was unusual for Griff Hill. He and his wife were active and had just returned from a ski trip. Griff went for a diagnostic procedure that turned into an emergency. He was in the hospital for over 30 days and never thought he would require a lung transplant to save his life.

Mindy Kraft’s life was in jeopardy. For years, she had endured medications, treatments and procedures that allowed her to make it to this point.  She was feeling worse and worse and knew that her options were few.  Doctors said that a liver transplant was the only option left. She was placed on the waiting list, but there were no guarantees that an organ would be found in time for transplant. 

If there is one word the describes Dr. Tania Markarian’s commitment to organ donation, it is passion. Tania witnessed the triumph of a recipient receiving new life through transplantation and the tragedy when a close friend passed away, despite receiving a transplant because the long time he spent waiting took an enormous toll on his health. That’s when Tania became a one-woman army and took on or...

Eddie and Kathy Cheyfitz had settled into a nice pace in life until a minor dental procedure lead to the discovery that he was in kidney failure. Eddie was preparing to begin dialysis, but his wife Kathy felt sure they would find a living donor before he got to that point. So it was a moment of relief when a long-time family friend, Karen, said she wanted to be tested and proved to be a good match...

Fred Dunlap  was living his life. He and his wife  Barbara  were happily married; he enjoyed his job, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. But life drastically changed after Fred suffered a heart attack and was told he would need a heart transplant. Fred overcame so much to stay alive while on the waiting list, but things looked bright once he received the heart transplant. Howeve...

Keira was born to make a difference. At eleven years old, she was vibrant, a natural helper, and had plenty of energy. In October of 2017, Keira suffered an asthma attack and stopped breathing on the way to the hospital. Although ER doctors were able to revive her heart, her brain had gone too long without oxygen. Not even 24 hours earlier, Keira was singing and making videos on her phone; now, PI...

Surgeries populated her childhood years to correct Biliary Atresia, a congenital condition. Doctors performed operations on baby Tessa at two, three months and when she was a one-year-old. The procedures continued between ages four and five, but they were temporary measures until the unavoidable occurred. Her family remained brave, but the situation was dire. Tessa was in organ failure and needed...

On any given morning, more than 300,000 listeners start their day focusing on their faith and positivity by tuning into 95.5 The Fish – a contemporary Christian Music station here in the Cleveland Area.  One of the familiar voices on the morning show is the traffic guy David Sprouse .  Dave is probably most recognized for cheerfully sending morning commuters off with “keeping you and your family s...