The Gifted Life: Organ, Tissue and Eye Donation Podcast

Show Notes: Donor mom, Melanie Marcel, joins the podcast to talk about both the power of adoption and the miraculous power of donation. Hear how Melanie's multifaceted story about her son and hero, Connor, has continued to make an incredible impact on her family's life in ways she didn't anticipate. Then we discuss tips for regulating emotions in our mental health moment, and honor hero Connor Mar...

Show Notes: In episode 189, we welcome members from our internal Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee to facilitate an important conversation. Sheron, Cheryl and Sid discuss how LOPA's multicultural outreach has evolved throughout the years, and what steps are being put into action to ensure continued and exponential growth. The panel also welcomes heart recipient Keenan Shields, who shares h...

Show Notes: This is part 2 of a series, and we encourage you to listen to part 1, episode 187. We are joined by Dr. Jayme Locke , the lead transplant surgeon for the pig to human kidney transplant at UAB , and Drew Shunk, the director of clinical services at Legacy of Hope . Dr. Locke explains why pigs are a good choice for xenotransplantation, the technology that made it possible, and shares what...

Show Notes: Xenotransplantation is the process of transplanting organs or tissues from one species to another. In this episode, we talk with Alan Spriggs, the Program Manager of Authorization Development from Legacy of Hope , about how he and his team worked with the family of Jim Parsons to present a unique research opportunity with the potential to save thousands of lives. Jim was the first pers...

Show Notes: Louisiana's Lieutenant Governor, Billy Nungesser , joins us to share how a trip to the Rose Bowl Parade inspired him to register as an organ, tissue and eye donor and to encourage every Louisianian to register to save and heal lives. We discuss the gift of life and how it encompasses his passion for the state and its culture. Then learn about the origins and inherent connections found...

Show Notes: In honor of Pediatric Transplant Week, two moms join the podcast and reveal both sides the gift of life and the incredible strength they see in each other. Melissa McQueen, with Transplant Families and a previous guest on episode 158 , is joined by Sarah who's the mom of her son's donor hero. Sarah reflects on her family's choice to donate the gift of life following her son Wyatt's acc...

Show Notes: Just over 8 years ago, Hailey Steimel received the gift of life through a heart transplant. While she was waiting, she couldn't find many books relating to organ donation or heart disease, and she wanted to change that. Hailey shares her journey and talks about her new children's book, A Heart on Valentine's Day . Then we walk through suggestions for spring cleaning your mental health,...

Show Notes: One donor's family, Larry and Vivian Lefferts, join us to talk about connecting donor families through a virtual network. Hear how their personal journey through grief following the loss of their son drove them to help co-found the Donor Family Care Network and how families from throughout the nation can participate. We are joined by a new guest host for our mental health moment, Lisa...

Show Notes: American Idol's Scott MacIntyre who is a two-time kidney transplant recipient and is best known as the blind pianist in season 8, has an amazing story of overcoming adversity. Scott thrives on using his story to encourage others to see the beauty in life and find hope in the midst of hardship. Hear his journey and about his latest passion projects including a new inspirational song and...

Show Notes: Join us as we hear all about the adventures and misadventures of the Cart family on their journey to see their hero, Ryan Cart , honored on the Donate Life Rose Parade Float . From meeting Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser , to almost falling down the Grand Canyon, they share moments of gratitude and awe with a healthy dose of humor. Sara shares tips for stressed out parents during o...

Show Notes: Learn how the facts and stats of organ, tissue and eye donation are being shared in Illinois classrooms. We welcome Kelly Pataky, with the Teach LIFE Toolkit Program. She shares how the program was developed for high school students and how it could be adapted for a variety of classrooms everywhere. We take a moment for mental health to talk about tips for strengthening romantic relati...

Show Notes: We welcome Nelson Ballard with Sharing Miracles to learn about donated birth tissue and how these gifts are used to aid in wound healing advancements and a multitude of other medical needs. Hear how expecting moms can participate, how they are honored and how the process works. We honor hero Andrea Boullt and our mental health moment gives tips for better listening habits.

Show Notes: We delve into research that could be the biggest life saving change for organ donation in 40 years. LSU Mechanical Engineering Professor Ram Devireddy is researching different cooling rates for organs so that they remain viable for transplantation longer, giving every organ transplant recipient a greater chance at life. In our mental health moment, we explore tips for coping with socia...

Show Notes: Our hosts are excited to welcome Pam Cart, a long time Forensic Relations Specialist for LOPA. Pam explains her role and why having strong relationships with the coroners opens up more opportunities for donation. We also learn about Pam’s hero and inspiration, Ryan Scott Cart , her youngest son who became a donor following an accident in 1997. Ryan is one of the floragraph honorees on...

Show Notes: Ever wonder if the donation process is different in other countries? We learn first hand how things are done in Canada when we talk with Jamie Hitch, a Canadian altruistic living kidney donor. Sara talks about the power of saying no in our Moment for Mental Health, then we honor this episode’s donor hero, Josh Hicks .

Show Notes: Glaucoma is a disease we usually associate with older patients. In this episode, we learn there is a congenital form of glaucoma, and the treatment is a corneal transplant. We talk with two experts on the subject, Kyle Mavin from Southern Eyebank and Delarrie Dunlap whose daughter Ari received a cornea transplant as a toddler. Sara discusses an antidote to stress in our Moment for Ment...

Show Notes: 37 million people suffer from chronic kidney disease in the United States. We welcome Monica Fox, a previous guest on episode 110 and Director of Outreach for National Kidney Foundation of Illinois . Monica is the host of a new podcast, The Journey Continues . The podcast is committed to promoting kidney health and organ donation through powerful stories. Monica also shares an exciting...

Show Notes: November is Eye Donation Month , and we are celebrating with two guests to this episode. First, Eye Bank Association of America's President and CEO, Kevin Corcoran joins the conversation to detail how COVID has impacted eye donation and transplantation in the last year. Then, Melissa St. Pierre, cornea recipient and volunteer for Baton Rouge Regional Eye Bank , shares her story of sigh...

Show Notes: On this episode we welcome Heather Thomson , an adored reality star from the hit Bravo Network reality series, The Real Housewives of New York City. She is also a successful entrepreneur, podcaster and has a son who is a liver recipient. Her son, Jax, received his gift of life at the tender age of 3 months old. Heather gets raw and real, sharing her powerful story about gratitude that...

Show Notes: How does COVID-19 impact donation? Can I still be a donor if I've had COVID-19 ? We welcome Dr. Jonathan Hand , who is the Medical Director of the Transplant Infectious Diseases Program at Ochsner Medical Center and LOPA’s Associate Medical Director. Dr. Hand breaks down all things related to COVID: vaccines, the best sources for accurate information, how transplantation has adapted du...

Show Notes: Paul Cardall is a Dove Award winning pianist with 11 Billboard #1 albums and over 3 billion streams globally. He was also born with only half a heart. Paul had several near-death experiences and eventually was able to receive a heart transplant in 2009. He is a survivor that infuses his music with a vibrant appreciation for life and a desire to share his story with honesty and authenti...

Show Notes: Mark Scotch rode a bicycle across the US to raise awareness for living kidney donation and registration as an organ, tissue and eye donor , and now he's right here on episode 169 to share the details of his journey. We welcome Mark along with his wife, Lynn, and his kidney voucher recipient, Hugh Smith, to hear their update. Sara leads a conversation about how pessimism can deter motiv...

Show Notes: We welcome the Executive Director of The Alliance , Kerri Hobson-Pape, to learn about their 'All Teach, All Learn' style of collaboration to facilitate the sharing of professional best practices related to organ donation and transplantation. Sara leads us through a discussion on the myths of happiness. We honor Ivana Butler and answer your question on episode 168.

Show Notes: We welcome Brandi Zofkie, a director with Lung Bioengineering , for a fascinating discussion about their lung perfusion system and the personal passion that fuelled founder Martine Rothblatt . Hear how their focus on lung transplantation innovation and technology is striving to change the culture of the transplant world. Sara explores how to stop overthinking during our moment for ment...

Show Notes: Our hosts have a fun and informative conversation with Lana Stevens. Lana is a community educator for LOPA and the co-host for NOLA Hawts , a podcast focused on Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) and all that goes with it. Lana was inspired to use the podcast medium after seeing how The Gifted Life helped educate and inspire the donation & transplantation community. She and her co-host Sus...