The Gifted Life: Organ, Tissue and Eye Donation Podcast

Show Notes: On this episode of The Gifted Life Podcast learn all about directed donation . What is directed donation you ask? We have a remarkable once-in-a-lifetime story you have to hear! Three men join our hosts to tell their story of sorrow, hope and healing. We honor their special hero, Cassie Edwards , and answer a listener’s question right here on episode 65 of The Gifted Life Podcast.

Show Notes: On episode 64 of The Gifted Life Podcast, experience a NASCAR race through the eyes and ears of a mother, a sister, and others close to Ava Branstetter. NASCAR driver Joey Gase is known not only for his talents on the track, but also revered for honoring donors who gave the gift of life. Hear how Joey and his sponsors, Best Home Furnishings and BK Racing , chose to honor Ava on Joey’s...

Show Notes: We are excited to share this story with you on episode 63 of The Gifted Life. Star Trek actor Aron Eisenberg is a two time kidney recipient and his transplantation story spans his entire lifetime. Aron played Nog, a fan favorite, on Star Trek Deep Space Nine and you will learn how a deceased donor played a part in helping him rocket his acting career into outer space. We also discover...

Show Notes: On The Gifted Life, we learn how Canada is making life happen and open this episode with a very special call to action from world-renowned music producer and artist, David Foster . Our hosts welcome donation physician, Dr. Faisal Siddiqui of Transplant Manitoba - Gift of Life , to help us understand how organ, tissue and eye donation and transplantation operates in Canada. Learn how th...

Show Notes: On Father’s Day 2017, a donor’s father met his daughter, Abbey’s, heart recipient. Bill Conner rode his bicycle a total of 2600 miles from Wisconsin to Florida, making a stop in Ventress, LA. Bill met the recipient of his daughter’s heart, Loumonth Jack, Jr., also known as Jack or Roppy. The video of their embrace, Bill listening to his daughter’s heart and the tears, reached millions...

Show Notes: On this episode of The Gifted Life we answer a common question. What is brain death? Dr. Aimee Aysenne breaks down the details about diagnosing brain death into terms we can all understand. Then we welcome Libbie Harrison. Libbie’s son, Justin , became a donor after brain death. The question we hear often, how can the heart still beat, when a person’s brain is no longer functioning? He...

Show Notes: On this episode of The Gifted Life, we delve into the history of the Donate Life Rose Parade Float . The float rolls every year during the Rose Parade in Pasadena, and we talk to Kathleen Hostert, Donate Life Rose Parade Manager. Learn how this huge project started so many years ago, how a theme is chosen for the float each year, how it's designed and decorated, and how you can take pa...

Show Notes: The Gifted Life Podcast team invites you to take a journey with us during this special episode. This trip will take you from Louisiana to Texas, brings in ties from Iowa and right onto the stage of the nationwide phenomenon of NASCAR . Hear how the Donate Life message races by to honor heroes and register more organ, eye and tissue donors, and we honor Hero James Melton .

Show Notes: Our hosts welcome LOPA Research Manager, Tina Madere, and Dr. Deborah Mash of the University of Miami Brain Endowment Bank for a fascinating conversation about how donation for research, namely brain donation, supports the next generation. Research on Autism, Alzheimer's, PTSD, stress, anxiety and other mental health disorders stagnates without crucial brain donations. Dr. Mash calls t...

Show Notes: May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month and we are dedicating this episode to lung donation and transplantation. We start with the highlights of some great moments during National Donate Life Month, which include stories about New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and an update on Jarrius “Little JJ” Robertson’s wait for a liver. Dr. Rampolla , head of the lung transplant program a...

Show Notes: On episode 55 of The Gifted Life Podcast we welcome Dr. Christine Durand back to the microphone and hear about expanding options for potential kidney recipients . A new medicine is curing Hepatitis C and it’s providing a way for more donors to save lives. Dr. Durand tells us about the Expander 1 project . Then we talk to a kidney recipient who participated in one of these pilot trials....

Show Notes: On episode 54 of The Gifted Life Podcast, we are talking about new HOPE, namely the HOPE Act. The HOPE Act, enacted into law in 2013, paves the way for people living with HIV to become organ donors to potential recipients living with HIV. Dr. Christine Durand chats with our hosts about HOPE in Action , a research study piloted out of John Hopkins University that puts the HOPE Act into...

Show Notes: April is National Donate Life Month and on episode 53 of The Gifted Life Podcast we are opening the archives with LOPA’s Director of Clinical Excellence, Michelle Duvernay. Hear how organ procurement has evolved since the first transplant of a kidney in 1954. We journey from a 1980s world of pen and paper, sparse fax machines and pagers, to the technology that has revolutionized saving...

Show Notes:On episode 52 of The Gifted Life Podcast, we are talking about eye donation for National Eye Donor Month. We launch this episode with Jason Woody, CEO of Lion’s Eye Institute for Transplant and Research and Chair for Donate Life America . Hear how LEITR is not only restoring sight through eye donation , but also conducting research to battle eye diseases . Ever wonder what a patient nee...

Show Notes: Have you ever wondered about how “ The List ” works? We have referred to the waiting list in several episodes and asked Mike Pressendo, Director of Communications at United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), to explain how it all works. Mike also talks about an amazing new video UNOS created, How to Rock a Bucket List and Save a Life , and the real life stories it was based on. Next we...

Show Notes: We have reached episode 50 of The Gifted Life Podcast. This is BIG! Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts and her sister, WWLTV’s Sally-Ann Roberts , are here to share their story with us! The sisters made headlines when Sally-Ann donated her bone marrow cells to save Robin’s life. Learn more about how this duo “makes their mess their message” and teaches the world about selfless acts o...

Show Notes: On episode 49 of The Gifted Life Podcast we welcome guest George Weiner, CEO of Whole Whale , and technology expert. Learn how George and his company are examining national data to help register more organ, eye and tissue donors throughout the United States. He also shares tips for making an impact by spreading awareness and facts on social media. Then Lori and Sally welcome Lauren Puc...

Show Notes: Episode 48 of The Gifted Life brings us a firsthand account of the magnificence of the Donate Life Rose Parade Float . Bonita Wilson talks to our hosts about her trip to Pasadena and what it was like to see her son’s likeness, Ricardo “Buck” Brown , on the Donate Life Rose Parade Float . Experience the excitement of this self-proclaimed “country girl” going to California for the first...

Show Notes: Happy New Year! Episode 47 is our first episode of 2017. The Gifted Life Podcast Team thanks you for listening and sharing our podcast. We are excited to share one of the fantastic events that kicks off the New Year celebration in the Donate Life community, the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. The Donate Life Rose Float features donor floragraphs which are portraits created with fl...

Show Notes: Episode 46 features interviews with participants from the 6th Annual Rabalais Run for Life, including event sponsor, Paul Rabalais. Paul shares why he became involved with LOPA and why he continues to be such a strong advocate. You can also see pictures from the event, including the special 25th anniversary gift given to the family of Shawn Elizabeth . LOPA's CEO, Kelly Ranum, joins us...

Show Notes: It’s episode 45 of The Gifted Life Podcast and Bo Credeur rejoins the podcast team as a special guest host. Lori and Bo interview an in-studio guest, Jarrius Robertson . This 14-year-old young man has a dynamic personality and has been making headlines throughout the country. Jarrius is a New Orleans Saints Super Fan and he is waiting for a life-saving liver transplant. His father Jord...

Show Notes: On episode 44 of The Gifted Life Podcast, Advanced Practice Coordinator Bo Credeur joins Lori and Sally as a special guest host. Join us as we take you on an audible journey to Oklahoma. First, learn about our visiting host, Bo Credeur, and his role in saving lives. Then President and CEO, Jeff Orlowski, from LifeShare of Oklahoma fills us in on how Oklahoma is working to save more liv...

Show Notes: On episode 43 of The Gifted Life Podcast we hear from two moms and learn more about personalities. Our hosts welcome Tara Storch, mother to Hero Taylor Storch . Smiles all around as we hear about Taylor and the non-profit started in her name, Taylor’s Gift Foundation . We also learn about a special program started to help donor families. Brittany Elliser gives us an update on her baby...

Show Notes: On episode 42 of The Gifted Life Podcast our hosts catch up with Sue Finkam and Kit Werbe from Indiana Donor Network to learn more about the Driven 2 Save Lives campaign. IndyCar Racer, Stefan Wilson is driven by his passion to honor his brother and Hero, Justin Wilson. He connected with IDN to bring education about Donate Life to the eyes of 400,000 race fans during the 100th running...

Show Notes: Episode 41 of The Gifted Life Podcast is a flashback episode where you get to hear more from participants at the 2016 Transplant Games of America . Lori introduces us to 3 team members from Team Australia . Hear about Team Australia’s trip to America and how the games differ from the games in their country! We also hear from a cornea recipient, Bree . It’s her first trip to the games....