April is Donate Life Month, and it also marks the anniversary of my own Gift of Life on April 20, 2015. Throughout the month, communities come together to honor organ donors whose generosity makes second chances possible. It is a time to reflect on the incredible impact of these donor heroes and to express deep gratitude to their families, as well as the medical teams, hospital staff, and loved ones who support transplant recipients. Truly, it takes far more than a village to make organ donation and transplantation possible.
A few days ago, I experienced something incredibly unique and deeply emotional that I feel compelled to share. I had the honor of attending an Honor Walk at a hospital, held at the request of a family to recognize their loved one who had passed. For privacy, I will refer to her as “T.” She was someone I knew well, a true transplant warrior who had received the gift of a heart and lungs a few years ago. Sadly, she had recently been hospitalized with an infection that could not be managed.
Her family and close friends, including myself and a few fellow transplant recipients, gathered in her room around her bed. Prayers were shared, memories were spoken, and we each had the chance to say our goodbyes. T had made the decision to be an organ donor and had clearly communicated those wishes to her family. Because of that, and with their full support, members of the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) were present to help coordinate the process and provide support during such a difficult time.
It was finally time. The hospital bed was prepared for transport to the operating room. Moments earlier, an announcement had been made over the hospital’s PA system, inviting all available staff to assemble outside T’s room for the Honor Walk.
The bed, surrounded by family, was gently pushed down a long corridor. On both sides of the hallway, people stood shoulder to shoulder, doctors, nurses, technicians, cleaning crews, security personnel, and loved ones. We were all there to honor and say goodbye to a potential organ donor, someone whose final act could give others the chance to live. As we moved down the hallway, music played softly from a Bluetooth speaker, Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely.”
Once inside the operating room, a clinical team from the OPO became involved in the recovery of any viable organs after it was confirmed that she had passed.
On our way out of the hospital, we saw an SUV from the OPO ready to transport recovered organs to the next recipient.
The following day, we learned that T’s liver had been recovered and transported to a hospital about 300 miles away in New York. I remember visiting her a few years ago while she was waiting for her heart and lungs. She even joined my virtual support group from her hospital room. After a long wait, she finally received “the call” and was transplanted.
Then, just the other day, someone else received “the call” for a liver that would allow them to live, all because T had said “Yes” to organ, eye, and tissue donation. That is what I call the full circle of life. While T may not be here physically, she lives on. Truly,
Organ Donation + Transplantation = Miracles 💯.
Experiences like this are why awareness and education during Donate Life Month matter so much.
During April, many transplant centers and hospitals host Flag Raising Ceremonies to honor and remember organ donors. These brief ceremonies bring together hospital leadership and OPO teams to reflect, express gratitude, and celebrate recipients whose lives have been saved. Often, recipients, living donors, and donor families share parts of their journey.
This April, I have been fortunate to speak at over 10 of these events. I share a small part of my story, focusing on gratitude and what transplant has meant to me over the past 11 years, while also highlighting the ongoing need for organ donation.
I hope to inspire those on their own transplant journeys and encourage everyone to consider organ donation. You can become a Donate Life Ambassador through your local Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) and you can find your local OPO by visiting “Find your OPO.”
My best wishes to all those who are waiting for a life-saving transplant. Your perfect gifts will become available at the right time. In the meantime, please try to stay positive and take care of yourselves so you can be in the best possible mental and physical state, allowing for a smoother transplant journey and healing with the best outcomes.
To my fellow recipients, let us continue to stay compliant, look after ourselves, and take care of the precious gifts of life we have been fortunate to receive, while living our lives as fully as possible.
To those who are not yet registered as organ, eye, and tissue donors, I encourage you to consider doing so. At the very least, have a conversation with your loved ones and make your wishes known.
To register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor, please visit: https://www.organdonor.gov/sign-up/how
