Today we are pleased to offer this story as a part of Donate Life America’s “I Am Hope” initiative, in which a new story about donation or transplantation is shared each day of 2012. This story shows how donated tissue can truly change and enhance someone’s life.
It was the Sunday after Thanksgiving when Kathryn Hart’s life took an unexpected turn. Prior to that day, Hart was the epitome of an active individual. She was a runner, a yoga enthusiast, a horseback rider and an artist who painted and sculpted large pieces. Her active lifestyle was threatened however, when on that Sunday in 2004 Hart fell two stories from a ladder, shattering her leg.
“It was completely and totally shattered. The doctor told me he stopped counting after two dozen pieces of bone,” said Hart.
As a market researcher, Hart had worked in the donation industry, even doing research for the tissue bank that provided her allograft bone.
“I knew that I would probably need donor bone, so I asked specifically about it,” said Hart. “In my fever and drug-induced state, I asked the doctor if he planned to use donor bone and if so, whose it was. He responded with, ‘Who are you?’”
Though the main injury was her shattered leg, Hart’s body responded to the inflammation caused by the fall with a fever of over 104 degrees. (more…)
A large part of who Cameron had become was likely over. Competing as a student athlete on the lacrosse field was what he loved most. As team captain, he had every intention of leading his team throughout his senior year. Additionally, he was planning to continue playing the sport he loved in college.
“When I got word from my doctor that my senior year of lacrosse was over, I was devastated,” said Cameron McDonald.
During a game, Cameron injured his ankle. Thinking it was a minor injury, he continued playing. Despite initially thinking it was just a sprain, he woke up the next morning to an ankle swollen to the size of a basketball. (more…)
After losing his son in a robbery gone wrong, Reg Green and his wife made the decision to donate their son’s tissue and organs. In the years to come, Green would find peace in knowing just how many lives his son impacted. Read this story of hope when facing loss here.
National Donor Day is set aside to increase donor awareness and honor those who have already donated. Yet, in the midst of a tragic situation, it is the donor’s family that has to make the hard decisions. Those whose lives are saved or enhanced by that decision are often inspired and touched by the families they have never met. To honor the donor families on National Donor Day, here are words of thanks from our recipients.
“Everything I’ve done since the transplant and all that’s to come are because of the tissue donor family. The allograft gave me a second chance to fulfill an unrealized destiny.” May Chen, fresh tissue recipient (more…)
Just weeks after competing in a mini-triathlon with his three sons, Kurt Person lost the ability to use his right shoulder. Prior to the injury-causing accident, Person could often be found competing in triathlons, barefoot-water skiing, test riding motor cycles, All Terrain Vehicles and snow mobiles, or taking part in his favorite activity: playing ball with his sons.
While testing the brakes on an all-terrain vehicle as part of his occupation, Person crashed, severing the four main tendons and ligaments in his shoulder.
“I was told a break would have been easier to fix,” said Person. “After a month of immobilized healing, it became clear that a total reconstruction would be needed to restore the arm and shoulder function.”
What Person didn’t know was that somewhere, someone who had lost a loved one had donated tissue, making the reconstruction of his shoulder (more…)
At 77 years old, Jane Przedpelski describes herself as “happily active.” A Colorado resident, she finds pleasure in camping, snowshoeing and walking in the mountains and the desert with her husband. However, a fall from a ladder and subsequent broken leg threatened her active lifestyle.
The fall resulted in a broken tibia, or shin bone. Doctors recommended that she have surgery to repair the bone, as it was not likely to heal well enough on its own. The surgery involved implanting a steel plate against her bone for structural support. Additionally, after finding osteoporosis in the bone during surgery, the doctor chose to also transplant bone grafts from a deceased human donor into Jane’s injured bone to allow it to strengthen over time.
An unfamiliar concept to Jane, she questioned her doctor about the bone tissue transplant.
“I asked the doctor if compatibility studies had been done,” Jane said. “He explained that contrary to organ transplants, it was not necessary.” (more…)
Get some inspiration, and a laugh, from the incredible Woody Roseland, a multiple cancer survivor, amputee, and knee transplant recipient. Woody is currently in the fight of his life battling cancer, and our thoughts are with him.
The team of doctors who gave an Indiana man a new left hand in a transplant Sunday say he could have 70 percent use of it within six months.
Dr. Joseph Kutz and other doctors on the 16-member transplant team said at a news conference Tuesday at Jewish Hospital that Donnie Rickelman’s hand was working well.
Rickelman, who is 36 and from Linton, Ind., is in intensive care after Sunday’s 141/2 hour procedure. He’ll start physical therapy this week and will remain in Louisville to be monitored for three months.
“We are very proud to be a transplant hospital and to give the gift of life,” Jewish President and CEO Marty Bonick said. “In the case of our hand transplant patients, a better life.”
Tom Cycyota, the CEO of nonprofit tissue bank AlloSource, and tissue recipient Sarah Tomicich, who also works at AlloSource, were interviewed for this important story during Donate Life Month. This is a great reminder that tissue donation can have the same life-saving and life-enhancing benefits of organ donation.
It was the holidays in 2005 and Sarah Tomicich was a young professional excited about her new job in the finance department of a large Denver company. Fun-loving and outgoing, Sarah was happy to offer up her talents for the playful “Stupid Human Tricks” competition at the company’s annual year-end party.
Sarah’s trick was a squirm-inducing move she’d been doing since she was a little girl: rising up on her tip toes, she would rotate her feet until her toes were pointing straight behind her body, with her legs still together. But the trick didn’t go smoothly this time.
“My ankle popped; I thought I broke it,” Sarah said. “The pain was so bad. It was horrible.”
During an initial trip to the doctor, Sarah’s injury was misdiagnosed as a sprain. She went home hoping it would heal on its own. For the next several years Sarah tried to deal with the pain, but her ankle was never the same. The injury began to take a serious toll on her active lifestyle: she could no longer do the things she loved, including skiing and running. She would push herself to play team sports like kickball, but be miserable from the pain for days afterwards. (more…)
Organized by Donate Life Arizona as part of Donate Life Month, last week transplant recipients and donor families gathered at the AZ State Capitol in celebration of Donate Life Day.
“The event served a special purpose this year, providing an opportunity for state lawmakers to meet those who have received a second chance at life through organ donation. These same lawmakers will continue to address the controversy over state Republicans decision to cut Medicaid funds to those in need of life saving transplants.” Read the full article here.
Tending to her garden, church activities and spending time with her husband of 28 years, two daughters and six energetic grandchildren are some of the most important parts of Debby Spidel’s life. However, several years ago a worsening spinal condition threatened to overshadow her time doing these things that are most dear.
Debby, a 50-year-old senior human resources generalist from Lebanon, IN, had for several of years suffered from a degenerative arthritic condition in her spine that resulted in constant neck pain. While she saw a chiropractor weekly and the therapy would provide momentary relief, nothing fully eradicated the problem.
As her condition progressed her back pain began taking a greater toll on her body. “I was having numbness in my arms and hands. I had headaches all the time,” said Debby.
Her doctor referred her to an orthopedic surgeon, who gave Debby some serious news: it wasn’t a matter of if she was going to need spinal surgery, but when. Two of Debby’s discs were protruding and pushing on her spinal cord. The surgeon warned her that waiting much longer to have surgery would lead to permanent nerve damage. (more…)
The AlloSource-sponsored Donate Life float rider and employees who attended the parade share their thoughts on the powerful experience
Parker with mom, Alice, and sister, Paige
The opportunity to be a float rider in this year’s 2011 Rose Parade was certainly once in a lifetime. This was an experience I’ll never forget and was definitely the largest arts and crafts project I’d ever seen. It was fascinating to see the diversity of the Pasadena area and its surrounding LA citizens. I learned much more about organ and tissue donation than I could’ve imagined and made some great friends along the way.
- Parker Simpson, cancer survivor and bone recipient, AlloSource Donate Life float rider
Shelley Zelin and boyfriend Kevin
The power of the gala and the float building event can only be described as life altering. We had the opportunity to listen to those who have received donations of life and those who have given donations. While everyone knows that it is helpful to donate so that others can live healthy lives, it is an entirely different thing to see the recipients alive, active and healthy. I witnessed three children under the age of 12 laughing and playing and learned that they all received either heart or liver transplants; I couldn’t help but think that they would not be here if someone had not been willing to give.
I feel are very fortunate to work for an organization that adds to people’s lives each and every day.
- Shelley Zelin, AlloSource Vice President of Human Resources
Peter Reinagel and wife Jennifer
I was surprised by how many flowers actually make up each float. I have never seen so many flowers in all my life. I thought it was cool that the driver of each float sits in a cockpit below (has no field of vision) and has a radio headset to communicate with a person out in front of the float for directions. Many locals also sleep outside the night before to get a good spot along the 5.5 mile parade route, so it is quite the scene before the parade even starts!
I was most touched by the floragraphs (in honor of the donors) on the Donate Life Float; it was a wonderful way to honor their families for their gifts and sacrifices. It was also inspiring to see the recipients ride on the float. It brought tears to many of the judges’ and families’ eyes. The experience solidifies my decision to be a donor.
- Peter Reinagel, AlloSource Customer Service Consultant
We were thrilled that myriad local media took an interest in the story of Colorado Rose Parade float rider and tissue recipient Parker Simpson. It was a great way to kick off the New Year: with a reminder of the amazing possibilities of tissue donation.
Follow the links below to check out some of the coverage of this AlloSource-sponsored float rider:
Additionally, another Rocky Mountain participant, Patricia Thomas (sponsored by Donor Alliance) also received great media coverage of her participation. Patricia rode aboard the Donate Life float in memory of her daughter Kathleen, who was a tissue donor.
Please check out this touching story from the Denver FOX affiliate about 19-year-old tissue recipient and cancer survivor Parker Simpson, who just returned from participating in the Donate Life Float in the 2011 Tournament of Roses Parade.
Parker reflects on what it means to be a recipient of donated tissue:
We are thrilled to share a wonderful profile on tissue recipient and cancer survivor Parker Simpson, from reporter Brittany Anas with Boulder’s Daily Camera.
Parker is in Pasadena now, gearing up to ride aboard the Donate Life Float in the 2011 Tournament of Roses Parade. Parker is participating in honor of tissue donation.
AlloSource’s H.C. Martensen forges a deeper connection
to his work
Tissue bank employee and transplant recipient H.C. Martensen in the 2008 Vineman Iron Distance Triathlon in California. Now, five months after his ligament transplant, H.C. is recovering well and planning to participate in a triathlon in June.
H.C. Martensen works in the AlloSource tissue processing core where he is faced with the powerful realities and possibilities of tissue donation and transplantation every day. He also has the utmost confidence in the allografts that he and his tissue bank colleagues produce, so much so that he recently requested one for his own transplant.
Over the summer H.C. returned to his former university, Colorado College in Colorado Springs, for an alumni soccer game. He played on the team in college, and since then remained very athletic, participating in triathlons and skiing. However, at the time of the game, it had been a while since he’d played soccer. Following a cutting motion on the field he felt his leg let go below the knee. H.C. instantly knew what had occurred, not only because of his work, but also because a close friend had sustained a torn ACL just three days prior.
Shortly thereafter a surgeon confirmed it – H.C.’s ACL and lateral meniscus were torn and he needed surgery and an allograft transplant. Although the surgeon did not historically use allografts from AlloSource, H.C. made a special request to have his graft come from the tissue bank. (more…)
Check out this amazing video of our friend Manuel Salazar skydiving. Manuel is a brave quarduple amputee who received an AlloSource bone graft as part of a surgery that built him a new shoulder. With this shoulder Manuel is able to support a prosthetic and do basic tasks such as feeding himself and brushing his teeth – things he wasn’t able to do alone before.
Now, he’s skydiving! Once again, Manuel proves that his physical limitations will not hold him back. Awesome.
Check out this amazing story of an Oklahoma chiropractor, Dr. Richard Edwards, who was last week the recipient of a double hand transplant. Six hand surgeons took more than 20 hours to complete the surgery, and Edwards is now recovering.
Edwards lost his hands in a truck accident more than 4 years ago. Since then he has been largely dependent on others to perform everyday routines. His family is hopeful that the generous gift from a donor and donor family will give him restored possibilities in life.
We are pleased to introduce our 2011 Tournament of Roses Donate Life
float rider
In 2006 Parker Simpson was an active teenager, ambitious academically and involved in a number of sports including football, lacrosse and wrestling. It was that year, as a high school sophomore, that a sports injury to his ankle soon landed him on the doctor’s table. Parker discovered that he had developed osteomyelitis, a staph infection of the bone, in his tibia and fibula. But he couldn’t have foreseen that this was the beginning of a trying medical journey that would test the resolve of both him and his family for years to come.
Parker was faced with possible amputation of his leg several times as a result of the infection. A successive back injury was further complicated due to the existing illness in his bones. He underwent numerous operations to combat the ankle and back afflictions, resulting in a fused ankle and foot, and yet his young body was just beginning its battle to survive. (more…)
Run for Life Honors, Celebrates and Recognizes those waiting for Lifesaving Transplant
Donor Alliance hosted its signature event, the Donor Dash — a 5K run/walk to honor those who have given the gift of life, celebrate those who have received the gift of life and recognize those still waiting for a transplant. The Donor Dash was held at Washington Park in Denver July 18th.
The Donor Dash began in 2000 and has since evolved into one of the largest road races in the state of Colorado. More than 3,200 people and nearly 90 teams participated in this year’s event. Several hundred volunteers staffed the event. The generous support of 13 financial sponsors and 20 companies and organizations who hosted booths in the race expo, helped offset the cost of this year’s event. (more…)
Kelsey Crider, a 21-year-old Boulder woman, recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of her kidney transplant, her third following two failed transplants. Crider, who was diagnosed with kidney disease at the age of 19, was given the kidney from living donor Kaye Basedow of Westminster. Basedow decided to become a living donor after seeing Crider’s story in the paper nearly two years ago. Crider reminded her of her own daughter and Basedow says she was inspired to help. The women recently celebrated the transplant anniversary together. Read more about their story here.
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