Gift of Life Michigan Blog
'I felt brand new'
Fri, September 17, 2021
When Michael Love started to experience shortness of breath, the Southfield resident said he thought it’d be easy to treat.
Two-time kidney recipient inspires others to lead healthier lives
Thu, August 26, 2021
One minute Oliver Hale was on top of the world, the next he was flat on his back.
Hale, a Kentwood resident, had just won his first United States Tennis Association tournament in 1983 and was looking forward to more victories. Two weeks later, he was in the hospital with renal failure – even though he hadn’t previously experienced any symptoms.
'I didn’t even know it was possible.'
Fri, August 20, 2021
Dominick Anastasi is back to playing catch and coaching his sons in basketball, baseball and football. He’s grateful for the experience, considering a year ago, he was too weak to even throw a baseball.
Initially diagnosed with pancreatitis, the 40-year-old resident of Plainwell, MI, underwent several treatments, including having his gall bladder removed, but nothing seemed to fully solve his health issues.
Minorities face longer wait, tougher odds for organ donors
Thu, August 19, 2021
Jean Washington is now in a group that has far too many members: she’s waiting for a life-saving organ.
Washington, 48, of Southfield, had been concerned about a general sense of fatigue last year and decided to schedule a precautionary visit a doctor for a check-up. Her doctors were concerned about the health of her kidneys, citing elevated creatinine levels.
'She had a higher purpose'
Wed, August 11, 2021
July 22, 2010, John Edmond got the call every parent dreads.
There had been a shooting and his daughter, 7-year-old Amaia Edmond, was involved. Edmond said he barely remembers the frantic trip to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, where he learned that his little girl would not recover. She was being kept alive on a ventilator.
August is National Minority Donor Awareness Month
Mon, August 02, 2021
August is National Minority Donor Awareness Month (NMDAM), when we call attention to the gap between the number of organ donors and the number of African Americans, Latinx, and Asian Americans who need life-saving organs and tissues.
'He just wanted to help'
Mon, July 26, 2021
Gladwin, MI – Evan Kimball was passionate about helping others and playing baseball.
“He would play anywhere; he loved the game,” said his mother, Lydia.
A journey of faith
Tue, July 20, 2021
Farmington Hills, MI – Dale Milford has always been a man of strong faith, but he said his transplant journey – or, more accurately, journeys – elevated his calling. After three liver transplants, he said he’s healthier than ever and has dedicated his life to helping others.
“I can’t help but think that God wanted me to tell my story,” said Milford, 65, a Farmington Hills resident. “I feel like I’m on a mission.”
‘My son lives on in others and he’s always going to live in me’
Wed, July 14, 2021
William Wayne McGee IV was known by several nicknames, including ‘Ugg,’ and ‘Fat Daddy.’ His mother, and at least one of the people he saved when his life was tragically cut short at the age of 33, have another nickname for him, too: ‘God’s Gift.’
“He had a heart of gold. He wanted everyone to have fun and live life,” said his mother, Angela Shelton-Manley. “He never wanted any problems. He was a peaceful man. He was a peacemaker.”
‘His heart is still beating; it’s beating for someone else’
Thu, July 08, 2021
Alex-Michael Springer had his future ahead of him, and things were looking good. The 24-year-old Paw Paw resident was expecting a child and had just learned that he was being groomed for advancement at Trout Glass & Mirror in Valparaiso, IN – with the company agreeing to pay for his education.