News

Find Gift of Life Michigan news and updates, as well as news relating to organ and tissue donation.

News Archives
Donate Life Day at the Zoo flyer
Featured | July 25, 2022

Donate Life Day at the Zoo celebrates organ donors, transplant recipients and life

Gift of Life’s largest outreach event returns to the popular John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids on Aug. 13.  Donate Life Day at the Zoo returns to an in-person event after the primarily virtual platform…

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Artelia Griggs and Donnie Parker wave as they finish the 5K walk
Gift of LifeLines, News | July 27, 2022

LIFE Walk returns to historic Belle Isle for 25th year

The annual LIFE Walk/Run drew nearly 2,500 people to Belle Isle in downtown Detroit for the event’s 25th anniversary honoring life, celebrating donor heroes and their families and promoting the Michigan Organ Donor registry.
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Transplant athlete signs Transplant Games of America flag
Gift of LifeLines, News | July 26, 2022

Team Michigan heads to San Diego for the Donate Life Transplant Games

Team Michigan is participating in more than 20 competitions and 60 special events through Wednesday, Aug. 3 at the Transplant Games of America in San Diego. Competitions range from pickleball to golf and tennis, basketball, track and field events, Zumba, poker, cornhole, bowling, badminton, and much more. There are also quilt-pinning ceremonies, a parade, workshops, and an expo designed to promote organ and tissue donation and celebrate recipients and donors.
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Donor father John Edmond at the podium on the Capitol Steps with a Check Your Heart banner behind him
News | July 26, 2022

Donation supporters rally for “Check Your Heart” at Michigan capitol

Supporters of organ and tissue donation, including transplant recipients, legislators, volunteers and more joined Gift of Life Michigan in Lansing to celebrate new life, honor donors and their families, and to urge others to sign up on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry at a Check Your Heart rally on the capitol steps.
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Patrick Price, a bearded Black man with glasses in a blue suit, stands in front of a birthday cake and smiles at the camera
Gift of LifeLines, Let's Talk, News | July 25, 2022

Saginaw man determined to regain health, mobility

Minorities often wait longer for organ transplants. Patrick Price is hoping he will one day receive a new kidney and return to the catering business he loves, but he knows he faces challenges getting there.   Patrick was diagnosed with diabetes at age 13, and lost a leg due to complications more than a decade ago. A recent surgery on his other heel means Patrick doesn’t meet the health requirements to be placed on the waiting list – a situation he is determined to overcome.  
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Donate Life Day at the Zoo flyer
News | July 25, 2022

Donate Life Day at the Zoo celebrates organ donors, transplant recipients and life

Gift of Life’s largest outreach event returns to the popular John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids on Aug. 13.  Donate Life Day at the Zoo returns to an in-person event after the primarily virtual platform…

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Check Your Heart Capitol Rally with image of Michigan Capitol Building
Blog, Gift of LifeLines, News | April 27, 2022

Check Your Heart Rally at state capitol will advocate for action

Gift of Life Michigan and its partners, volunteers, donor families, and recipients are gathering in June at the state capitol building in Lansing to celebrate life and push for continued progress.  
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Female doctor holding open chart looking at the camera
Gift of LifeLines, News | April 26, 2022

New legislation encourages family doctors to educate about organ and tissue donation

New legislation introduced in April will help Michigan family doctors and urgent care centers provide patients with information about organ, tissue and bone marrow donation.
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National Donate Life Month logo
News | April 25, 2022

Donate Life Month encourages Michigan residents to sign up to be a donor

Gift of Life Michigan honors donors, recipients and volunteers during national observance April is National Donate Life Month, designed to raise awareness of the importance of registering as an organ, eye, and tissue donor to save…

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Surgeon works on donor lungs inside the TransMedics machine
Blog, Gift of LifeLines, News | April 25, 2022

Breaking the time barrier: organ care system preserves lungs outside the body

Gift of Life is using a new organ care system that preserves lungs outside the body and extends the amount of time from surgical recovery to transplantation. The TransMedics system also reconditions marginally healthy lungs after they’re connected to the machine, making more lungs healthy enough to transplant. The result: More lungs available and improved quality of the organs for recipients. Without this system, donated lungs must be transplanted within six hours. In these cases, transplants were successful after seven hours. One set of lungs was preserved for 23 hours.
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Woman presenting a blue and green glass award to another woman
Gift of LifeLines, News | April 25, 2022

Gift of Life Michigan honors champions of donation 

The fourth annual Champions Gala kicked off National Donate Life Month, with special tributes to the best of the best in Michigan’s donation and transplant community. Gift of Life Michigan honored 17 individuals, four partner organizations, and one hospital with 2022 Donation Champion awards, recognizing their extraordinary efforts to help fulfill the wishes of organ and tissue donors and their families. 
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brown teddy bear wearing a green Gift of Life logo shirt sitting on an afghan blanket
Gift of LifeLines, News | April 22, 2022

Honoring Life

Gift of Life Foundation launches first annual appeal  As Gift of Life Michigan battles the ever-present transplant waiting list and strives to add one million names to the Michigan Organ Donor Registry, resources for critical…

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Two well-dressed women stand in front of "Check Your Heart" banner
News | April 15, 2022

Gift of Life Michigan launches ‘Check Your Heart’ campaign

One million new registered donors sought within three years
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Monitor showing organ function for lungs inside TransMedic machine
News | February 16, 2022

Breaking the time barrier: new system extends life, viability of donated lungs

Gift of Life Michigan is now using a TransMedics Organ Care System (OCS) that will prolong the life of donated lungs – and even help recondition them – increasing the probability of a successful donor match and improving long-term health for recipients. Clinical trials are also under way for similar technology that would be used for donated livers, hearts, and kidneys.
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News | February 14, 2022

‘I don’t take a single day for granted’

Lansing woman advocates for organ, tissue donation on National Donor Day
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Woman seated on couch holding white stuffed animal with sequin heart
Blog, Gift of LifeLines, News | January 21, 2022

“I never knew what it was like to feel normal”

Marcia Toda recently heard her daughter’s heart beating, still strong, in the chest of 31-year-old Lauren Herrera. The two women met recently at the Gift of Life Michigan campus in Ann Arbor.
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woman at computer with Great Place to Work banner
Gift of LifeLines, News | January 21, 2022

Point of Pride: Gift of Life earns prestigious Great Place to Work distinction

Being certified as a Great Place to Work is always an honor, but we feel especially honored after navigating the challenges presented in 2021. The Great Places to Work distinction shows that we’ve been able to provide our employees with an environment that supports them and their commitment to our mission. We’re so proud of that!
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2021 Year-End Metrics
News | January 17, 2022

Record number of organ donors save lives in 2021

Organ and tissue donation trending up across the U.S.   Gift of Life Michigan again honored the generosity of a record number of organ donors in 2021, saving and healing thousands of lives despite the continuing…

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Governor Whitmer holding up the signed HOPE Act papers
News | December 21, 2021

Governor signs HOPE Act into law

Legislation enables organ transplants from HIV-positive donors to HIV-positive patients   Ann Arbor, MI – The HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act is now law in Michigan. Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the legislation in December,…

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News | December 17, 2021

Gift of Life Michigan certified as ‘Great Place to Work’

Gift of Life Michigan has been certified as a Great Place to Work, based on employee feedback from a survey in November. Based on the survey, 74 percent of employees indicated Gift of Life is…

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News | December 11, 2021

Annual HOSA Challenge sets records in effort to help patients on organ transplant waiting list

Future Health Professionals rally to increase number of Michigan organ and tissue donors   There are nearly 1,000 new organ and tissue donors registered in Michigan, thanks to the efforts of students across the state….

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