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When is National Donor Day 2023? February 14 is a special day in the U.S. We all know it’s Valentine’s Day, but did you know it’s also National Donor Day? What is National Donor Day?…

Gift of Life Michigan helped a record 463 people become organ donors and 1,821 give the gift of tissue last year, saving thousands of lives and healing tens of thousands more. The 2022 figures represent…

Many prospective organ donors sometimes have concerns about whether their families may attempt to override their decision to donate after death.  Although most loved ones are committed to honoring the decisions of the deceased, the…

More than 90,000 Americans are waiting for a kidney transplant, so becoming a kidney donor can save lives. If you consider becoming a donor for a family, friend, or even a stranger, your generous gift…

Organ donation and transplantation is one of the most significant modern medical advances, saving thousands of lives annually in this country.  Donors and their families secure lasting legacies by giving new life to those in…

Donation will support award-winning youth education program Pamela and Krishna Sawhney of Bloomfield Hills have donated $125,000 over five years to Gift of Life Michigan to support the organization’s award-winning student education program, All of…

HB 4762 protects disabled patients, helps save lives Legislation approved in the Michigan House of Representatives today will help ensure equity within the organ transplant system in the state. House Bill 4762, sponsored by State…

Organ donation is one of the best medical advancements of the contemporary era. Unfortunately, organ demand is significantly greater than the number of organs available. Organ donation registration is easy. You can sign up to…

Rob Rudzki is living proof of the good organ donation can do. More than seven years after a kidney and liver transplant, Rob is still healthy, back out bow-hunting, and spending quality time with his…

Michigan woman meets son’s heart recipient Two years after her son died, Teena Smith heard his heart beating once again. Joseph Reaume died at 41 in 2020. Smith, along with Reaume’s three adult sons, agreed…

National Hispanic Heritage month celebrates the contributions of Hispanic Americans as well as the histories and unique cultures of the American Latino community. It runs Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and features diverse activities and…

About 2,400 patients are waiting in Michigan this month for a life-saving organ transplant. The best way to save their lives is to grow the Michigan Organ Donor Registry. More than 90% of all registrations…

Bert Steck was surprised to learn that his mother, Katherine, was a candidate for tissue donation. She was, after all, 101 years, five months, and three days old when she died in August 2022. “I’m…

Foundation generously supports project to honor donors and celebrate recipients A stroll down the long hallway of Gift of Life’s Donor Care Center in Ann Arbor is giving visitors a look at how donation works…

Donate Life Hollywood reached out to Gift of Life Michigan and one other organ procurement organization this year asking for help. The donation advocacy group asked Gift of Life to nominate a donor family to…

“Complex collaboration with ME offices is crucial for both donation and death investigations to happen,” Stephanie Sommer said. “Coordinating the time-sensitive donation process with their important work, including autopsies, can be a challenge. But it happens, even in the most intense scenarios. They have their own important work to do, and we all serve families, so working closely with Gift of Life’s partners is key. The results are incredibly rewarding.”

Artelia Griggs helps save lives by telling everyone she can about organ and tissue donation. She also does it as a loving tribute to her own daughter’s legacy of giving.  “It’s been a wonderful thing…

Tracy Gary and Holly Werlein-Gary almost never met, but fate and transplantation intervened. They both nearly died before finding each other and are now making the most out of their second chance at life. They’re…

‘I wasn’t afraid of dying. There’s always hope,’ lung transplant recipient says

New partnership will ask hunters, anglers to ‘Check Your Heart’ Hunters and anglers in Michigan will now be asked a new question after they purchase or renew their licenses through the Michigan Department of Natural…

Gift of Life Michigan joins national ‘Living it Forward’ initiative to advance next million Ann Arbor, MI – The U.S. organ donation system has made history, surpassing 1 million organ transplants, according to the United…

In a collaborative endeavor by the National (Organ, Eye, and Tissue Donation) Multicultural Action Group (NMAG), National Minority Donor Awareness Month strives to educate and inspire multicultural communities to consider organ donation. NMDA members include…

  On Saturday, Aug. 27, a $10,000 grant was presented to the Gift of Life Foundation in honor of a Julia Evans, a heart recipient and cancer survivor, who inspired many. Sandy Chekal, an employee…

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.

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.

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.

Gift of Life wants to partner with workplaces, community organizations, and municipal clerks to promote donation, break down myths and misconceptions and ask employees or constituents to “Check Your Heart” to make sure they’re registered as organ, eye and tissue donors and, if not, to sign up on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry.  

Justin Shilling’s legacy as an organ and tissue donor is helping his mother navigate the depths of her grief. She wanted something for his 1,900 classmates, too. The Oxford High School senior was one of…

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.  

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…

After more than three decades in leadership at Gift of Life Michigan, the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) has recognized Anne Kowalczyk with its Lifetime Achievement award. Gift of Life’s recently retired CFO was…

“It’s exhilarating and cool to find out you have to get that precious cargo to Illinois or Maine. You fly in and see the beautiful skyline and know you’re there for a purpose – to help at least one person receive a gift,” Todd Hart said. “And as soon as you’re there, you walk into the OR, hand it to the nurse for verification and that organ is transplanted within minutes. It’s all timed perfectly, and it’s a seamless transition. This job is so rewarding.”

Ronda Harrison never thought she’d live to see 50.   Born with cystic fibrosis (CF), the Spring Lake woman said she always knew her life had an early expiration date.   “I have always known I…

How Many Lives Can a Donor Save? With more than 106,000 Americans currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, there’s no question that we need organ donors more than ever. Every day, 17 people die…

Did you know that more than 106,000 Americans are currently on the organ transplant waiting list? For everyone who decides to become an organ donor, up to 75 individual lives can be dramatically improved– think…

Each day, people enter hospitals in dire need of organ transplants. These people need more than medication or surgery to recover from their conditions – they require organ transplants to survive. With the demand for…

Muslim donor mom encourages conversation about organ and tissue donation: “We need to talk about it,” Nameer said. “You’re doing the most honorable thing in the world. You’re giving life to someone.”

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.  

Jade Townsend spent a brief time on Earth and made a big difference Baby Jade came into the world with all odds against her and left with a legacy that now defines her. She lived…

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.

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.

Already recognized as a Great Place to Work, Gift of Life Michigan is taking steps to become even better.   The organization’s Better Together work group, which focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion, conducted a survey recently in which nearly half of Gift of Life’s staff submitted feedback about what they wanted to learn from the group.   

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. 

One of the easiest ways to help the Gift of Life Foundation is with a Facebook Fundraiser for your birthday, or in honor or memory of a friend or family member.   It’s simple to set…

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…

“Nothing motivates me more than knowing my work impacts so many other lives,” said Autumn Harris. As a talented social worker, she knows exactly what families need and when they need it.   

Volunteer honored posthumously for work with Gift of Life Michigan Kenton Kurth never met a stranger. “He never met anyone he didn’t like, and I don’t think anyone didn’t like him,” said Sarah Kurth, his…

Goodrich woman donated kidney to long-time family friend Goodrich, MI – With an act of incredible generosity and kindness, Lynette Bailey gave a long-time family friend the most precious gift of all: time. Lynette, now…