Featured | August 16, 2024
Volunteer Spotlight: With her vision restored, Leslie Palacios helps others see the need to be donors
Before Leslie Palacios received two new corneas, her life was a blur. The Grand Rapids mom of two struggled to read, to cook, to see her son play football and her triathlete husband cross the…
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Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | September 9, 2021
Heart Transplant Recipient Breaks Down Cultural Barriers
| September 8, 2021
‘It’s become my mission’
Beats x Beers founder recognized for organ, tissue donation support and outreach Brandon Corder, a Flint native and founder of the Beats x Beers, is one of 13 individuals and three organizations honored recently by…
| September 7, 2021
Wayne County M.E. honored by Gift of Life Michigan
Champion Awards recognize organ, tissue donation supporters and innovators Dr. Carl Schmidt, chief medical examiner for Wayne County, is one of 13 individuals and three organizations honored recently by Gift of Life Michigan with a…
| September 3, 2021
‘Why wouldn’t I do that for another person?”
Flint McLaren nurse, kidney donor, honored as Donation Champion by Gift of Life Michigan Tonia Cole is so supportive of organ and tissue donation, she has the scar to prove it. A nurse in the…
| September 2, 2021
Student non-profit honored by Gift of Life Michigan
Key2Finesse raises $75,000 for youth education, signs up 114 new organ, tissue donors Key2Finesse, a non-profit organization founded by Metro Detroit high school students, was one of three organizations and 13 individuals honored by Gift…
| September 1, 2021
Pediatric Trauma Program manager recognized for support of organ, tissue donation
Valerie Canary, a Pediatric Trauma Program Manager at the Hurley Medical Center in Flint, is one of 13 individuals and three organizations honored recently by Gift of Life Michigan with a 2021 Donation Champion Award….
| August 31, 2021
Ascension Borgess physician honored by Gift of Life Michigan
Dr. Jeffrey Wilt honored as Donation Champion for support of organ, tissue donation Dr. Jeffrey Wilt, medical director of critical care at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo, was one of 13 individuals and three organizations…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | August 26, 2021
Two-time kidney recipient inspires others to lead healthier lives
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…
| August 26, 2021
‘Simply, it saves lives’
Spectrum Critical Care Unit P.A. honored for support of organ, tissue donation Blair Cotton, a Physician Assistant in the Neurological Critical Care Unit at Spectrum Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, is one of 13 individuals…
| August 25, 2021
Ingrid Kelly honored by Gift of Life Michigan
Gifted storyteller recognized for sharing message of organ, tissue donation Ingrid Kelly, a reporter with FOX News Detroit, was one of 13 individuals and three organizations honored recently by Gift of Life Michigan with a…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | August 20, 2021
‘I didn’t even know it was possible.’
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…
| August 20, 2021
Huron Valley Ambulance honored by Gift of Life Michigan
First responders recognized for role in support of organ and tissue donation Huron Valley Ambulance was honored recently by Gift of Life Michigan for its dedication to honoring the generosity of organ and tissue donors…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | August 19, 2021
Minorities face longer wait, tougher odds for organ donors
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…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | August 18, 2021
‘She had a higher purpose’
| August 18, 2021
Gift of Life Michigan honors organ, tissue Donor Champions
Third annual recognition ceremony celebrates donation supporters and innovators Gift of Life Michigan has chosen 13 individuals, three organizations and one hospital to receive 2021 Donation Champion Awards to recognize their extraordinary efforts to help…
| August 17, 2021
National Minority Donor Awareness Month marks 25th year
Event promotes need for organ, tissue donors with ‘One voice, one vision to save and heal lives’ More than half the men, women and children waiting for a life-saving organ transplant are people of color,…
Stories of Hope | August 13, 2021
Da’Kota Washington’s Legacy of Giving
Blog | August 3, 2021
August is National Minority Donor Awareness Month
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….
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | August 3, 2021
Brotherly love: donated kidney provides second chance at life
Blog, Stories of Hope | August 3, 2021
‘His heart is still beating; it’s beating for someone else’
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | August 3, 2021
‘My son lives on in others and he’s always going to live in me’
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | July 20, 2021
A journey of faith
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…
| July 9, 2021
Gift of Life Michigan to require staff to get COVID-19 vaccine
Michigan’s organ and tissue procurement program is taking precautions to protect staff, patients and the community Dorrie Dils, CEO of Gift of Life Michigan, recently announced the organization would require COVID-19 vaccination for all staff, beginning Sept….
| June 28, 2021
Gift of Life Michigan applauds Michigan House for HOPE Act approval
The Michigan House of Representatives recently brought hope to patients living with HIV with a unanimous approval of the HOPE Act. Now, the bill goes to the Michigan Senate. State Rep. Felicia Brabec (D-Pittsfield Township)…
Blog | June 16, 2021
‘He’s my superhero’
Fathers and daughters often share a unique bond, but for Ralph and Kristen Mutrynowski, that connection is even stronger. Ralph, now 70 and a Rochester Hills resident, donated a kidney to his daughter in 2014….
| June 10, 2021
Flag-signing event launches Transplant Games of America
Annual event celebrates organ and tissue recipients, donors and donor families Livonia, MI – The Donate Life Transplant Games of America will be virtual again this year, but the fellowship participants feel continues to make…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | June 4, 2021
‘She’s like another daughter’
Jud Lynch knew he would need two things: a haircut and a kidney transplant. The 68-year-old Grand Rapids man just didn’t expect to get them both from the same person. He was diagnosed with IGA…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | May 28, 2021
‘It’s a miracle, top to bottom. No doubt about it.’
Two decades ago, Mark Otto would’ve been happy to gain just one more year of life. Then 34, his liver was failing and he was plagued by chronically itchy skin. He was jaundiced and extremely…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | May 19, 2021
Rick Springfield and a mountain top: Milford woman donates kidney to sister-in-law, with a few friendly caveats
Candice Desjarlais remembers the exact moment she decided to donate a kidney to her sister-in-law, Thelma. Thelma had just finished a five-and-a-half hour dialysis treatment, with Candice sitting with her to keep her company. Candice…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | May 13, 2021
Kidney recipient says she is living proof of the good organ donation can do
Nancy Banks was just finishing up a dialysis treatment when her phone started to ring. She didn’t recognize the number and was going to ignore it because the clinic had a strict no-calls policy. A…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | May 6, 2021
‘Life is great, but living is greater’
Sarah Ann Scantamburlo has learned to live life to the fullest and make the most of whatever circumstances fate throws her way. “I feel like so many people wait for tomorrow, what they deem as…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | April 29, 2021
Benzie County man saves lives through donation
Shane Sena was dedicated to his family and friends and enjoyed working on cars. “He was a big brother and a little brother. He was loved by his siblings. He doted on them,” said his…
Blog, LifeLines | April 29, 2021
Ascension Borgess memorial tree offers permanent tribute to organ donors
Phil Laske remembers his brother, Joe, as a nice guy and jack of all trades. “He was very mechanically inclined,” said Phil, who works in the mailroom at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo. “He fixed…
| April 22, 2021
Pediatric Transplant Week focuses on need for organ, tissue donors
Heart recipient offers hope to young patients Katy Rozman has a message for young transplant recipients or young people waiting for a new life-saving organ: you are not alone. “Sometimes all we need is someone…
| April 15, 2021
Blue & Green Day highlights need for registered organ, tissue donors
Photo contest seeks creative expressions of support Ann Arbor, MI – Showing support for organ and tissue donation can be as easy as selecting which colors to wear or deciding how to dress up your…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | April 14, 2021
Southgate woman celebrates new adventures, life milestones
Rebecca Anderson has been able to watch her daughter get married, graduate from Michigan State University and earn a master’s degree. She has traveled to the Mediterranean and celebrated her 30th anniversary with her husband,…
| April 9, 2021
High school nonprofit group helps Gift of Life Michigan raise awareness and save lives
Grant funds will enhance education on organ and tissue donation Gift of Life Michigan will use $75,000 in donations from a student-led nonprofit organization to help bring awareness of organ and tissue donation to young…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | April 7, 2021
Husband saves wife with donated kidney
Heather Luchies had long known she would need a kidney transplant. Fortunately, when the time came, a donor was closer than she had anticipated. In fact, she had married him nearly two decades earlier. Now…
| April 2, 2021
Virtual activities highlight National Donate Life Month
Gift of Life honors donors, recipients and volunteers who help save lives Rebecca Anderson has been able to watch her daughter get married, graduate from Michigan State University and earn a master’s degree. She’s traveled…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | April 1, 2021
‘I just tell people: think of your loved ones.’
Katy Rozman has a message for young transplant recipients or young people waiting for a new life-saving organ: you are not alone. “Sometimes all we need is someone to relate to and I don’t always…
| April 1, 2021
Campus Challenge adds 164 to Michigan Organ Donor Registry
Student groups adapted in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic Thanks to the efforts of college students across Michigan, 164 new names were added to the Michigan Organ Donor Registry. During the annual five-week Gift of…
| April 1, 2021
Daley resolution recognizes Donate Life Month in Michigan
State Senator encourages Michiganders to join Organ Donor Registry State. Sen. Kevin Daley (R-Lum) is once again taking up the cause of promoting organ and tissue donation. Daley, whose son donated his organs after he…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | March 25, 2021
‘He was a giver all his life’
Murphy Ainsworth was always fit, healthy and active – an energetic athlete who is remembered by family and friends as positive and carefree, with an easy-going smile. “He was really loved by everybody,” said his…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | March 17, 2021
‘I see life in a different way now’
Aimee Cruz would be the first person to tell you she’s lucky to be alive. Originally from Puerto Rico, the Ann Arbor resident has had three liver transplants in her life and is grateful for…
| March 11, 2021
Gift of Life Michigan urges legislature to approve HOPE Act
Legislation enables organ transplants from HIV-positive donors to HIV-positive patients Legislation introduced into the Michigan House of Representatives on March 11 could bring hope to patients living with HIV. State Rep. Felicia Brabec (D-Pittsfield Township)…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | March 5, 2021
‘It changes the way you look at everything’
Leah Howell celebrates two birthdays on the same day every year. One is hers, the other is her donated kidney, which she received the day after her birthday more than 16 years ago. She named…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | February 26, 2021
Teen leaves legacy of kindness, faith and healing
Stephen May had three words that he lived by: Everybody Love Everybody. He initially took it from the 2008 Will Ferrell movie Semi- Pro, but he fully adopted it into his life at Rockford High…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | February 19, 2021
Donated heart grants Lansing woman 24 years of added life, and counting
Kay Walters just celebrated her 70th birthday. Later this year, she’ll mark an even more significant milestone: her 24th year living with a donated heart. “I can’t believe I’m this old,” she said with a…
Fifty for 50, Stories of Hope | February 12, 2021
Decision to donate is a ‘silver lining’ for Michigan family
‘It’s been the thing that’s kept me going,’ daughter says Marty Townsend never met a stranger. “He could talk to anybody,” said his daughter, Kimberly. “He was just friendly with everybody. He could take a…
Blog | February 11, 2021
Patients who recover from Covid-19 can still donate organs, tissue
The medical community continues to learn more about the 2019 SARS-COV-2 coronavirus, and that could bring renewed hope for the thousands of people waiting for a new life-saving organ. A previous Covid-19 infection is no…