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A donor mom becomes leader in the donation community
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Blog | October 30, 2020
Proposed organ transplant system reforms miss the mark
The United States has the best organ donation and transplantation system in the world. Organ donation has increased nationwide for seven straight years and, even in the midst of a pandemic, our system is on…
Blog | October 30, 2020
Despite state changes, Gift of Life Michigan will maintain Covid-19 protocols
There have been changes to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive orders regarding the Coronavirus, and others have been recently overturned by the courts. At Gift of Life Michigan, we are maintaining the status quo and will…
| October 30, 2020
Gift of Life Michigan honors Wayne State University student group
Education, advocacy of organ donation brings Champion Award to Campus Challenge winners Detroit, MI – For the past nine years, students at Wayne State University have won the annual Gift of Life Michigan Campus Challenge…
| October 29, 2020
Gift of Life Michigan honors Charlevoix woman for work with donor families
‘For me, it’s being able to offer hope,’ says SWAT team leader Kathi St. Pierre does everything in her power to make sure organ and tissue donors are treated with the respect and honor they…
| October 28, 2020
Secretary of State manager honored as Donation Champion
Shepherd woman took organ, tissue donation message across Michigan Kelly Davis is not able to promote organ and tissue donation around the State of Michigan as much as she used to, but she still believes…
| October 26, 2020
Kalamazoo physician honored as Donation Champion by Gift of Life Michigan
Kalamazoo, MI – Dr. Robert Beck has helped save and improve the lives of thousands of people he’ll never meet. Beck, 64, of Kalamazoo, is one of 15 individuals and three hospitals statewide to be…
| October 23, 2020
Gift of Life Michigan to host Business Roundtable on Health
Event to address health disparities, provide resources to sustain a healthier workforce Businesses can have a significant impact on the health and wellness of their employees and the communities they serve. That’s why Gift of…
| October 22, 2020
Advice from kidney recipient: ‘Don’t give up hope’
‘Always believe in yourself,’ Saginaw resident says Saginaw, MI – Joey Hunt has some advice for anyone waiting for a new organ: don’t lose faith. “You have to believe in yourself and put yourself first…
| October 8, 2020
Symposium to address organ donation, health disparities
Gift of Life, MOTTEP, Michigan Medicine team up on virtual event Ann Arbor, MI – Top medical and organ transplant professionals will get together this week to discuss healthcare disparities in minority populations and the…
| October 2, 2020
Gift of Life Michigan honors National Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month offers an opportunity to celebrate the culture and contributions of Hispanic and Latinx people and to highlight issues they face today. It runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 every year, recognizing…
| October 2, 2020
Gift of Life Michigan wins two Pinnacle Awards
Multicultural outreach projects earn top honors from Donate Life America Ann Arbor, MI – Gift of Life Michigan, the state’s federally designated organ procurement organization, has been nationally recognized for two initiatives designed to increase…
Blog | September 23, 2020
Gift of Life Michigan honors Secretary of State during National DMV Appreciation Month
September is National DMV Appreciation Month, when Gift of Life Michigan recognizes the Michigan Secretary of State for the invaluable work they do every day to save and heal lives. The Michigan Secretary of State…
Blog | September 11, 2020
We need your help!
Last year, President Donald Trump signed off on an executive order designed to improve kidney care in the United States. While it is an admirable goal, the executive order may have unintended consequences that could…
Blog | September 9, 2020
Living on in others helps hearts heal
Kenneth Fogelsonger of Bay City (pictured in orange) gave the best bear hugs, according to his niece, Janet Auer, the manager of the Masin SOS branch office. He was only 59 when he died suddenly…
Blog | August 27, 2020
Virtual Donate Life Day at the Zoo brings zoo to you
It’s not often that you can get a behind-the-scenes look at a zoo without leaving the comfort of your home, but that’s exactly what you can do this weekend. Gift of Life Michigan’s annual Donate…
| August 24, 2020
Donate Life Day at the Zoo goes virtual
Grand Rapids, MI – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gift of Life Michigan could not host its annual Donate Life Day at the Zoo at the John Ball Zoo. Instead, Gift of Life is bringing…
| August 20, 2020
‘I felt brand new’
Double-lung recipient celebrates life, helps others on the transplant journey When Michael Love started to experience shortness of breath, the Southfield resident said he thought it’d be easy to treat. He was 50 years old…
| August 19, 2020
Donated liver helps Sterling Heights man achieve his dream
‘I want to let everyone who struggles from all chronic diseases or illnesses know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel’ Mustafa Sharafi always wanted to be a father. Granted that…
| August 19, 2020
‘Her spirit is truly alive’’
Liver recipient, donor family celebrate 10 years of new life, advocacy Mike Lopez has always relied on his faith to get through difficult times. His faith helped him 11 years ago, when a routine visit…
| August 19, 2020
St. Johns woman celebrates 21 years with donated lung
‘I’m just so grateful for my life, and what I’ve been able to do’ St. Johns, MI – It’s Friday afternoon outside the Clinton County Senior Center near downtown St. Johns, and Karen Livermore is…
| August 18, 2020
Gift of Life Michigan expands services in the U.P
New facility allows for increased bone, tissue donors in northern Michigan Marquette, MI – A new facility in Marquette will help Gift of Life Michigan bring hope and healing to more Michigan residents. The facility…
| August 17, 2020
Beats x Beers founder, Gift of Life Michigan team up on Virtual Trivia Night
Beats x Beers founder, Gift of Life team up on Virtual Trivia Night Are you up on your pop culture knowledge, sports facts and local history? An upcoming virtual trivia night challenge may be just…
| August 10, 2020
Life on the waiting list: ‘You have to be very, very careful’
Patients waiting for new organs take extra precautions to stay healthy De’Shante Ervin is taking additional precautions these days. The 40-year-old Southfield resident is currently in need of a kidney and knows that even a…
| August 10, 2020
‘This is God’s work’
Grand Rapids man meets late wife’s donated heart recipient Chad Milton knew the spirit of his late wife lived on. Earlier this year, he heard proof. Milton, 45, a truck driver from Grand Rapids, met…
Blog | August 7, 2020
Gift of Life Michigan celebrates National Minority Donor Awareness Month
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we need One Voice, One Vision to Save and Heal Lives. The global COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated the health disparities that multicultural communities face in the U.S….
| July 31, 2020
National Minority Donor Awareness month highlights need, provides information on organ, tissue donation
Ann Arbor, MI – More than half the men, women and children waiting for a life-saving organ transplant are people of color, yet people in multi-cultural communities sometimes are more reluctant to sign up as…
| July 23, 2020
23rd Annual LIFE Walk/Run goes virtual
Week-long event promotes organ, tissue donation, and healthy lifestyles Detroit, MI – The annual LIFE Walk/Run will return this year, with a twist. Given current social distancing concerns, participants will be able to lace up…
Blog | July 17, 2020
Gift of Life Michigan takes #MaskUpMichigan pledge
In early July, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer expanded and toughened Michigan’s mask-wearing requirements in an ongoing attempt to quell the spread of the coronavirus. The executive order reiterates that individuals must wear face masks whenever they…
| July 14, 2020
Gift of Life Michigan takes ‘Let’s Talk’ online
Multicultural outreach to feature video testimonies, virtual roundtables and events Armed with new information and committed to saving and improving lives, Gift of Life Michigan will take its Let’s Talk multicultural outreach into the virtual…
| June 26, 2020
Father, son celebrate 10-year anniversary of the ultimate gift
Decision to donate kidney a ‘no-brainer’ for Auburn Hills resident As father, son and even fraternity brothers, Bobby and Branden Robinson always shared a strong bond. Ten years ago, that bond became even stronger when…
| June 24, 2020
Roseville family turns tragedy into hope for others
A Roseville family is hoping to turn their tragedy into hope for others. Christopher Stoi said he was not ready to let go of his son, Austin, who died of suicide recently. Through Gift of…
| June 19, 2020
A daughter’s love: Davison woman donates a portion of her liver to her father
Davison, MI – It’s not uncommon for a daughter to share a special bond with her father, but for Maddie and Tom Goyette, that bond is more than a typical family tie. Maddie, who will…
Blog | June 18, 2020
First post-COVID lung transplant performed as organ transplants return to pre-virus levels
Organ transplants are beginning to return to pre-COVID-19 levels across the country and a recent breakthrough in Chicago may provide even more hope for the thousands of patients on the national organ waiting list –…
| June 17, 2020
Father’s Day holds special significance for Sterling Heights dad
Mustafa Sharafi always wanted to be a father. Granted that wish more than two years ago, the 35-year-old Sterling Heights resident is just as grateful to celebrate this Father’s Day as he was last year,…
Blog | May 21, 2020
Morris Hood III, kidney recipient, ‘champion for others’ remembered
As a legislator, Morris Hood III always sought the middle ground. As a kidney recipient, he used his experience to promote organ donation and the need for minority organ donors, as well as for legislation…
| May 8, 2020
With niece’s gift, Canton mom has renewed energy, purpose
Canton, MI — Marcileen Pruitt of Canton will enjoy this Mother’s Day and plenty more to come, thanks to some help from her extended family. Pruitt, 48, is living with renewed vigor after receiving a…
Blog | April 28, 2020
Heart transplant recipient urges caution after COVID-19 diagnosis: ‘We have to be extra diligent’
Amy Bacon said she doesn’t know how she contracted the coronavirus. The Grand Blanc resident and heart recipient said she followed all the social distancing and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to…
| April 28, 2020
Heart transplant recipient recovering from coronavirus
Grand Blanc, MI – Organ transplant recipients are accustomed to taking extra precautions to protect their health. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, they need to even more cautious. “We’ve got to be extra,…
| April 24, 2020
Hastings couple remembers donor grandson: ‘Our little hero’
Hastings, MI – Pam and Doug Reed, of Hastings, MI, supported the idea of organ and tissue donation long before tragedy struck their family last year. An acquaintance of Doug’s was on the waiting list…
| April 20, 2020
‘Now, we are waiting again’: Pediatric Transplant Week highlights stories of younger patients and donors
Ann Arbor, MI – Just when Rilynn Payne was scheduled to receive a life-altering organ transplant, fate delivered another twist. Payne, a 3-year-old from southwest Michigan, had overcome numerous obstacles last year and was on…
| April 16, 2020
National Donate Life Blue & Green Day offers opportunity to show support for organ, eye and tissue donation
Ann Arbor, MI – The skies may be cloudy and the trees still bare, but there will be a lot of blue and green visible on Friday, April 17, anyway. That’s because April 17 is…
Blog | April 10, 2020
COVID-19 update: protecting patients, staff and the community
As the COVID-19 pandemic enters a new month, two things are clear: organ transplant recipients (along with everyone else) need to take precautions to protect themselves and Gift of Life Michigan is still working with…
| April 7, 2020
Muskegon woman taps ‘the Force’ to comfort grieving organ donor families
Muskegon, MI – In Andrea Powers’ home, Star Wars characters have joined groups of knitted owls, bees and elephants. Combined with a growing pile of blankets and quilts, they will be donated to Gift of…
Blog | April 3, 2020
National Donate Life Month: Our message in a time of crisis
What do you do when your biggest month of the year falls in the midst of a national emergency? This was the conversation taking place in organ procurement organizations, tissue banks, eye banks and other…
| April 1, 2020
National Donate Life Month moves online, highlights need for organ donors
National Donate Life Month will be celebrated differently this year, but the message is the same: There’s a critical need for more organ, tissue and eye donors in Michigan and throughout the United States. In…
Blog | March 26, 2020
Our work continues: A COVID-19 update
Dear friends of Gift of Life Michigan, I am reaching out to you as part of the Gift of Life Michigan family to update you on the steps we are taking during the current COVID-19…
Blog | March 19, 2020
Gift of Life Michigan urges transplant community to take health and safety precautions
In the wake of the rapidly spreading new strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, experts urge transplant recipients to use extra caution to protect themselves and their loved ones. The virus, first detected last year, is particularly…
| March 19, 2020
A ‘gift of life’ sentence: Kidney recipient turns transplant journey into advocacy
Rekenna Stanford was a registered organ donor long before she needed a new kidney. “I never had any misgivings about it,” she said. “If someone could use them after I was gone, have at it….
Blog | March 13, 2020
Gift of Life Michigan takes steps to protect staff, community during coronavirus outbreak
Updated: 3/17/2020 In the wake of the rapid spread of the new strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, Gift of Life Michigan has taken steps to help protect patients, our staff and the communities we serve. Like…
| March 12, 2020
‘True purpose:’ Canton kidney transplant recipient dedicates himself to organ donation education, advocacy
In many ways, Deacon Lawrence J. Bailey considers his donated kidney a blessing. Bailey, 65, a Canton resident, received a donated kidney in 2013 and has since dedicated himself to spreading that blessing by educating…