Featured | March 25, 2025
Honoring life through art
Through art, community, and the spirit of giving, Palee Haney from Kalamazoo has found a way to honor her sister, Chadapron Haney—affectionately known as “Guy.” “Guy was a force,” Palee said. “She was incredibly generous,…
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Blog | October 22, 2019
What is Brain Death?
There have been several stories in the news recently about hospitalized patients being pronounced brain dead. Some of those stories (and the comments on them) were confusing – and even misleading – the public about…
Blog | October 9, 2019
Young transplant recipient and family vow to pay forward their gift
Editor’s Note: We are devastated to learn that Zahraa passed away on November 14, 2019. To her family and many friends: you are in our thoughts. We grieve with you. We have created this video…
Blog | July 30, 2019
Why is it Important to Talk to your Family about Organ Donation
Talking about death can be uncomfortable. Most people don’t like to think about their own mortality. But death is part of life, and if we want to talk about organ and tissue donation, we need…
Blog | June 4, 2019
Can Muslims Donate Organs or Receive Transplants?
Muslims in the U.S. often wonder whether organ donation and transplant are permitted in Islam. Until recently, the answer to that question has been less clear. Currently, there are nearly 115,000 American residents desperately waiting…
| May 24, 2019
Gift of Life Michigan’s new campaign highlights critical need for multicultural donors
Goal is to bolster awareness about organ and tissue donation and save lives Twenty people die each day waiting for a life-saving transplant and more than half are ethnic minorities. While the need for organs…
| April 25, 2019
Gift of Life Michigan’s ‘A Matter of Faith’ video showcases widespread support for donation among major religions
Faith leaders share powerful message of saving and improving lives ANN ARBOR – Gift of Life Michigan has launched a new video that addresses a common question among many people: Does my religion support organ,…
| March 26, 2019
Gift of Life Michigan to honor 18 champions of organ and tissue donation across the state
Winners will be recognized at April 5 celebration Gift of Life Michigan has chosen 15 individuals and three hospitals to receive 2019 Donation Champion Awards, recognizing their extraordinary efforts to help fulfill the wishes of…
Blog | March 25, 2019
March is National Kidney Month
Of the more than 113,000 Americans waiting for an organ transplant, the vast majority – nearly 95,000 – are waiting for a kidney transplant. Why is that number so high? It’s because diseases such as…
Blog | March 22, 2019
The Hispanic community embraces organ, tissue and eye donation
Here’s what life was like for Leslie Palacios before she received the gift of a cornea donation from a deceased donor: She struggled to help her kids with their homework. She could attend their sporting…
Blog | March 13, 2019
Welcome to the blog!
Welcome! Gift of Life Michigan has a brand-new way to talk about organ, eye and tissue donation. This blog will provide a rich opportunity for us to regularly share stories of hope and critical information…
| March 6, 2019
Future health professionals save and heal lives through Gift of Life HOSA Challenge
Competition inspires creative ways to motivate students to donate life HOSA students from across Michigan have added 793 new donors to the Michigan Organ Donor Registry through the Gift of Life HOSA Challenge, a statewide…
| February 22, 2019
Wayne State University, Siena Heights University and Mott Community College tops in statewide competition
Michigan college students inspire 921 people to donate life! For five weeks, Michigan colleges and universities put their rivalries to good use, inspiring more than 900 Michigan residents to sign up on the Michigan Organ…
| January 31, 2019
My Donor Story
Gift of Life Michigan to celebrate National Donor Day with ‘My Donor Story’ social media campaign Organization is asking public to share life-saving stories and messages of gratitude Detroit – Feb. 1, 2018 – While…
| January 10, 2019
Gift of Life Michigan has record year saving and improving lives
2018 saw new highs for organ donors, organ transplants and tissue donors in Michigan Gift of Life Michigan helped a record 338 patients become organ donors last year, leading to life-saving organ transplants for well…
| October 4, 2018
Gift of Life Wins Donate Life America Top Honors
Communications Specialist Betsy Miner-Swartz and Gift of Life Michigan have won Donate Life America’s Pinnacle Award for Best Multicultural Outreach in the nation, for a video that told the story of Chad Milton, an African-American…
| August 16, 2018
Gift of Life Foundation Hires Chief of Philanthropy
Susan Rink has joined the Gift of Life Foundation as its first-ever chief of philanthropy. Susan’s role will be to partner with our stakeholders through fundraising to support the mission of Gift of Life Michigan….
Stories of Hope | January 29, 2018
Nathaniel Payne
Young tissue donor helps dozens live better lives; gives sight to two people Nathaniel Payne, 14, of West Branch, became a donor after he lost his life in a 2013 car accident. Nate was able…
| January 17, 2018
School rivals compete to save and heal lives through Gift of Life Michigan Campus Challenge
15th annual event inspires creative ways to motivate peers to donate life ANN ARBOR, MI, January 17, 2018 — Students at 13 Michigan colleges and universities are showing their school spirit by participating in a…
| January 9, 2018
Gift of Life Michigan achieves near-record number of organ donors in 2017
Donor registrations surge with help from Secretary of State ANN ARBOR – Gift of Life Michigan helped 320 patients become organ donors last year, saving the lives of hundreds of people in desperate need of…
| December 12, 2017
DMC, Beaumont and Sparrow Hospital top statewide competition to register new donors
Hospitals collectively add nearly 1,700 names to the Donor Registry ANN ARBOR, MI— Michigan hospitals competed this fall in a six-week Gift of Life Hospital Challenge to see which one could inspire the most people…
| October 27, 2017
Gift of Life wins national awards
Donate Life America gives organ donor program three major awards: Best donor registration program, best volunteer, best ‘coach’ to national peers ANN ARBOR, MI — Gift of Life Michigan has won Donate Life America’s Platinum…
| September 24, 2017
The giving continues: More than 60 percent of Michigan adults are now registered organ donors
Secretary of State Ruth Johnson announced Friday that the number of Michigan adults registered as organ, tissue and eye donors has topped 60 percent. Johnson recently joined Gift of Life Michigan’s CEO Dorrie Dils to…
| September 22, 2017
Gift of Life launches six-week Hospital Challenge to help grow the Michigan Organ Donor Registry
ANN ARBOR, MI— Hospitals across the state are accepting a challenge by Gift of Life Michigan to see who can add the most names to the Organ Donor Registry this fall. The competition kicks off…
| July 27, 2017
Why I walk: Raising organ donor awareness
Are you looking for charity walks near you? MOTTEP’s LIFE Walk/Run raises awareness of organ donation. Read inspirational stories about why people walk here. ANN ARBOR, MI—The 20th annual LIFE Walk/Run, hosted by Gift of…
| April 11, 2017
St. John Transplant, DMC and University of Michigan top statewide competition to register new organ, eye and tissue donors
ANN ARBOR, MI— A lot has happened to save lives at Michigan’s transplant centers over the past year, and not all of it took place inside their operating rooms. Seven healthcare systems representing the state’s…
| February 23, 2017
Wayne State and WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine top statewide competition
ANN ARBOR, MI— Thanks to friendly rivalries of students at 14 Michigan colleges and universities, more than 1,600 Michigan residents signed up on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry in the past five weeks. The 14th…
| January 18, 2017
College rivals to save and heal lives competing in 14th annual Gift of Life Campus Challenge
ANN ARBOR, MI— Students at 14 Michigan colleges and universities are participating in a life-saving competition. However, they most likely will never know the people whose lives they are saving. The schools are participating in…
| January 13, 2017
Gift of Life Michigan sets tissue donor record, saves and improves thousands of lives in 2016
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Gift of Life Michigan helped make it possible for a record number of people to donate tissue in 2016, giving thousands of recipients the gifts of mobility, healing, pain relief and…
| January 10, 2017
Gift of Life conducts its first hand donation for transplantation
ANN ARBOR, MI— Gift of Life Michigan has helped a 21-year-old Norton Shores woman become the first in the state to donate her hands to another person. Shayna Sturtevant also donated organs that saved the…
| December 28, 2016
Dignity Memorial Providers of Detroit to honor local paramedic at prestigious 128th Rose Parade
DETROIT, MI – Dignity Memorial Providers of Detroit will honor local paramedic Gary Terreault of Flat Rock at the 128th Rose Parade Jan. 2 in Pasadena, California. Family members and volunteers will pay a special…
| December 28, 2016
Michigan donor mom will ride on Donate Life Rose Parade float; Gift of Life, Promethera helped family donate newborn’s cells for research
ANN ARBOR, MI— Promethera Biosciences LLC is joining Gift of Life Michigan to become an important part of the 2017 Donate Life Rose Parade float, Teammates in Life, on January 2, 2017, in Pasadena, California….
| August 28, 2016
Dorrie Dils named CEO at Gift of Life Michigan
ANN ARBOR, MI—Dorrie Dils, an Ohio native and 25-year veteran in the donation world, takes over today as chief executive officer of Gift of Life Michigan, the state’s federally designated organ and tissue donor program….
Stories of Hope | August 10, 2016
Dayja Foster
Kidney recipient Dayja Foster was diagnosed with kidney failure when she was just 16. Dialysis kept her going, but robbed Dayja of her time as a teenager. Last year, a generous donor saved her life…
| June 8, 2016
Gift of Life begins recovering organs and tissue at new Ann Arbor surgical center
ANN ARBOR, MI – A new era of organ and tissue donation has begun in the state with the first organ and tissue recoveries at Gift of Life Michigan’s state-of-the-art surgical center. The $14.3-million expansion…
| April 27, 2016
Gift of Life and Eversight Michigan honor funeral service educator for organ, eye and tissue donation advocacy work
DETROIT – Sharon L. Gee-Mascarello of St. Clair Shores is the first recipient of the Gift of Life Michigan Eversight Michigan Donation Champion Award for professionals in the funeral service industry. The award was presented…
| April 14, 2016
Gift of Life unveils new surgical suites and learning center
ANN ARBOR, MI—Gift of Life Michigan, the state’s organ and tissue recovery program, has officially opened a $14.3-million expansion that includes its own surgical center to help save and improve more lives. The expansion allows…
| April 1, 2016
Gift of Life launches yearlong Transplant Center Challenge to bolster the state’s donor registry
ANN ARBOR, MI— The state’s nine transplant centers have accepted a brand-new challenge by Gift of Life Michigan to compete for an honor that will net them more than a fancy trophy – it will…
| February 26, 2016
Rick Hillbom takes over as CEO at Gift of Life
Replaces Richard Pietroski, who leaves as CEO emeritus after distinguished career ANN ARBOR, MI—Gift of Life Michigan, the state’s federally designated organ and tissue recovery program, has named Rick Hillbom as interim CEO following the…
| February 25, 2016
Wayne State University and WMU Stryker M.D. School of Medicine win statewide competition
ANN ARBOR — College rivalries aren’t limited to athletics. For the past five weeks, 12 Michigan colleges and universities used their school pride to save lives by signing people up to the Michigan Organ Donor…
| February 23, 2016
Bronson Methodist Hospital issues statement correcting details about 14-year-old Kalamazoo shooting victim
Gift of Life Michigan extends its deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the senseless shootings in Kalamazoo and hopes for the full recovery of those injured in the violence. Here is…
| January 21, 2016
13th annual Gift of Life Campus Challenge gives college rivalries life-saving purpose
ANN ARBOR, MI— Twelve colleges and universities are preparing for a life or death competition. However, they most likely will never know the people whose lives they are saving. The schools are participating in the…
| January 19, 2016
Gift of Life Michigan has successful year saving and improving lives statewide and beyond
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Gift of Life Michigan helped make it possible for 1,130 people to become heroes in 2015 by donating organs and tissues to patients in need. Those donors gave 875 organs, each…
| November 6, 2015
Gift of Life Michigan earns national accreditation by the American Association of Tissue Banks
ANN ARBOR — Gift of Life Michigan has been awarded the prestigious accreditation by the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), Gift of Life CEO Richard Pietroski announced today. Accreditation follows an intensive nine-month process,…
| November 3, 2015
State Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr. introduces bill to pave way for organ recoveries at Gift of Life surgical center in Ann Arbor
ANN ARBOR, MI — Gift of Life Michigan, the state’s organ and tissue recovery program, is pleased to announce that state Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr. has introduced a bill that will permit Gift of Life…
| October 20, 2015
Gift of Life and partner win national awards for donor awareness
Gift of Life Michigan and the Donate Life Coalition of Michigan have been recognized nationally for 2014 initiatives to bolster awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation. Both recieved 2015 Pinnacle Awards: Gift of Life’s…
| October 6, 2015
Libraries join statewide initiative to save lives
ANN ARBOR, MI – Michigan Libraries for Life and Gift of Life Michigan announced today that libraries across the state will be participating in a seven-day campaign to inspire residents to join the Michigan Organ…
| September 21, 2015
Gift of Life Michigan sponsors national multicultural conference
ANN ARBOR—Gift of Life Michigan is pleased to welcome donation and transplantation leaders from across the nation to the annual meeting of the Association of Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT). The group’s 23rd annual conference…
| July 24, 2015
Michigan Organ Donor Registry tops 4 million
DETROIT ‒ The Michigan Organ Donor Registry now stands at more than 4 million people willing to be organ, tissue and eye donors, bringing the statewide total of donor registrants to 52 percent of adults….
| March 20, 2015
Gift of Life Michigan CEO elected treasurer of United Network for Organ Sharing Board of Directors
Richard Pietroski, CEO of Gift of Life Michigan, has been elected to the position of treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing. As board treasurer…
| March 2, 2015
Wayne State University and Siena Heights University are tops in statewide organ donor drive competition at college campuses
ANN ARBOR — Showing that college rivalries can be used for social good, students across the state participated in the 12th annual Gift of Life Campus Challenge, encouraging classmates, alumni, faculty and others to join…