We have entertaining and informative conversations about organ, tissue and eye donation & transplantation. Over 114,000 people are currently waiting for a life saving transplant. Our goal is to raise awareness about the need for the life saving gifts of organ, tissue & eye donation. You can help. Register as a donor at registerme.org. Share this podcast with your family and friends. Share your inspiring stories with us info@thegiftedlife.org or give us a call at (504) 648-3477.
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Release Date: 12/30/2022

Show Notes: Following a near death experience and subsequent heart and kidney transplant, Shana Pereira is sharing insights she gained to inspire others to have a better relationship with crisis. Hear how her remarkable story unfolds and how her holiday miracle, through the gift of life, has changed her life and in turn, is inspiring others. We take a moment for mental health to learn tips for listening to truly connect with others, and honor hero Mitchell Aswell.

Release Date: 12/16/2022

Show Notes: CareDX is using artificial intelligence to help with the timely assessment of the likelihood of rejection in kidney transplant patients. AiKidney helps clinicians to predict kidney failure before it occurs and allows the medical team to make adjustments to reduce the risk of rejection. This fascinating technology is taking transplant care to the next level. Nila teaches us about decision fatigue and tips to help prevent it. We honor donor hero, Elizabeth Gray.

Release Date: 12/02/2022

Show Notes: Individuals from multiethnic communities make up the majority of the transplant waitlist in the United States. We welcome two guests to chat about how they are working together towards eradicating multiethnic bias in transplantation. Dr. John Goss, professor and chief of the Division of Abdominal Transplantation at Baylor College of Medicine, and kidney recipient, Eric Figueroa, share their respective strategies and experiences. In our mental health moment we discuss the wellness wheel and how to apply it towards finding balance in your everyday life, then, honor hero Christopher Moreau.

Release Date: 11/18/2022

Show Notes: It’s our 200th episode!!! To celebrate, we invited donor mom, Angie Calamari, and kidney recipient, Brooke Shapre, to the studio to take us on a donation journey that leads us full circle right back to LOPA in an unexpected way. Libbie Harrison, one of LOPA’s Family Support Coordinators, joins in and sets the framework for how this unique story unfolded. Then we chat about how to use serendipitous moments to bring more positivity into your life, and Angie Calamari honors donor hero, Cam Calamari.

Release Date: 11/04/2022

Show Notes: A staggering statistic, children from 1 to 4 years of age are at the highest risk for drowning. Drowning prevention is a year-round essential education for all people, adults and parents alike. We welcome Chris Knoblauch with the St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office and Kristen Sanderson, Injury Prevention Manager, with the Louisiana Department of Health to discuss valuable and necessary precautions to ensure your pool is safe and fun for those of all ages. Check out the additional resources from the American Red Cross and the YMCA. Then in our Mental Health Moment, we get a lesson on what congruence means and how you can use it to be more honest and enhance your life. We answer your question about donation and honor hero Colby Prestenback.

Release Date: 10/21/2022

Show Notes: Grieving is the process of rebuilding following a loss. In this episode we connect with donor mom and author, Autumn Jackson, to hear her story, and learn about her tips for growing with grief. She provides those who are grieving with resources, and she shares her newest outreach efforts through SODA, Student Organ Donation Advocates, at the upcoming Rose Parade. What is schema? We define the term and learn how it helps a person adapt to new information, and honor hero Rylee Marie Jackson.

Release Date: 10/07/2022

Show Notes: There are currently 57 Organ Procurement Organizations (OPO) throughout the United States. In a lively conversation, we connect with passionate President and CEO of LiveOnNY, Leonard Achan, to learn about how the gift of life has changed the trajectory of his career. Hear how his OPO is saving and healing lives in the Empire State, and propelling forward to share how special the gift of life is for donor families and recipients alike. We chat about the importance of truly plugging into yourself for self care and honor hero Maria Markell.

Release Date: 9/23/2022

Show Notes: On this episode we learn about an organization facilitating the process of living donation for veterans in need of a transplant and hear from one of the program's altruistic living donors. Veteran and living donor, Lindsay Gutierrez, first tells us how she connected with DOVE Transplant founder, Sharyn Kreitzer who also recently donated her kidney. Sharyn shares the important work her nonprofit does to facilitate living donor transplants for veterans and how life adjusts once giving the ultimate gift of a kidney. We discuss ways to vocalize curiosity when you're concerned about a friend or family member, and honor hero William Kyles, Jr.

Release Date: 9/09/2022

Show Notes: The organ transplant recovery process is a crucial time for recipients. Denise Redeker with Heartfelt Help Foundation joins us to share her experience following a heart transplant, and the importance of clean, safe and accessible temporary housing during transplant rehabilitation. Hear how the foundation works to alleviate what is often a financial burden for heart transplant candidates, patients, and their families. In our mental health moment we define doom scrolling, offer tips for recognizing the behavior and how to curb it when scrolling online, and then we honor hero, Carl Miller.

Release Date: 8/26/2022

Show Notes: August is National Multiethnic Donor Awareness Month, and in this episode we connect with Chavon Trahan, a Tissue Family Advocate with LOPA. Chavon walks us through how she personally connects with multiethnic families to explain the opportunity to give the gift of donation, and how she addresses families' concerns about common myths. Then we discuss ways to recognize that it might be time to seek professional help for mental health, and Lisa shares the following resources: National Institute of Mental Health/NIMH, www.nimh.nih.gov and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), www.samhsa.gov, then search Office of Behavioral Health Equity. Our donor hero this episode is Linden Gray.

Release Date: 8/12/2022

Show Notes: We welcome Tara Storch with Taylor’s Gift Foundation, who's a previous guest from episode 43. She re-joins The Gifted Life to talk about Taylor's Gift Kindred Hearts Program and how it is creating a space so that no donor's family ever grieves alone and welcomes them to participate as long as services are needed. In our moment for mental health we offer tips for building your social support system and then, honor hero Christopher Cabrera.

Release Date: 7/29/2022

Show Notes: Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the #1 leading cause of death in student athletes. Michelle Temple is donor mom to hero Grayson Temple and started Gray’s Army Foundation in honor of her son. The foundation has passed legislation as a way to help prevent sudden cardiac arrest in children and young adults. They also focus on education, providing student CPR training and AEDs to schools in need and preventing SCAs through the promotion of free heart screenings for student athletes. Then Nila gives tips for living in the present and being grounded, and we honor Grayson Temple.

Release Date: 7/15/2022

Show Notes: MediGO brings together forward-thinking and caring leaders that share a desire to use technology to digitally transform and revolutionize the organ donation and transplantation process to save lives. Scott Plank, CEO and co-founder of MediGo, shares how the company got started, the uniqueness of the donation/transplantation supply chain and how MediGo is addressing those challenges by tracking organs recovered for transplant. Nila discusses strength based learning, and how many of us have difficulty naming our strengths. The hero for this episode is Maureen Favret.

Release Date: 7/01/2022

Show Notes: Donor mom, Melanie Marcel, joins the podcast to talk about both the power of adoption and the miraculous power of donation. Hear how Melanie's multifaceted story about her son and hero, Connor, has continued to make an incredible impact on her family's life in ways she didn't anticipate. Then we discuss tips for regulating emotions in our mental health moment, and honor hero Connor Marcel through his father and siblings who read his story.

Release Date: 6/17/2022

Show Notes: In episode 189, we welcome members from our internal Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee to facilitate an important conversation. Sheron, Cheryl and Sid discuss how LOPA's multicultural outreach has evolved throughout the years, and what steps are being put into action to ensure continued and exponential growth. The panel also welcomes heart recipient Keenan Shields, who shares his perspective as someone who's directly affected and inspired by the gift of life. Then in our mental health moment we chat about changing your perception to manage stress and honor hero Jayden Ramirez.

Release Date: 6/03/2022

Show Notes: This is part 2 of a series, and we encourage you to listen to part 1, episode 187. We are joined by Dr. Jayme Locke, the lead transplant surgeon for the pig to human kidney transplant at UAB, and Drew Shunk, the director of clinical services at Legacy of Hope. Dr. Locke explains why pigs are a good choice for xenotransplantation, the technology that made it possible, and shares what information they hoped to learn from the study. Drew shares how Legacy of Hope (the organ procurement agency) helped identify a good candidate for the study and supported the family throughout the process. Terria talks about setting compassionate boundaries during our moment for mental health, and we honor donor hero Elizabeth Gilmore.

Release Date: 5/20/2022

Show Notes: Xenotransplantation is the process of transplanting organs or tissues from one species to another. In this episode, we talk with Alan Spriggs, the Program Manager of Authorization Development from Legacy of Hope, about how he and his team worked with the family of Jim Parsons to present a unique research opportunity with the potential to save thousands of lives. Jim was the first person to receive two genetically modified pig kidneys after he was declared brain dead. This is the first of a 2 part series about this fascinating study from UAB that has the potential to help end deaths on the waitlist, and the incredible man and family that made it possible. Nila talks about resilience, what it is and what it’s not. Our donor hero this episode is Javon Wiley.

Release Date: 5/06/2022

Show Notes: Louisiana's Lieutenant Governor, Billy Nungesser, joins us to share how a trip to the Rose Bowl Parade inspired him to register as an organ, tissue and eye donor and to encourage every Louisianian to register to save and heal lives. We discuss the gift of life and how it encompasses his passion for the state and its culture. Then learn about the origins and inherent connections found in storytelling, including tips for sharing your story, in our mental health moment. We answer a listener's question and honor hero, Ramsie Baumgardner.

Release Date: 4/22/2022

Show Notes: In honor of Pediatric Transplant Week, two moms join the podcast and reveal both sides the gift of life and the incredible strength they see in each other. Melissa McQueen, with Transplant Families and a previous guest on episode 158, is joined by Sarah who's the mom of her son's donor hero. Sarah reflects on her family's choice to donate the gift of life following her son Wyatt's accident, and then these moms talk about the amazing journey to connecting with each other. In our mental health moment, learn about mindfulness, what it actually is and its benefits. We also answer one of your questions and honor hero Nicholas Lewis.

Release Date: 4/08/2022

Show Notes: Just over 8 years ago, Hailey Steimel received the gift of life through a heart transplant. While she was waiting, she couldn't find many books relating to organ donation or heart disease, and she wanted to change that. Hailey shares her journey and talks about her new children's book, A Heart on Valentine's Day. Then we walk through suggestions for spring cleaning your mental health, answer your question, and honor hero Elliot Hardy.

Release Date: 3/25/2022

Show Notes: One donor's family, Larry and Vivian Lefferts, join us to talk about connecting donor families through a virtual network. Hear how their personal journey through grief following the loss of their son drove them to help co-found the Donor Family Care Network and how families from throughout the nation can participate. We are joined by a new guest host for our mental health moment, Lisa Lirette-West. Hear her tips for pausing to think before you speak. Then we circle back with Larry and Vivian Lefferts to honor their son and hero, John Lefferts' gifts of life.

Release Date: 3/11/2022

Show Notes: American Idol's Scott MacIntyre who is a two-time kidney transplant recipient and is best known as the blind pianist in season 8, has an amazing story of overcoming adversity. Scott thrives on using his story to encourage others to see the beauty in life and find hope in the midst of hardship. Hear his journey and about his latest passion projects including a new inspirational song and a podcast, Enduring Hope. In our mental health moment, we discuss the difficulty of being honest and we honor hero, Brenda Myers.

Release Date: 2/25/2022

Show Notes: Join us as we hear all about the adventures and misadventures of the Cart family on their journey to see their hero, Ryan Cart, honored on the Donate Life Rose Parade Float. From meeting Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, to almost falling down the Grand Canyon, they share moments of gratitude and awe with a healthy dose of humor. Sara shares tips for stressed out parents during our moment for metal health and we honor hero Christopher Thrasher.

Release Date: 2/11/2022

Show Notes: Learn how the facts and stats of organ, tissue and eye donation are being shared in Illinois classrooms. We welcome Kelly Pataky, with the Teach LIFE Toolkit Program. She shares how the program was developed for high school students and how it could be adapted for a variety of classrooms everywhere. We take a moment for mental health to talk about tips for strengthening romantic relationships, answer a listener's question and honor hero Stephanie Barlow.

Release Date: 1/28/2022

Show Notes: We welcome Nelson Ballard with Sharing Miracles to learn about donated birth tissue and how these gifts are used to aid in wound healing advancements and a multitude of other medical needs. Hear how expecting moms can participate, how they are honored and how the process works. We honor hero Andrea Boullt and our mental health moment gives tips for better listening habits.

Release Date: 1/14/2022

Show Notes: We delve into research that could be the biggest life saving change for organ donation in 40 years. LSU Mechanical Engineering Professor Ram Devireddy is researching different cooling rates for organs so that they remain viable for transplantation longer, giving every organ transplant recipient a greater chance at life. In our mental health moment, we explore tips for coping with social anxiety, and we honor hero Jacob Wayne Henry.