#BeTheGift Connections: Recent Episodes
Tennessee Donor Services
BeTheGift Connections is a series of monthly programs designed to inform and connect the public to lifesaving stories of organ donation and transplantation. Episodes feature real-life conversations with donor hero families, living donors, transplant recipients, and healthcare professionals directly involved in the recovery and transplant of organs/tissues. Each episode tackles a specific aspect of donation and the challenges facing those waiting for their lifesaving gift. We hope these episodes will inform and inspire others to be the gift and save lives by registering at BeTheGiftToday.com.
BeTheGift Connections is coming to you LIVE from the 2024 Transplant Games in Birmingham to share stories from members of Team Tennessee and other competing athletes!
Our final interview is with Adrian Bowers, a kidney recipient who helped Team Tennessee win the Gold for Team Golf.
BeTheGift Connections is coming to you LIVE from the 2024 Transplant Games in Birmingham to share stories from members of Team Tennessee and other competing athletes!
Our next interview is with Debra and David Kitts, a donor family whose 17-year-old son, Dustin, became a donor hero in 2000.
BeTheGift Connections is coming to you LIVE from the 2024 Transplant Games in Birmingham to share stories from members of Team Tennessee and other competing athletes!
We spoke with Katie Lea, a living kidney donor, about her decision to give the gift of life to a stranger through living donation.
BeTheGift Connections is coming to you LIVE from the 2024 Transplant Games in Birmingham to share stories from members of Team Tennessee and other competing athletes!
Our next guest is Angela Culp, a kidney recipient and nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
BeTheGift Connections is coming to you LIVE from the 2024 Transplant Games in Birmingham to share stories from members of Team Tennessee and other competing athletes! Our next guest is Phillip Harris, a liver recipient who is competing on Team Alabama.
BeTheGift Connections is coming to you LIVE from the 2024 Transplant Games in Birmingham to share stories from members of Team Tennessee and other competing athletes!
We had the opportunity to speak with Jon Roberts, a liver recipient competing on Team Philadelphia who was the overall winner for the Transplant Games 5K!
BeTheGift Connections is coming to you LIVE from the 2024 Transplant Games in Birmingham to share stories from members of Team Tennessee and other competing athletes!
Our next guest is JP Marzano, a two-time kidney recipient who is competing in his seventh Transplant Games!
BeTheGift Connections is coming to you LIVE from the 2024 Transplant Games in Birmingham to share stories from members of Team Tennessee and other competing athletes!Our first guest is Tyrone Cooper, a heart recipient who is competing on Team Louisiana.
BeTheGift Connections is coming to you LIVE from the 2024 Transplant Games in Birmingham to share stories from members of Team Tennessee and other competing athletes!Our next guest is Mimi Smith, a liver recipient competing on Team Tennessee!
We're counting down the days to the 2024 Transplant Games with some of our Team Tennessee athletes on #BeTheGift Connections!
Our third segment features Jay Jones, a heart recipient and one of our new members of Team Tennessee.
We're counting down the days to the 2024 Transplant Games with some of our Team Tennessee athletes on #BeTheGift Connections!Our second segment of the month features Travis Fuller, a two-time kidney recipient who is ready to bring his competitive spirit to Birmingham!
We're counting down the days to the 2024 Transplant Games on #BeTheGift Connections with some of our Team Tennessee athletes!Our first segment of the month features Jim Jones, a liver recipient who is using his second chance to pay it forward to other patients waiting for lifesaving transplants.
It's time for our second #BeTheGift Connections segment in honor of National Nurses Week!
We're joined by Tennessee Donor Services Clinical Services Manager Brittany Cameron who gives us an inside look into the donation process and the role of an Organ Recovery Coordinator.
In honor of National Nurses Week, we have a special #BeTheGift Connections segment to celebrate the dedicated nurses and clinical professionals who make donation possible!
We'll hear from Suzy Sawyer, a liver recipient and transplant nurse at UT Medical Center, who will share how her transplant impacted her decision to help other patients waiting for their lifesaving gifts.
It's not Donate Life Month without an episode of #BeTheGift Connections!Kassandra Klemenz, a double-lung transplant recipient who recently completed the Knoxville Marathon, will share how her transplant has given her the ability to live an active life and what athletic events she has coming up.
Join us for the next episode of #BeTheGift Connections in honor of National Kidney Month!
We'll hear from Gene Proctor, a kidney transplant recipient, and his wife, Shanna, as they share how the search for a kidney donor impacted their lives.
American Heart Month is coming to a close, but we have one episode of #BeTheGift Connections left before we head into March!
We'll hear from Billy Lane, who received a lifesaving heart transplant thanks to the selflessness of a donor hero.
In honor of Black History Month, we have a special episode of #BeTheGift Connections!
We'll hear from Dr. Clive Callender, founder of the National Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP), as he takes us through his career and explains MOTTEP's mission to influence multicultural donor registrations and equitable transplant allocation.
Celebrate the upcoming #BeTheGift Showdown with a new episode of #BeTheGift Connections!We'll hear from Tom Satkowiak, a liver transplant recipient, as he shares how his lifesaving transplant impacted his life and career.We'll also hear from UT Men's Basketball Head Coach Rick Barnes about the upcoming #BeTheGift Showdown on February 17!
Celebrate #AmericanHeartMonth with a new episode of #BeTheGift Connections!We'll hear from Brian Montalbano, a two-time heart transplant recipient who received his first transplant at 9 years old and his second transplant in 2011.
Grief is one of the deepest pains we will ever experience. On this episode of #BeTheGift Connections, we’ll talk with donor family members about their journey through grief.00:00 We’ll hear from Dr. Jason and Darla Brooks, who lost their daughter, Aleya, unexpectedly last year. They’ll share how they are using their experience to help others.26:40 In our second segment, we’ll talk with Lisa Boullt, who recently published a book about her sister’s death thirty years later. She’ll share how writing "17 Again" helped her to heal and focus on hope after loss.48:32 And finally, we’ll learn about Tennessee Donor Services’ Aftercare program and its mission to offer bereavement services to donor families.
The holidays can be a time for reflection, celebration and anticipation. On this episode of #BeTheGift Connections, we have three inspiring stories about the precious gift of life.We’ll hear from Suha Dabit, whose daughter, Nadia, was born with a congenital heart defect. Their journey led to a heart transplant and the creation of a foundation to help other families.Our second story features Jacoby Plyler, a woman who received a kidney from a family member, allowing her to have a healthy, happy life.Our final story features Mike Wells, who connected with his son Michael’s heart recipient, Rose Hajjar. Their two families now celebrate the holidays together.
November is #EyeDonationMonth! On this episode of #BeTheGift Connections, we’ll learn about the many ways eye tissue can be used to improve lives.Our guests include Shelly Cleek, a cornea recipient and Donate Life Ambassador, along with her surgeon Dr. Bernard Chang.We’ll also learn how eye tissue is processed and distributed at the Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank in Nashville from Dr. Erich Groos, Associate Medical Director, and Alyssa Hernandez, Director of Marketing.In addition, we’ll discuss the many ways eye tissue can help with reconstruction, glaucoma and dry eye!
Join us for October's #BeTheGift Connections: "Donation 101: Brain Death" as we discuss what brain death is and the criteria used to declare it.We'll hear from Critical Care Dr. Nadia Froehling with Erlanger Health Systems and TDS In-House Donation Specialist Amy Layne explain brain death, the testing involved, and the separate roles of the hospital and Tennessee Donor Services.Wes Patten, TDS Family Care Manager will share how brain death is explained to families and how they are guided through the process.We'll then be joined by Betsy Harrell and Tiki Finlayson, donor mothers, who will share their experience of being told about brain death, their reaction and ultimately the acceptance of the diagnosis.
Join us for this episode of “BeTheGift Connections” as we recognize our Tennessee Driver Services Centers for the work they do to help save lives.
We’ll talk with staff about their commitment to registering more Tennesseans.
Ashley Beaumia, donor mother, will share the story of her son Blazer who registered to be a donor when he obtained his learner’s permit.
We'll also learn about a special connection between the Greeneville Driver Services Center and Paisley Trantham, an infant waiting on a heart transplant.
In recognition of August as #NationalMulticulturalDonorAwarenessMonth, #BeTheGift Connections will be exploring healthcare inequities that exist within communities of color and how this impacts attitudes toward organ and tissue donation.
We’ll be talking with two physicians about the challenges and disparities facing the Black community when it comes to healthcare.
We’ll also learn about an exciting new partnership between Meharry Medical College and Tennessee Donor Services working to increase diversity in the field of organ transplant.
Join Sierra Donor Services for a special edition of #BeTheGift Connections that focuses on supporting burn survivors.
We'll hear from the Firefighters Burn Institute, a Sacramento-based nonprofit organization that works to serve burn survivors, from hosting youth camps and social outings to awarding scholarships.
We'll also speak with Chris Donhost, Organ Recovery Liaison for SDS, as he describes how tissue donation is able to improve the lives of 75 recipients!
Join us for May's #BeTheGift Connections: “Going the Extra Mile” as we talk with some competitive athletes.
Their accomplishments in sports are impressive, but what makes their stories even more compelling is they are organ recipients.
We’ll hear how sports helped them overcome adversity. They are proof that a lifesaving organ transplant means a chance to live a healthy, active life doing the things they love.
Join us for the next #BeTheGift Connections. In recognition of #NationalDonateLifeMonth, we’re talking about giving and living.
We’ll hear the perspective of a donor mother. Danyelle Stone will share the legacy her four year-old son, Grayson Meadows, left by saving the lives of others through organ donation.
We’ll also talk with Dr. Derek Moore, transplant surgeon with Ascension Saint Thomas West in Nashville to learn about the process patients go through to receive a transplant.
Lawrence Washington, a kidney transplant recipient, will share what a second chance at life means to him.
March is National Kidney Month and a perfect time to talk about the need for kidney transplants!
Billy Jarvis is a kidney recipient and an External Affairs Coordinator at Tennessee Donor Services. Billy is currently in need of a new kidney and was accepted into the Living Donor Paired Exchange Program in January. He and his living donor, Steven Jamison, will share their journey so far and what will happen in the next few months.
We’ll also talk to Dr. Daniel Galvez, transplant surgeon at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, to learn more about the need for kidneys, living donation and the future of transplant.
February is Heart Month and it’s the perfect time to talk about the Gift of Life. On this #BeTheGift Connections: “Stories from the Heart,” we have two special stories to share with you. Our first story truly illustrates the circle of life. We talk to two mothers…a donor hero’s mother from Tennessee and a recipient mother from Chicago, brought together because of a heart transplant. In our second story, we hear from an inspiring young woman who for years thought that a heart transplant was not an option for her.
Our Tennessee County Clerks are key partners in helping Tennessee Donor Services save and improve lives. In the January #BeTheGift Connections: “Connecting with our Clerks,” several county clerks share why increasing donor awareness is important to them. Grainger County Clerk Angie Lamb’s husband’s life was saved through a liver transplant. A good friend of Loudon County Clerk Riley Wampler is a double cornea recipient. Wayne County Clerk Stan Horton’s brother-in-law is leading a full life because of a heart transplant. In this episode, we talk to the clerks and with the recipients. Register today to #BeTheGift as an organ and tissue donor at BeTheGiftToday.com.
Imagine giving a priceless gift that costs nothing — a gift that not only changes lives but can save them. That’s the gift of organ and tissue donation. And what better time to talk about it than during the season of giving. On the December #BeTheGift Connections: “A Season of Giving,” we share two special stories of giving and the impact it has on others. In this month’s program, Lisa Rousseau shares the story of her daughter Jessie Starnes, a 9-year-old, who left a lasting legacy of giving in her community and beyond. Amy Dodd, a kidney recipient and Kristi Jones, her living donor, share their story of friendship and donation. In addition, we talk about holiday traditions and the gift of life with Marth Rucker, a hospital chaplain with Ascension Saint Thomas Health.
Did you know that all major religions support donation as an act of love and generosity? On November’s #BeTheGift Connections: "Faith, Beliefs, and Donation", in observance of National Donor Sabbath, we explore how one’s faith and beliefs can influence the decision to be a donor. We hear the extraordinary story of a donor hero and his heart recipient, and the role faith played throughout. We also talk with a hospital chaplain and a minister about the spiritual aspects of being a donor and some of the common concerns of those still hesitant to be an organ and tissue donor.
In October’s #BeTheGift Connections we learn about the importance of tissue donation. More than 2.5 million people receive a tissue transplant each year to repair injuries and defects, restore sight and improve or restore mobility. Sometimes a tissue transplant can even save a life. We also learn about the many tissues that can be donated and how they are used. In addition, an orthopedic surgeon discusses how donated tissue is frequently used to repair orthopedic and sports related injuries.
In September's #BeTheGift Connections, we celebrate our partners at the Tennessee Department of Safety (TDOS). September is National DMV Appreciation Month. We talk about the successful partnership between Tennessee Donor Services and the TDOS Driver Services Centers. Plus we have personal stories from Driver Service Center staff who share their connections to transplant recipients. It’s an opportunity to recognize and thank our Driver License partners for their commitment to asking customers if they would like to register to #BeTheGift as an organ and tissue donor. They are the people on the front lines and play a vital role in saving and healing lives. Through their efforts over the past years, millions of Tennesseans have made the decision to join the Tennessee Donor Registry.
August's second episode of #BeTheGift Connections continued our focus on National Minority Donor Awareness Month. The discussion examines the inequities affecting communities of color in healthcare, donation and transplantation. We also talk with two physicians about the challenges relating to these disparities and creating greater awareness and acceptance of organ and tissue donation. In addition, a donor family member and an organ recipient join us to share their moving stories. Register to be an organ and tissue donor at BeTheGiftToday.com.
Did you know nearly 60% of patients on the national transplant waiting list are from multicultural communities? In our August #BeTheGift Connections we focus on National Minority Donor Awareness Month. It is an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of organ and tissue donation within minority communities. This first program, in a series of three, highlights the personal stories of five people of color touched by donation and transplantation. Register to be an organ and tissue donor at BeTheGiftToday.com.
Nationally, almost 80,000 patients last year received a cornea transplant. In the July edition of #BeTheGift Connections: “The Marvelous Gift of Sight,” Dr. Erich Groos, Associate Medical Director for Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank and Dr. Deborah DiStefano walk you through how donor tissue gives hope to many who are blind or visually impaired. In addition, we will explore the important role of an eye bank and talk with two cornea recipients who have received the Gift of Sight. Register to be an organ and tissue donor at BeTheGiftToday.com.
In the June #BeTheGift Connections: “Being Dad,” we recognize Father’s Day and the influence that fathers have on their children, we talk with three dads who are organ recipients. They share how the gift of life has enabled them to play an active role in their children’s lives. Plus, they relate how being a recipient has impacted how they view their role as a father. Register to be an organ and tissue donor at BeTheGiftToday.com.
In the May #BeTheGift Connections: "Birth Tissue: A Mother's Gift," we learn about a living tissue donation that many are not familiar with… Birth Tissue. According to the American Association of Tissue Banks, there is an increasing demand for this type of tissue because of its versatility and numerous clinical applications. Today expectant mothers can choose to donate their placenta after the delivery of their baby, thereby helping as many as 100 patients live a better life. In this #BeTheGift Connections, we learn about the Tennessee Donor Services Birth Tissue Program and talk to two mothers who made the decision to donate. We also hear from a man whose sight was saved through a birth tissue transplant.
On the April #BeTheGift Connections: "Saving Young Lives,” we highlight April being Donate Life Month and the week of April 25th being designated National Pediatric Transplant Week. We have two inspiring stories about remarkable young people. One is a story of Kainen Boring, a donor hero, who passed away unexpectedly at the age of 17. His family knew he had talked about being an organ donor and it was important to them to follow his wishes. The second story is one of a family’s love for one another. Liza Cagle was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition when she was just months old. The only option was a liver transplant. Because of the gift of life, Liza is a healthy teenager today. Her cousin volunteered to be her living donor and today they share a special bond. Register to be an organ and tissue donor at BeTheGiftToday.com.
In the March #BeTheGift Connections: "The Miracle of Living Donation," we learn about living organ donation through two special living donor stories. In addition, we have a conversation on the advances in this area of transplantation with a transplant surgeon. Our guests include Finley, a three-year-old kidney recipient, Dr. Alan Koffron, Surgical Director for the Erlanger Health System Kidney Transplant Center in Chattanooga, and living kidney donor Elise who donated a kidney to Crystal, her mom.
Thanks to the generosity of living donors, close to 6,000 lives were saved in 2020. More than 85% of patients on the transplant waiting list need a kidney. Living donation came about because of the critical shortage of organs.
In recognition of National Heart Month and Valentine’s Day, we have a couple of special stories on February's #BeTheGift Connections. Marcia Cunningham, a heart recipient, shares her transplant journey of waiting for and receiving a new heart. Dr. Jonathan Menachem, a transplant cardiologist with Vanderbilt Health Transplant Center discusses the strides that are being made in the field of heart transplants, resulting in more lives being saved. Plus, Bonnie Chakravorty and Doug Turley, a couple who met and fell in love while they were both sick and in need of a transplant join us to share their transplant and romance journey. Register as an organ and tissue donor at BeTheGiftToday.com.
The January 2022 #BeTheGift Connections: “New Year, New Life” features two organ recipients, both of whom are celebrating their one-year transplant anniversary this month! They share their transplant experience and what this second chance means to them. Register to be an organ and tissue donor at BeTheGiftToday.com.