This week on Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, I sit down with someone who truly inspired me — Fred Hueston, a man who received his life-saving heart transplant at the age of 72 at AdventHealth in Orlando, Florida.

Fred’s story is one of perseverance, faith, and the incredible strength of love. His wife, a nurse, was right by his side through every moment of his transplant journey — a reminder of how powerful support and compassion can be in the healing process.

As a 70-year-old transplant recipient myself, I felt a real connection with Fred. We share a bond that only those who’ve faced these challenges can truly understand. Beyond his transplant journey, Fred is also an author of two books about life after transplant, with a third on the way — continuing to give hope and education to others walking a similar path.

Fred is also a well-known expert in his field of stone forensics, host of The Stone and Tile Radio Show, and the voice behind an active blog and YouTube channel. His drive to keep creating, helping, and inspiring others is a true testament to living fully after transplant.

🩺 Learn more about Fred Hueston:

🌐 stoneforensics.com

📞 Office: 321-514-6845

🎙️ The Stone and Tile Radio Show

📺 Fred’s YouTube Channel

📖 Fred’s Articles | Fred’s Shed Blog

📘 Facebook: Stone Forensics

📧 Email: [email protected]

🌐 Website: www.giftoflifepodcast.com

📱 Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

🎧 Listen & Share: https://lnk.to/GiftofLife

More Parts Than a Chicken Nugget – A Story of Survival, Second Chances, and the Family That Held Me Together.

📖 Available in paperback & eBook

🛒 Grab your copy today on Amazon

If this episode touched your heart, help us spread the message.

👉 Subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this story with family and friends.

Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings.

This week’s episode is one that goes beyond stories, statistics, and interviews — it goes straight to the heart.

As Christmas arrives, we pause to reflect on what this season truly represents: love, gratitude, and the incredible power of giving.

For those touched by organ donation — recipients, donor families, living donors, those still waiting, and the medical teams who make miracles possible — Christmas carries a deeper meaning. It’s a reminder that life itself is the greatest gift we could ever receive.

In this special Christmas episode, BJ shares a personal message of gratitude, hope, and reflection. You’ll hear how the holiday season looks different through the eyes of someone living with a second chance — and how donor families continue to inspire courage and compassion through the hardest moments imaginable.

This episode honors:

 The donor families who said “yes” when everything inside them was hurting

 The medical professionals who work through holidays to save lives

 The recipients who live every day with gratitude and purpose

 The brave individuals still waiting for their miracle

 Everyone who has registered as an organ, eye, or tissue donor

Christmas reminds us that the first and greatest gift didn’t come in wrapping paper — it came from the heart.

And the miracle of organ donation continues that spirit today.

 Tune in and join us for a message filled with warmth, reflection, and hope — a celebration of life and the people who make it possible.

 Email: [email protected]

 Website: www.giftoflifepodcast.com

 Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

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 More Parts Than a Chicken Nugget

A story of survival, second chances, and the family that never gave up.

Available now on Amazon: https://a.co/d/cMp1x8G

This week on Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, BJ sits down with Kathy Anderson, a true pioneer in the transplant community. Kathy received her life-saving heart transplant over 38 years ago, making her one of the longest-living heart recipients around.

Her story begins at just 20 years old, when she was pregnant with twin daughters. What should have been the happiest time of her life quickly turned frightening when a prescribed medication caused severe and lasting damage to her heart. Suddenly, Kathy found herself in the hospital, dependent on an LVAD to stay alive—all while caring for newborn twins.

Now, nearly four decades later, Kathy shares her incredible journey of resilience, faith, and family. She tells BJ how she’s planning something big when she reaches her 40-year transplant anniversary—a celebration worthy of the miracle she’s living every day.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone touched by organ transplantation or searching for a reminder of the strength of the human spirit.

Let’s Stay Connected:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.giftoflifepodcast.com

 Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

 Listen & Share: https://lnk.to/GiftofLife

BJ Odom’s book

More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget

 Grab your copy today: https://a.co/d/gNgC9jO

 Available in paperback & eBook!

If this episode touched your heart, help us spread the message:

 Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform.

 Share this episode with family and friends.

Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings. Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

This week, we meet Wayne Adam Greer — a husband, father, grandfather, pastor, and author whose faith and resilience carried him through one of life’s biggest challenges.

Wayne’s journey began with what seemed like nothing more than a stubborn cold that just wouldn’t go away. After weeks of no improvement, he headed to the ER expecting a simple diagnosis like bronchitis — but instead, doctors discovered he was in congestive heart failure. Within three months, his condition worsened to cardiomyopathy, but through medication and care, his heart stabilized, allowing him to enjoy 17 more blessed years.

Then, the unthinkable happened — his heart began to fail again. Facing the ultimate test of faith, Wayne would go on to receive a life-saving heart transplant, giving him not just more time, but a renewed purpose to share his story and inspire others.

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.giftoflifepodcast.com

Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

Listen & Share: https://lnk.to/GiftofLife

More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget

Grab your copy today: https://a.co/d/gNgC9jO

Available in paperback & eBook on Amazon.

If this episode touched your heart, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with family and friends.

Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings.

Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

This episode will leave you speechless.

Meet Chris Goff, a man whose life changed in a single week. One moment, he walked into the emergency room—just hoping for answers—and the next, he was fighting for his life. Within days, Chris’s heart gave out, and he was placed on ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation)—a machine that literally worked as his heart and lungs—keeping him alive until a donor heart could be found.

And then, the miracle happened… just one week later.

You’ll hear Chris share the raw, emotional details of what it’s like to be shocked without sedation, to face death head-on, and to hold on to hope even when everything seems impossible. His courage, gratitude, and faith shine through every moment of his story.

This is not just a medical miracle—it’s a testament to the power of organ donation and the strength of the human spirit.

Let’s Stay Connected:

 Email: [email protected]

 Website: www.giftoflifepodcast.com

 Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

 Listen & Share: https://lnk.to/GiftofLife

BJ Odom’s Book – More Parts Than a Chicken Nugget

 Grab your copy today: https://a.co/d/gNgC9jO

 Available in paperback & eBook

If this episode touched your heart, help us spread the message:

 Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform.

 Share this episode with family and friends.

Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings.

Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

In this moving episode, BJ Odom sits down with Brian Pitts, whose journey through heart disease and transplant is both harrowing and inspiring. Like so many others, Brian had no idea he was living with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)—until one life-changing day at a family wedding when he suddenly went into cardiac arrest.

After being rushed to the hospital, Brian’s short-term memory was deeply affected—he found himself repeatedly asking, “Why am I here?” Doctors inserted a defibrillator to stabilize his heart, beginning a long and difficult road to recovery. Eventually, Brian received his life-saving heart transplant, and today, he embraces each day as a gift.

Now, with renewed strength and gratitude, Brian dreams of one day sailing around the world—a powerful reminder that second chances aren’t just about survival, but about living life to the fullest.

Brian Pitts links

YouTube Page @DonateLifeBoat

Heart Transplant Support on facebook

 Email: [email protected]

 Website: www.giftoflifepodcast.com

 Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

 Listen & Share: https://lnk.to/GiftofLife

BJ Odom’s inspiring memoir:

More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget

A Story of Survival, Second Chances, and the Family That Held Me Together

 Grab your copy today: https://a.co/d/gNgC9jO

 Available in paperback & eBook on Amazon

If Brian’s story touched your heart, please help us spread the message of hope and organ donation awareness:

 Subscribe and leave a 5-star review

 Share this episode with friends and family

Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings.

This week, BJ sits down with Tim Andrews, a true pioneer in the transplant world and an inspiration to anyone who believes in the power of science and second chances.

Tim made medical history as the longest-living person with a pig kidney transplant, thriving for nine incredible months before the organ was removed. His story reads like science fiction — but it’s 100% real. Now, Tim is once again waiting for a miracle: a living kidney donor.

Despite being back on dialysis, his spirit remains strong, his humor intact, and his message clear — hope and innovation can change lives.

If you or someone you know would like to see if you can help Tim, please visit the Mass General Hospital website at www.massgeneral.org for more information.

 Tim’s blood type: O positive.

Let’s find Tim a kidney and keep this incredible story going.

 Email: [email protected]

 Website: www.giftoflifepodcast.com

 Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

 Listen & Share: https://lnk.to/GiftofLife

More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget

A story of survival, second chances, and the family that held it all together.

 Grab your copy today: https://a.co/d/gNgC9jO

Available in paperback & eBook on Amazon.

If this episode moved you, help us spread the message.

 Subscribe and leave a 5-star review.

 Share this episode with your family and friends.

Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings.

Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

This week, we meet Jimmy Tolleson, a preacher from Alabama whose journey to a new heart is a powerful testimony of faith and endurance.

Jimmy’s story began at just 16 years old, when he started experiencing chest pains. Despite repeated reassurances that his heart was fine, his symptoms continued for decades—until, at age 51, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio discovered the truth. There, he underwent his first open-heart surgery, beginning a long road toward survival.

Years later, Jimmy received his life-saving heart transplant at St. Thomas West in Nashville, Tennessee. But his journey was made even more heartbreaking when his wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer—right as Jimmy was being placed on the transplant list. Balancing his own fight for life while saying goodbye to the love of his life tested his faith in unimaginable ways.

In this emotional and inspiring conversation, Jimmy shares how he found strength through faith, community, and the incredible gift of organ donation.

 Email: [email protected]

 Website: www.giftoflifepodcast.com

 Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

 Listen & Share: https://lnk.to/GiftofLife

BJ Odom’s Memoir: More Parts Than a Chicken Nugget

 Grab your copy on Amazon — available in paperback and eBook!

If Jimmy’s story touched your heart, please help us spread the message:

 Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast app.

 Share this episode with friends and family.

Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings.

Thank you for being part of our life-giving community. 

This week, we meet Heather McCoy, a true warrior whose story embodies courage, faith, and the incredible power of organ donation.

Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at just 10 years old, Heather faced challenges most of us can only imagine. At 20, she received her first double-lung transplant, a life-changing gift that allowed her to breathe freely again. Eight years later, when her lungs began to fail once more, she courageously went through it all over again—a second double-lung transplant.

But Heather’s journey didn’t stop there. When her kidneys began to fail, she received yet another miracle—a kidney transplant—and with it, a renewed lease on life.

Through every obstacle, Heather has remained a shining example of positivity and gratitude. Her laughter, determination, and joy for life remind us all that even the toughest battles can lead to the most beautiful victories.

This is a heartfelt, inspiring conversation you won’t want to miss—a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the life-giving power of donation.

Let’s Stay Connected:

 Email: [email protected]

 Website: www.giftoflifepodcast.com

 Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

 Listen & Share: https://lnk.to/GiftofLife

If this episode touched your heart, help us spread the message:

 Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform.

 Share this episode with family and friends.

Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings.

Thank you for being part of our life-giving community. 

In this inspiring and educational episode, BJ sits down with Shane Grant, who has been living with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) for nearly two decades. Over the years, Shane became her own best advocate—learning about her disease, seeking out specialists, and pushing for answers.

Her persistence and courage led her through a long and emotional journey that ultimately resulted in a life-saving heart transplant earlier this year.

This conversation offers hope and guidance for anyone affected by HCM or navigating their own transplant journey.

You’ll hear Shane’s powerful reflections on:

What it’s really like to live with HCM for 20 years

The importance of self-advocacy and education

The emotional and physical challenges before and after transplant

How her new heart has transformed her outlook on life

Whether you’re a patient, family member, or healthcare professional, this episode is filled with valuable insight and encouragement.

 Email: [email protected]

 Website: www.giftoflifepodcast.com

 Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

 Listen & Share: https://lnk.to/GiftofLife

If this episode touched your heart, help us spread the message:

 Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform.

 Share this episode with family and friends.

Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings.

Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.