Let's Talk About Life

By Lifebanc

What's Let's Talk About Life about?

Welcome to Let’s Talk About Life. A podcast brought to you by Lifebanc. The organ, eye, and tissue recovery agency in Northeast Ohio. Donation can be a complicated subject, but it is all about life. Please spend some time as we unravel the complexities of donation and share impactful stories that touch the very core of humanity. Let’s Talk About Life!

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Let's Talk About Life episodes:

05.28.2024
The Kidney Foundation of Ohio Services
The Kidney Foundation of Ohio has assisted hundreds of individuals burdened with kidney disease since the 1950s. It has an esteemed but surprising history and a direct connection to organ donation and patient assistance programs that put dollars in the...
05.14.2024
Considering Donor-Recipient Communication?
Lifebanc Bereavement Services Department has a stellar history of providing support and care to grieving families. We’re committed to continually enhancing our services for relatives of organ, eye, and tissue donors, a key part of which includes facilitating correspondence between...
04.30.2024
Neighborhood Shop Talk
Relax in a cozy chair at Rival Barber Lounge and immerse yourself in the ambiance. You’ll feel like you’re part of an engaging conversation. Edmund Wilson III, the Lifebanc Community Outreach Program Manager, assumes the role of podcast host, exploring...
04.02.2024
Donate Life Month Message
We’re privileged to share a conversation with a remarkable individual who has experienced the donation process firsthand. Hannah Fleming, a dedicated nurse from the Cleveland Clinic Akron General Surgical team, has been a part of donor recoveries with Lifebanc. Hannah...
03.19.2024
Abbie's Echo
You can hear Abbie’s echo in Matthew Carey’s voice if you listen very closely. Matthew Carey, a former firefighter and EMTP-P, knows firsthand through his whirlwind experience of needing a heart transplant to survive that life is fragile. His 15-year-old...
03.05.2024
Kicking Off Kidney Month
Tanya’s journey as a kidney warrior began when she was only eight, diagnosed with a condition known as IgA nephropathy. This disease significantly altered the course of her life. Despite the challenges, she was fortunate enough to receive a kidney...
02.20.2024
Fashion for Life Show
The Fashion for Life Show is just around the corner. This exclusive event, a collaboration between MOTTEP and TRIO, is unlike any other, featuring models and escorts whose lives have been impacted by organ donation. Whether they’ve received the gift...
02.06.2024
Life by the Numbers
Each year-end, Lifebanc reviews the number of lives impacted by the generosity of organ, eye, and tissue donors in northeast Ohio. It is humbling to report that organ donors saved 570 lives, and an additional 1,185 lives were enhanced through...
01.23.2024
A Hero's Hero
It was a beautiful day on the shores of Lake Erie. Lee Weber and his two sons, Alex and Jacob, who were 9 and 7 at the time, were spending time on a family camping trip. Some of the group,...
01.09.2024
One Kidney: Two Lives Saved
When Linda Liberator learned that her son Eric was in stage 5 kidney failure and would need a transplant, she knew exactly what she needed to do. Linda went to the University Hospital of Cleveland Transplant Institute and began being...
12.26.2023
Honoring a Brother
Many families have experienced a sudden and unexpected tragedy that results in their loved one becoming a donor. Although giving the gift of life and sight to others is a noble act, these families still feel their loss profoundly and...
12.12.2023
Grieving Through the Holidays
April 28, 2010, was a typical day when 16-year-old Erin Ehrbar and her 13-year-old brother, Andrew, pulled out of the driveway on their way to school. Their car was struck in the side, and neither Erin nor Andrew survived. Listen...
11.28.2023
Seeing into the Future
National Eye Donation Awareness Month occurs every November as a reminder to give the gift of sight as a registered organ, eye, and tissue donor – but perhaps more importantly, to remind us all how precious vision is in our...
11.14.2023
A Voice of Calming Compassion
Hospital scenes – where there is trauma, tragedy, and unexpected loss – are often chaotic and emotional. In times of shock and disbelief, individuals may feel numb and can have difficulty accepting that a loss has occurred or is occurring....
10.31.2023
A Lifelong Public Servant
Lifebanc covers 20 counties in Northeast Ohio, serves approximately 4.2 million individuals, and includes several large cities, including Cleveland. The depth of complexity is unimaginable when providing services to a population of this size. Especially ensuring citizens are safe and...
10.17.2023
An Unimaginable Loss Part Two
Last week, we discussed the loss of a young man, Trenton Riggins-Walker. Trenton died by suicide. We continue the conversation with Bill Walker and Kolnita Riggins-Walker to learn how they put their grief into action by creating a safe space...
10.03.2023
An Unimaginable Loss
The unthinkable occurred when Bill and Kolnita Riggins-Walker’s son Trenton died by suicide. Trent had struggled with mental health issues, but his death still came as a shock. Listen to Part One of a poignant story as they take us...
09.19.2023
Aging of Transplants
Charlene Johnson-Boyd shares her story of being diagnosed with heart failure and told there was nothing more doctors could do because of her age. Charlene wouldn’t take no for an answer and was told of a transplant center that would...
09.05.2023
Peer Grief Companion Program
Lifebanc is committed to supporting donor families long after losing a loved one. There are many programs and events available, a list of which can be found on our website under the “For Families” tab. However, a new and uniqueprogram...
08.22.2023
Will They Save Me?!
When it comes to organ, eye, and tissue donation, the number-one misconception is that medical personnel won’t try to save your life if you’re a registered donor. Even though it’s completely false, that misconception is pervasive, especially in black communities. In this week’s episode, listen...
08.08.2023
A Month of Awareness
August is a busy month, but we must slow down and learn about Minority Donor Awareness. We talk with an expert on the subject, Linda Kimble from MOTTEP, donor mom, […]
07.25.2023
Celebrating with Gratitude
In 2014, with two failing lungs, the future wasn’t looking too bright for Griff Hill. As a father of two and a husband to his wife Linda, Griff had a […]
06.27.2023
More Than a Story
As a teacher in the Shaker Heights Schools, Chante Thomas knows kids. She put her expertise to use when becoming a published author. Her characters tell us about their culture […]
06.13.2023
A New Face at Lifebanc
Meet Edmund Wilson III going above and beyond in his new position as Community Outreach Program Manager. Edmund went through baptism by fire when he started at Lifebanc at the […]
05.30.2023
A Voice to be Heard
Jennifer Ackerman loved to sing. Ever since the fourth grade, she had been part of a choir in some way. But on what was to be a normal Sunday morning, […]
05.16.2023
Triumph Over Tragedy
As a young boy, Garrison Markins endured a medical history that prevented him from playing and being active. As he grew older, doctors saw much improvement and cleared him to […]
05.02.2023
Up and Over for Donation
Tiffany Lang, BSN, RN, NE-BC, is the nurse manager for an Intensive Care Unit at the Cleveland Clinic. She works with a team of approximately 100 individuals and many other groups. […]
04.18.2023
Connection to Transplant
Professionals in the medical field are often seen as one-dimensionalpeople whose identity is in their uniforms.In this episode of “Let’s Talk About Life,” we connect with three women who work at University Hospitals Cleveland […]
04.04.2023
Religion and Donation
April brings a renewal of life with spring and is a sacred season for religious celebrations. All faiths have differences in theology, however, an interesting fact is that they have very […]
03.21.2023
Waiting for the Moment
"At this point, my filtration level is about 14%... and, at 10%, it means you are definitely in need of dialysis." Brendan Coakley
03.07.2023
Sara Gets a Second Chance
"It didn't take me long to realize this was a song that needed to be written." Dan Modlin, musician
02.21.2023
The Heart of the Story
In the book Rare Birds, a 12-year-old boy is dealing with the underlying dread that his mom will need a heart transplant to live. The family also relocates to Florida to wait […]
02.07.2023
Forging Forward in Faith
"It's been 15 years, and it still brings me comfort that something positive came out of it." Rochelle Ogbuji, Donor Mom
01.24.2023
The Beat Goes On
Reggie & Maria Roundtree play traditional drums to educate the community. But Reggie has a special connection to the rhythm since he is a heart transplant recipient. Listen to this […]
01.10.2023
Grief Support Year Round
We hope you had a wonderful holiday season and spent time with those you love. We also hope you were able to honor and share fond memories of those individuals […]
12.13.2022
All Side of Donation
We love sharing the stories of men, women, and children receiving the gift of life and enjoying restored health. We also love to talk with donor families who have been […]
11.15.2022
Return of the Navigator
Listen to Lee and Larry Elmore share their story of watching Lee's grandmother go blind and then learning she had the same disease.
11.01.2022
Service to family and country
Lisa Knoll knows a lot about service. As a young girl, her mom’s transplant set her on a path of giving back. For twelve years, she’s served her country in […]
10.04.2022
Fighting for J'ior
A mother’s instinct is powerful. After giving birth to her son, Shawna immediately knew something was wrong. After being released to go home, she left one hospital and took her […]
09.20.2022
Turning the Tables
When Lifebanc staff are in public and the topic of where you work or organ donation comes up, a long involved conversation usually ensues. However, recently at a local restaurant […]
09.06.2022
One of the Seventeen
We share many stories about organ donor families and transplant recipients, but it isn’t very often that we talk about someone whose loved one died because they didn’t receive the […]
08.23.2022
A Council of Life
Lifebanc staff members work alongside the hospital staff at centers to ensure that donation protocols and policies are in place. As you can imagine, communication is critical. One way to […]
08.09.2022
Being Fearless for Jake
There are many reasons why people love this event but primarily, they participate to honor a loved one touched by donation or transplantation, or for a cause they strongly support. […]
07.26.2022
MetroHealth Rising to the Challenge
If you’ve driven down west 25th street in the past few months, you’ll have noticed a lot of new construction at MetroHealth. But a new hospital building isn’t the only new thing happening at Metro. […]
07.12.2022
A Meaningful Morning
Lynda Corea knows the joy and gratefulness of being the mom of a transplant recipient, as well as the unimaginable pain of then being the mom of an organ donor. […]
06.28.2022
Special Donors Saving Lives
Walter Mootz was a pizza-making radio DJ who loved music and traveling. He also was a fantastic swimmer and an Elvis impersonator. More than anything, Walter loved helping people. So […]
06.14.2022
A Donor Father's Dedication
As the Chief of HR Services for Cleveland Clinic, Don Corpora supports the 65,000 domestic and 72,000 global caregivers employed by the Clinic. He also has served on the Lifebanc Finance Committee and is now the Treasurer of the Lifebanc […]
05.31.2022
Racing for the Lives of Others
Imagine being only 18 and having to make a donation decision for you mom. Joey Gase, know as a car driver and owner in the Xfinity and Cup NASCAR series, […]
05.17.2022
One Hundred Episodes Young
We can hardly believe that we have reached an epic milestone of 100 episodes of our podcast. When we started in 2019, we had no idea how vital each episode […]
05.03.2022
Basking in Glory
We celebrate motherhood, something we hold in high regard. This episode is uplifting as it is emotional. Chuck and Rose Vinci happily expected their second child when a fatal diagnosis […]

What's Let's Talk About Life about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Let's Talk About Life episodes:

The Kidney Foundation of Ohio Services

Considering Donor-Recipient Communication?

Neighborhood Shop Talk

Donate Life Month Message

Abbie's Echo

Kicking Off Kidney Month

Fashion for Life Show

Life by the Numbers

A Hero's Hero

One Kidney: Two Lives Saved

Honoring a Brother

Grieving Through the Holidays

Seeing into the Future

A Voice of Calming Compassion

A Lifelong Public Servant

An Unimaginable Loss Part Two

An Unimaginable Loss

Aging of Transplants

Peer Grief Companion Program

Will They Save Me?!

A Month of Awareness

Celebrating with Gratitude

More Than a Story

A New Face at Lifebanc

A Voice to be Heard

Triumph Over Tragedy

Up and Over for Donation

Connection to Transplant

Religion and Donation

Waiting for the Moment

Sara Gets a Second Chance

The Heart of the Story

Forging Forward in Faith

The Beat Goes On

Grief Support Year Round

All Side of Donation

Return of the Navigator

Service to family and country

Fighting for J'ior

Turning the Tables

One of the Seventeen

A Council of Life

Being Fearless for Jake

MetroHealth Rising to the Challenge

A Meaningful Morning

Special Donors Saving Lives

A Donor Father's Dedication

Racing for the Lives of Others

One Hundred Episodes Young

Basking in Glory

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