Let's Talk About Life

It sounds like the beginning of a joke: two guys walk in to a bar. However, the conversation that took place was no joke and forever changed the lives of Mark Scotch and Hugh Smith.

After talking about general topics like sports, politics, and the weather, Mark was surprised when Hugh got up to leave. Mark kidded him, saying it was still early enough in the day to enjoy another beer, but Hugh explained he needed to get home to begin a dialysis routine. Although Hugh never brought up living kidney donation, Mark thought that it was something he could do. As Mark began researching living donation, he was shocked to learn about the critical need for kidney transplants. He felt more could be done to raise awareness for this need, and he wanted to give an example of life after living donation. Listen as Mark shares his unique experience riding his bike on the Organ Trail.

In the darkest moments of crisis and trauma, Lifebanc Family Support Liaisons sit with families in their pain and offer the opportunity to leave a legacy of life. These interactions are intense and emotional and often create a bond between Lifebanc and the donor family.

Two women, Kelly Armstead-Dickerson (Lifebanc Family Support Specialist) and Jaylene Roberts (donor mom) discuss their experience when Jaylene's son became a donor hero at the age of 22 and when they met again months later.

We know thousands of Ohioans have registered their donation decision through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.The Ohio Donor Registry is managed by the state of Ohio through the BMVs and each agency ask citizens if they would like to give the gift of life. September is National BMV Appreciation month, and a time to thank our partners for helping to save lives.   

It is not an exaggeration to recognize the Bureau of Motor Vehicles as a vital partner in the mission of saving and healing lives along with Lifebanc. We do not take that for granted and thank all BMV staff members. 

But for one staff member, Jim Stinson s BMV field representative the mission became personal when he  became a living kidney donor to his brother, Jerry Stinson a kidney transplant recipient. The brothers shared their experience and why donation is something we all should consider.

Colleen Flynn Goss knows what a challenge looks like and has remarkably overcome many in her life time with style and grace.  Being a young woman in her teens, Colleen noticed her vision was changing and it was discovered that she had a disease that affected her eyesight. It use her significant visual impairment.  

Although her vision was deteriorating, Colleen didn't let that deter her from her education and became an attorney and is now an intellectual lawyer, advising domestic and international clients on all aspects of trademark law.

Colleen also went on to raise a family and was able to be there when her sister, Karen needed her the most.

End of Life advance directive and preplanning may be uncomfortable to think about or discuss. Although it may be a topic that is easier to avoid, making those decisions for yourself will help your loved ones at a time when they are in the midst of grief and a highly emotional period.

In tragic circumstances - your family is in the grips of making many end-of-life decisions and arrangements. The act of preplanning final arrangements and being a registered donor, you’ve given your loved ones the gift of peace of mind because they know your wishes.

Marva was a young women when she came to work at Lifebanc. Although she didn’t have a personal connection to the mission, she loved being part of saving lives. Little did she know that, many years later, her husband would be one of the lives saved by a donor hero when he received a heart transplant. 

Listen in as Deacon Kenneth and Marva Smith share their story about how Lifebanc’s mission became deeply personal for them.

A group of geniuses from the Lifebanc Quality Services department created a process called the Whiteboard Walk About to communicate how each department, and ultimately each staff member - plays a key role in the success of Lifebanc and how we are all connected.

Lifebanc, and all recovery agencies are highly regulated and to ensure that we not only know and follow regulatory procedures, the Lifebanc Quality Service departments provides training, spearheads projects, and overall supports Lifebanc staff so we meet and exceed the expectations of our mission. The Whiteboard project was created to engage and enlighten staff on their role and educate them on what other department teams are doing as well.

Do you know that 60% of those on the national waiting list are either, African Americans, Hisapanic/Latino, Asian Pacific Islanders or American Indian/Alaska Natives.  But these groups make up less 50% of those who receive transplants.  Also, these groups are less likely to register as OET donors.

Linda D. Kimble, Executive Director of Cleveland MOTTEP discusses this important issue and what is being done to save the lives of those on the waiting list.

No one could imagine how life would carry on when four teenagers from Brunswick, Ohio were killed in a car crash, a day before their high school graduation. Kevin Fox, one of the teens in the car, made the decision two years prior to the accident to be a registered donor. Kevin's sister, Colleen Fox talks about her brother and why they celebrate him and the lives he saved through organ donation at the Gift of Life Walk & Run each year.

For 35 years, Lifebanc has coordinate thousands of letters and cards sent to and from donor families and recipients wanting to connect. At the heart of this process is Mary LaRiccia, Bereavement Services Coordinator and Elissa Berman, Sr. Bereavement Services Counselor.  Listen as they discuss the many aspects of communicating and what it takes to connect families touched by donation or transplantation.