Let's Talk Hope

One of the most challenging parts of the donation process is the wait for a transplant. Laura Barajas reflects on receiving her brother’s kidney, and what her current wait is like. Plus, former United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) public relations director Lisa Schaffner explains how the national waiting list operates.  

Talking to kids about organ and tissue donation can be tough. When Marissa Marton’s son Andrew got his driver’s license at 16, he knew he wanted to be a donor. But he passed away before the family could talk about ​his decision.

Marissa talks about the right age to have that conversation with your children. And we speak to Sara Miller, President and Founder of Student Organ Donation Advocates (SODA) and Samantha Newman, SODA Chapter Lead at the University of Illinois about the power that our youth can have on influencing the conversation about donation explain how they created the Student Organ Donation Advocates organization.

Gift of Hope’s new CEO, Dr. Harry Wilkins, III, discusses the basics of organ and tissue donation and shares his vision for the organization. We also talk with Heather Runyan, a donor wife, who shares the story of her husband Dan and how he was able to bring hope to more than 200 people by the gift of tissue donation.

Stay tuned for the launch on April 22nd!