The Gifted Life: Organ, Tissue and Eye Donation Podcast

Show Notes: In this powerful episode, we sit down with Todd and Carrie Hensel. Todd underwent a two day surgery which included a seven-organ transplant, during which he died five times. Fate had other plans and organ donation gave Todd a second chance at life. Now, Todd and Carrie live on a peaceful ranch and we discuss their newly released book, “My Miracle Man – The Deaths and Life of a Seven-Organ Transplant Recipient”, written by Carrie. The book highlights Todd’s incredible story and the profound impact of love, faith, and resilience. In our Mental Health Moment we get curious about curiosity and then we honor a donor hero, Elleanor Bergeron.

Show Notes: In September of 2024, 4 women kidney donors, over 4 days, biked 444 miles to promote living organ donation. We’re excited to have Diane Mills, one of the four women behind the event, join us to share the story of how it all began and the incredible success it achieved. She’ll talk about the supportive people they encountered along the journey and how they were able to demonstrate that living donors can lead active, fulfilling lives after donation. In our Mental Health Moment, we explore the question: Are you in control? We’ll share tips on how to ease the need to control outcomes and we honor donor hero Adah McCurley.

Show Notes: On this episode, we welcome Deputy Kim Bergeron of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, an extraordinary individual who serves, protects and saves lives. Deputy Bergeron shares her inspiring story as a living kidney donor to her high school friend, and her recent experience as a stem cell donor. Discover her journey and the profound impact of giving the gift of life through living donation. In our Mental Health Moment, we offer tips finding a place of forgiveness and then, honor hero Mason Kiley.

Show Notes: We welcome Angie Mikkelson, a heart transplant recipient who’s galloping into her second chance at life. Angie shares her incredible journey from living with a lifelong heart defect to receiving the lifesaving gift of a heart at 25 years old. She shares how the generosity of her donor hero inspired her to push the boundaries of endurance, leading her to embrace an active lifestyle filled with horseback riding and running. In our Mental Health Moment, we explore the topic of “what ifs.” Hear practical tips for turning those “what ifs” into a source of motivation. And then, we honor hero Sean Smith.

Show Notes: In this episode, we explore the journey of living with kidney disease. We talk to Pesh Patel, who has transformed a life altering diagnosis into his mission. Pesh shares his personal story and how he founded A Kidney Life, which includes a podcast, Talk Kidney to Me. This podcast is dedicated to raising awareness for those living with kidney disease and it’s a resource for kidney disease warriors and their families. During our Mental Health Moment, we discuss how to build healthy habits that can make a big impact on your life and we pay tribute to a donor hero, Van Drounett, Jr.

Show Notes: Dr. Satish Nadig with Northwestern Medicine and kidney transplant recipient, John Nicholas, join us to share details about a medical breakthrough in kidney transplantation. The AWAKE Kidney Program (Accelerated Surgery Without General Anesthesia in Kidney Transplantation) is a new approach in kidney transplantation, and in John's case, the 28-year-old was discharged less than 24 hours after surgery and continues to do well. We learn how the process was developed and how it could make kidney recipients' surgical recovery more manageable. In our Mental Health Moment, we discuss how to thoughtfully evaluate emotions and then honor donor hero, Christine McKey.

Show Notes: We welcome Casana Fink, an advocate for organ and tissue donation, nonprofit founder, entrepreneur, author, Miss Tampa and at the release of this episode, the current Miss Florida, who will be competing in the Miss America competition next year. As the daughter of a liver recipient, Casana has dedicated over a decade to educate others about the importance of organ and tissue donation. At just 14 years old, she founded her nonprofit, Give to Live, which has served as a powerful platform to raise awareness. As Miss Florida, Casana is expanding her impact even further, using her platform to continue advocating for lifesaving organ and tissue donation. In our Mental Health Moment, we discuss tips for embracing change to move forward and then honor hero Kristian Darden.

Show Notes: In this community partnership episode, we dive into the topic of school safety and gain important insights from Louisiana Center for Safe Schools Director, Trevis Thompson. Trevis explores the strategies, practices and programs that support school communities and their safety partners. Learn how communities can use these programs to ensure every student has the opportunity to learn and grow in a secure setting. Then in our Mental Health Moment we discuss tips for supporting the unique ways each person grieves and then, honor donor hero Kimberly Hawkins.

Show Notes: Join us for an inspiring episode as we chat with nurse Lori Vaughn and teen Lauren Swanson. Lauren’s battle with a rare disease led to her needing a kidney transplant. One day, Lori stumbled upon a social media plea for a living donor for Lauren. Even though she had no direct connection to Lauren, Lori felt led to see if she was a match. Hear all about how their incredible story of altruistic living kidney donation unfolded. Plus, we honor donor hero Wayne Gary.

Show Notes: We are getting you ready for the 2024 Transplant Games of America and TGA's inaugural Film Festival in Birmingham by welcoming previous guests Bill Ryan and Robert Horsey. Bill is President and CEO of the Transplant Games of America, and Robert is the Writer and Executive Producer of Gifted: The Docuseries. They catch us up by sharing their connections to the donation and transplantation community, and give us a sneak peek of the new TGA Film Festival event. In our Mental Health Moment, we HALT. Learn what the acronym stands for, and how to use it everyday to declare and acknowledge how you are feeling. Then, we honor donor hero, Keith Sonnier.