Show Notes: Writing can be a powerful tool for expressing intense emotions, including grief. Whether it's through journaling, letters, or other forms of written communication, putting our thoughts and feelings into words can provide solace and support during the grieving process. In the context of organ and tissue donation, writing can play a significant role in facilitating communication between donor families and recipients. We honor hero, Cinnamon Jordan, in this episode.

Show Notes: Experiencing a health crisis is a daunting journey filled with uncertainties. Lisa Bradshaw personally encountered this challenge when she received a cancer diagnosis. She faced it once again while providing care for her husband, Wesley, during his illness and subsequent lung transplant. Lisa's invaluable knowledge and firsthand experience are now shared through the Take Good Care App and Podcast, aiming to assist others in making well-informed decisions and potentially improving their outcomes. Don't miss the opportunity to delve deeper into Lisa's story on episodes 134 and 157 of The Gifted Life Podcast. In this episode, Nila discusses the importance of establishing healthy boundaries during our mental health moment. Blade Wayne Hunt is honored as our hero in this episode.

Show Notes: Saving lives and educating the public about preventable deaths is part of our podcast’s mission. In this episode, we partner with our friends from the St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office and the Louisiana Office of Public Health to talk about gun safety. Chris Knoblauch and Kristen Sanderson join us in the studio to talk about practical preventative measures to keep firearms safe, and share two important links: besmartforkids.org/louisiana and projectchildsafe.org. In our mental health moment, we chat about the 4th leg in the 4-legged stool method for self care, and we honor hero Tony Medley.

Show Notes: How does a family make a decision about donation, when their loved one's wishes about being a donor are unknown? Our guest, Jessica Andrade, shares the details of her family's intense discussions about making the decision to donate, and how her younger brother was able to save the lives of 4 people and hundreds with his tissue, skin and valves. Hear this powerful story, and learn about how Jessica now advocates for donation discussions to honor her brother's gifts of life. We chat about another leg in the 4-legged stool self care model, physical activity. Learn about how it can support healthy habits and mental health. Our hero segment features Jessica honoring her brother and hero, Alphonso Weston.

Show Notes: In the second episode in our 2 part series, we continue our conversation about the world's first HIV+ heart transplant. Recipient, Miriam Nieves, who along with her husband, Julio, share the intimate details of her journey through her illness. Hear more about the transplant that made history and how it brought Miriam full circle with the opportunity to meet her donor's family. In our Mental Health Moment, we offer tips for balancing your to-do list. This episode's featured donor is Miriam's hero, Brittany Newton, who we honor with words from her sister.

Show Notes: In November of 2022, a groundbreaking HIV+ heart transplant was announced at Montefiore Medical Center. LOPA was the first OPO in the world to recover an HIV+ heart for transplant. The heart was recovered from a Louisiana donor hero, Brittany Newton, and transported to New York. In this first episode of a two part series, Dr. Omar Saeed, Cardiovascular Disease and Transplant Surgeon for heart recipient, Miriam Nieves, joins us to talk about how everything fell into place to save Miriam's life, and make transplantation history. In our Mental Health Moment, we offer tips for identifying your personal support system and then honor hero Christopher Bergeron.

Show Notes: We talk to donor mom, Reecie Gilmore, who turned her experience with the loss of her young son into a mission to help others. Learn about The RescYou Group, the mission, their community and the services offered to grieving families. In our mental health moment, we chat about how to maintain balance in your mental health journey by using the 4-legged stool method, and honor hero Kaisen Martinez.

Show Notes: We reconnect with previous guests on episodes 160 and 169, Mark and Lynn Scotch, whose chance meeting during a leisure trip to Louisiana, saved another man's life through the living kidney donor voucher program. You don't want to miss the updates to their remarkable saga and learn where The Organ Trail has taken this inspiring couple now. Then we chat about different stages of change, and honor hero Keith Savoie.

Show Notes: Have you considered giving the greatest gift, the gift of life? We are joined by authors and advocates, Elizabeth Crais, who's a kidney recipient, and Carol Offen, who has donated a kidney to her son. These two ladies have merged forces to help educate through their own life experiences with both kidney disease and living donation. In our mental health moment, we learn tips for being conscious of pausing to wonder, and how that wonder can improve both mental and physical health, and honor hero Alex Migliore.

Show Notes: A California prosecutor is using his personal story to encourage more people to register as marrow donors. Charlie Huang joins the podcast to talk about how his diagnosis led him to hope, healing and finally, advocacy. Learn about the new law he helped pass to make marrow donation as easy as registering as an organ, tissue and eye donor at California OMVs. In our mental health moment, learn what tools are essential to have in your own mental health toolbox. Plus, we honor hero Sawyer Ridgeway.