It’s Nurses Appreciation Week! 

As we celebrate Nurses Week, it’s paramount to reflect on the profound impact nurses have made. Especially during the challenges of the past years. In the midst of uncertainty, nurses, including transplant nurses, have been unwavering beacons of compassion. They’re often the solitary faces of comfort in hospitals when we need it most. Their dedication knows no bounds, working arduous 12-hour shifts and shouldering tasks that may seem insurmountable to many. From the frontlines of patient care in hospitals to the vital role they play in preventive healthcare within doctors’ offices, nurses epitomize the essence of selflessness and care.

Showing Support for Transplant Nurses & Donor Caregivers

Moreover, let’s acknowledge the invaluable contribution of nurses in the organ donation process. From local nurses providing crucial support to families navigating the complexities of donation to those on Donor Resource teams, their expertise ensures that the gift of life through organ and tissue donation becomes a reality. Without their tireless efforts, the journey from donor to recipient would not be possible.

At the heart of this collective effort is collaboration. This is between healthcare professionals, organizations like ours, and the community. It’s a shared mission to save lives, and nurses are at its core. One of our hospital donation consultants aptly encapsulates the sentiment, recognizing ICU nurses for their intelligence, diligence, and unwavering compassion, particularly amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“ICU nurses are smart, hardworking, and wonderful individuals. I appreciate the way they care for their patients and the families of the patients. Their ongoing compassion continues to inspire me as they have weathered the COVID pandemic.”

To all nurses, including those within our own Donor Alliance clinical staff, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for honoring the gift of life each day.

Let’s also extend our appreciation to the unsung heroes—the caregivers. They provide steadfast support to transplant recipients and living donors. They offer solace, advocacy, and love throughout the journey of transplantation. Their strength in times of uncertainty is a testament to the power of compassion and caregiving.

Reflecting on the many ways we’ve been cared for throughout our lives—be it by educators, nurses, mothers, or caregivers—let’s take a moment this month to express gratitude for their invaluable contributions.

How You Can Give the Gift of Life Too

In honoring Nurses Week, we invite you to consider how you too can give the gift of life. Through organ, eye, and tissue donation, you have the opportunity to impact lives in a profound and lasting way. Embracing the decision to donate is a testament to the ethos of caregivers everywhere—to care for life selflessly and unconditionally.

As we celebrate and express gratitude for nurses and caregivers alike, let’s remember that the essence of their work lies in caring for life. It’s a gift that transcends boundaries and transforms futures.

Register in Wyoming   Register in Colorado

A weekly gathering of harmonica players is more than just music for Dean Hutto. It’s a reminder he was given a second chance at life. 

The 2024 Wyoming Donor Dash honored heroic organ and tissue donors and their families, celebrated the lives of transplant recipients, and recognized those who continue to wait for a lifesaving and healing transplant. Currently, nearly 150 Wyomingites are waiting for an organ transplant and thousands more are in need of a tissue transplant, which provides hope to those suffering from injury, disease, trauma or blindness.

On Saturday, April 20, Donor Alliance, the nonprofit organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation for transplantation in most of Wyoming and Colorado, hosted its annual Wyoming Donor Dash with 380 Wyomingites at the Tate Pumphouse.

Donor Alliance advocate volunteer Cary Galvin shares her brother’s story with the Casper Star-Tribune on Donor Remembrance Day. Her younger brother, Michael, passed away in 2016 after suffering a brain aneurysm. During this dark time, there was one bright spot. Michael was able to save five lives with the donation of his lungs, heart, and kidneys.

Donors are being honored during the month of April along with their families for National Donate Life Month. On Friday, these donors were acknowledged with a Donate Life Flag Ceremony.

April is National Donate Life Month — a chance to honor and remember those who gave the ultimate gift, while raising awareness about organ and tissue donation. Kristen Adcock lost her middle son, Connor, in October of 2017. Connor would be turning 26 years old this year.

In a vibrant display, buildings across cities and towns in Colorado and Wyoming are lighting up iconic locations with hues of blue and green. So, what’s the story behind it?

Right now, in Wyoming, more than 100 people are waiting and hoping for a life-saving organ transplant. And amid National Donate Life Month, residents across the state and country are being encouraged to boost those hopes by registering as an organ donor.

Donor Alliance and its advocate volunteer, Tony Young who is a heart and kidney recipient, appeared on 9NEWS in the 4pm newscast to raise awareness for National Donate Life Month. Donor Alliance encourages people to order a free #ShineALight kit this month to highlight the need at DonateLifeColorado.org.

Since 2003, Donor Alliance and the nation have been observing April as National Donate Life Month to raise awareness about the importance of registering as an organ, eye, and tissue donor.

A horrific crash in Wisconsin 25 years ago took the life of a 16-year-old boy, who then saved and extended the life of a Casper woman with his donated kidney. How she got her borrowed time from the boy still brings tears to her eyes.