Every night, Tony lights two candles. Each represents a gift – one for the heart beating in his chest, and one for the kidneys filtering his blood. The ritual honors the stranger who saved his life. Recently, Tony, an Advocate for Life and heart & kidney transplant recipient, was honored to represent our region on the Donate Life Float in the 2022 Rose Bowl Parade. Read Tony’s inspiring story below.
Earlier this week, UCHealth announced Tom Gronow, Donor Alliance Board Chair, as the President and CEO of University of Colorado Hospital. Read the full release here.
Meet Hayley of Sheridan, Wyoming. Hayley not only celebrates the holidays, she also celebrates her second chance at life on her kidney-versary, because organ donation is the ultimate gift. Read her full story here.
The 22nd annual Donor Dash is Sunday, July 18th. This year’s 5K run will be virtual, so gather your team and clock the miles in your neighborhood, a nearby park, or on the treadmill. The run is designed to celebrate eye, tissue, and organ donation.
Filling out a yes on your driver’s license might seem like a small thing, but to over 100-thousand people, it could mean life. “I have nothing to lose by getting his story out there, but I have everything to gain, a new kidney for my son,” said Jodi Palmer, Brisen’s Mother.
Coloradans are known for being a generous bunch, and the latest numbers from Donor Alliance only back that up. Sixty-eight percent of Coloradans have signed up to donate organs upon death, the highest number in the entire country, per Donor Alliance.
Donor Alliance says last year was a record breaking year. 622 lives were saved in Colorado and Wyoming because of organ and tissue donation and Tony of Parker, CO, was one of those people who received a lifesaving transplant.
It was breezy and partly sunny Saturday as people from across the region turned out for the annual Wyoming Donor Dash 5K at the Tate Pumphouse. The event was a celebration of those who choose to donate organs and tissues after death.
Mark Holder is a Laramie resident and Lucy Williamson is a Cheyenne resident. Through Donor Alliance’s Advocate for Life volunteer program, and the group sharing recipes during the holidays, Williamson noticed a Hawaiian fudge recipe that was all too familiar.
National Donor Day is observed every year on the same day as Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. Though Valentine’s Day and National Donor Day have already passed, the need for organ donors remains. In Wyoming alone, there are nearly 150 people awaiting a life-saving donation.
