News and Media Relations
From a Life, a New Life is Drawn – The Daily Sentinel – Grand Junction, CO
Tanner Denton was on vacation with his family in Hawaii in 2016 when he went on an organ donation kick. There was not much of a sequitur to the conversation, according mother Allison McKissen. Her son — a 23-year-old Colorado Mesa University student and avid baseball fan — started asking all his relatives whether they were organ donors, asking even to see their driver's licenses. "He was talking to everyone about it," McKissen said. A few weeks later, when Tanner was fatally injured in a wreck on Redlands Parkway, his mother remembered his words.
St. Mary’s Raises Donate Life Flag To Honor Organ Donors – KREX 5 – Grand Junction, CO
Organ donation can save countless lives here and across the country. April is National Donate Life Month and St. Mary's takes part in raising awareness for these selfless acts. St. Mary's Medical Center and Donor Alliance are raising a Donate Life flag as a reminder of how important organ donations, like in the case of Tanner Denton, can be for many people. Wednesday afternoon, dozens gathered to pay tribute to Denton and how his organ donation saved 2 lives and impacted up to 70 lives through tissue donation.
Find hearts for organ donation – Cody Enterprise – Cody, WY
A local woman with firsthand knowledge of the benefits of organ donation is getting local businesses involved in an effort to raise awareness. Patricia Thomas recently handed out cork hearts to more than a dozen area businesses. People who go into a business that has a heart will have the chance to take a picture with the heart and posted it on social media with the hashtag #ShowYourHeart.
April is National Donate Life Month – Fox 31 – Denver, CO
April is National Donate Life Month. It’s a time to raise awareness about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. That’s something Justin Wilson’s family knows about. The IndyCar driver and Colorado resident died in a freak accident in 2015 during a race at Pocono Raceway. A piece of debris from a crash ahead flew back and hit his head. He later died. It was a devastating time for his younger brother, Stefan, who is also an IndyCar driver. But he is proud knowing that his brother was an organ donor who saved five lives. “Just the fact that those five families have got someone here with them today because of a decision that Justin made is pretty impactful,” Stefan said.
Phillips County rises above the rest – Holyoke Enterprises – Holyoke, CO
April is National Donate Life Month, a time to encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. Locally, it seems that past encouragement must have worked, because the Holyoke Driver License Office, located in the Phillips County Clerk and Recorder Office, has been recognized for the highest donor designation rate for offices of its size (those processing fewer than 1,500 documents last year).
Donate Life Month – KREX 5 – Grand Junction, CO
If you're in Colorado, you may come across a symbol of love. "There's people throughout the state going around and putting little hearts," said Diane Eckert, who's brother was an organ donor. For Eckert, these hearts represent much more than that. "We are hopefully inspiring others to get their little red hearts on their drivers licenses," said Eckert. Eckert saw first hand just how big of an impact organ donation can bring, when she lost her brother Cody in a car accident in May of 2013.
WMC Nurse Saved by Transplant – Oil City News – Casper, WY
Morgan Swingholm doesn’t remember the hours leading up to her kidney transplant. She does, however, vividly remember the moments just before the operation. “I remember crying as they pulled me into surgery, it kind of hit me,” said Swingholm. “It was very overwhelming.”
Swingholm, 25, was diagnosed with the painful autoimmune disease Lupus just after high school. While on medication to control the disease she continued her life as normal, pursuing a nursing degree at Casper College and working as an CNA at the Wyoming Medical Center.
Donate Life hides hearts around local park for organ donation awareness – KKCO 11 – Grand Junction, CO
You may see some hearts around Lincoln Park and Suplizio Field Friday. They’re part of Donate Life's campaign to raise awareness about organ donation. Donate Life, along with some volunteers, hid about 50 hearts around the park. One volunteer was Diane Eckert. Her brother died in a car crash about five years ago. He was able to save five people with his organ and tissue donations.
National Donate Life Month 2018 – KREX 5 – Grand Junction, CO
Donor Alliance's John Romero stopped by the KREX 5 studio to talk about organ, eye, and tissue donation, and to share his personal story as a kidney recipient.
Show Your Heart – Donate Life Colorado – Front Range Focus – Denver, CO
Lori Lynn Barker talks with Andrea Smith and Randy Schrantz with Donor Alliance. Hear the story of Juniper, 4 year old heart recipient.
Hidden hearts have special message for National Donate Life Month – Fox 31 – Denver, CO
If you happen to find a hidden heart in the next month, it's a reminder that April is National Donate Life Month. Currently, more than 116,000 people are on a waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant. The Donor Alliance hopes the hearts -- hidden all around the metro area -- help persuade more people to talk about organ donation and eventually sign up to be donors. One of those hiding hearts outside a library in Aurora was four-year-old Juniper Gelrod and her grandfather, Randy Schrantz.
April is National Donate Life Month and you can help save a life – ABC 7 – Denver, CO
April is National Donate Life Month. A time to bring awareness to those waiting for a transplant and to honor those who have given the Gift of Life. Donor Alliance's Andrea Smith and Advocate Stephanie Carlson Kelly joined ABC 7's Eric Lupher to share how you can #ShowYourHeart for National Donate Life Month.