In Colorado, nearly 2,500 people are on the waiting list for a lifesaving transplant. Rod Clark was one of them. Back in 2011, the local law enforcement officer went to the doctor for what he thought was a lingering chest cold, but he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, or scarring of the lungs, a condition that could be fatal in three to five years.

Watch the video here.

There’s a famous quote from author Ralph Waldo Emerson that many advocates and people forever changed by organ and tissue donations often cite, which says, “The only gift is a portion of thyself.” The line, taken from Emerson’s 1844 essay “Gifts,” is a reminder that the best gifts don’t cost any money. Instead, one’s time, compassion and kindness – truly one’s “self” – is the ultimate act of love. For former Durango resident and Park Elementary School teacher Beth Brunso, who died in December 2016, and the woman who would go on to receive her lungs, and subsequently, a second chance at life, the sentiment becomes even more literal and meaningful.

Read the story here.

The former Denver Public Schools teacher will represent Colorado on the 15th annual Donate Life float in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., in January. The float aims to inspire others to save and heal lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. Leone and his kidneys travel to teach the science behind donations and transplants to students across the state. He made a stop at the Denver Center for International Studies Tuesday morning.

Watch the story.

By Donor Mother Kelli Jantz: Join me in raising awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation this holiday season. I lost my son when he was just 14 years old. Jake was my youngest and loved the things that many teenage boys do: sports, playing X-Box and hanging out with his friends and family. A football fanatic and member of his high school team, Jake would get up at 5:45 a.m., a full hour and fifteen minutes before the rest of his friends, to prepare for his football games.

Read the story here.

This week has been declared as recognition to organ donors through a proclamation by the governor. So what does being an organ donor really mean to people? It’s a little box to check when filling out for your driver’s license, but for some it’s a lifesaving little box. Ryea O’Neill at Donor Alliance told News 13, “About fifty-nine percent of Wyomingites have signed up and support organ, eye, and tissue donation. That places Wyoming ninth in the nation for that donor designation rate.”

Watch the video here.