November 2025 – Midwest Transplant Network

Be ALL In Spotlight: Meet Alex Alzate

November 24, 2025/in

Alex with her husband, Raul, and son, Leo. Photo courtesy of Alex Alzate.

Be ALL In Spotlight: Alex Alzate, Hospital Service Coordinator III

Meet Alex Alzate, a valued member of Midwest Transplant Network’s Hospital Services team since July 2022. Prior to joining MTN, Alex served as an organ procurement organization Hospital Services Coordinator at Jackson Memorial Hospital at the University of Miami Health System in Florida. She came to MTN ready for big challenges.

Life’s experiences influence conversations about organ donation

Beyond her professional experience in the OPO world, Alex brings a wealth of life experience. Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, Alex immigrated to the United States with her family as a child. Spending many years in Miami provided Alex with the opportunity to know and work with people from all parts of the world. She speaks fluent Spanish, Portuguese and English, and has traveled extensively throughout Europe, South America, Central America and North America.

In her role as an HSC III, Alex uses her vast experiences to provide support to larger donor-potential hospitals and is prepared to facilitate donation conversations with families in times of high donor volume or urgent situations. Her cultural knowledge enables her to foster trust with families from other cultures like her own. Alex commits many evenings and weekends to MTN community-focused projects like Telemundo KC’s annual health fair to help spread trust and information among Spanish-speaking communities in the metro.

Alex is married and has a busy 2-year-old son. When she’s not working, Alex and her family love to travel abroad, venture out to the many diverse Kanas City eateries and help with charities and efforts in the Hispanic community. Alex brings a bright smile, a big heart and positive attitude to all that she does. MTN is fortunate to have her as a member of Hospital Services.

We asked a few questions to learn more about Alex.

In simple terms, how do you explain what we do at Midwest Transplant Network?

We give life through organ donation by honoring the donor’s decision and/or family’s decision.

What would you say to someone who might be unsure about being an organ or tissue donor?

It is a beautiful gift for the person who receives the transplant, and for the family of the donor because it gives life and legacy.

How old were you when you moved from Colombia with your family?

Fourteen years old.

Do you have memories of growing up in Colombia? What are some of your most fond memories?

Just spending time with my large family – cousins, uncles, aunts and getting together with them.

What’s your favorite Colombian food?

My favorite are empanadas.

Where do you like to take visitors when they come to Kansas City?

I take visitors to Union Station and to Q39 for a taste of KC.

If you could learn one more language, what would it be and why?

I would learn French to be able to communicate with people in France whenever I travel there.

Submitted by Lisa Tebb, Hospital Services Coordinator III

Brandy & Sloane Burgess honoring donor hero Monroe Burgess

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Monroe Burgess

November 21, 2025/in

/by Mitch Weber

As Brandy and Sloane move forward, they are exploring the idea of creating a nonprofit in Monroe’s name.

Midwest Transplant Network is proud to share November’s Story of Hope, honoring the life, spirit and generosity of Monroe Burgess. Those who knew Monroe describe him as smart, caring and charismatic, with a deep love of science and a strong work ethic. His passion for organ, eye and tissue donation shaped both his career and the way he approached the world.

Monroe met his wife, Brandy, while he worked at Midwest Transplant Network. Early in their relationship, one quality stood out. “He would say, ‘They’re having a worse day than I am, and I need to meet that family where they are. If it means that I have to pause what I’m doing, then that’s what I have to do.’” Brandy said. That mindset guided him throughout his career and became a defining part of the way he lived his life.

At home, Monroe was devoted to his family. He encouraged his daughter Sloane’s love of dancing and singing, and took time to teach her practical skills, like how to fish and how to back a car into the driveway. He wanted her to be well rounded and to chase her dreams with confidence. For her friends, he was the dad everyone admired and gravitated toward.

Professionally, Monroe worked in nearly every part of the donation process, bringing his passion and skills to direct service, laboratory work and logistics. His dedication grew into a shared mission when he and Brandy helped establish a birth tissue and cord blood program. The program expanded opportunities for donation and reflected Monroe’s belief that giving back can take many forms.

“He loved being a guy from Kansas City that nobody knows about,” Brandy said. “And he changed the course of somebody’s life.” That sense of humility and purpose defined his work. It also appeared in small but meaningful acts of kindness. Brandy shared how he would occasionally give a$100 bill to a family in a store during the holidays. He never wanted recognition. He simply loved the chance to brighten someone’s day.

Monroe’s legacy of generosity continued through his final act of service. He donated his corneas for transplant, offering sight and renewed hope to others. He also donated his brain for research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a contribution that may help advance understanding and improve care in the years ahead.

As Brandy and Sloane move forward, they are exploring the idea of creating a nonprofit in Monroe’s name. They hope to continue the work he cared about and ensure his impact carries on through new opportunities to help others.

Veterans Day Spotlight: MTN’s Matt Giangrosso

November 11, 2025/in

/by Mitch Weber

“It’s a sense of pride. Wearing the uniform is an honor, and Veterans Day is about reflecting on that,” says Matt Giangrosso.

When you meet Midwest Transplant Network System Support Analyst II Matt Giangrosso, one of the first things you notice is his calm focus. It’s a quality that’s served him well across very different worlds, from maintaining the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber at Whiteman Air Force Base to troubleshooting computer systems that keep MTN connected every day.

Originally from Alabama, Matt joined the U.S. Air Force at 20 years old. He completed basic training in San Antonio, then tech school in Wichita Falls, Texas, where he trained in electrical and environmental systems for aircraft. His first assignment brought him to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, where he spent several years working on one of the most advanced aircraft in the world.

“Working on the B-2 was a cool experience,” Matt said. “It was full of new challenges, and learning how to troubleshoot those complex systems really shaped how I think. That process of breaking down problems and finding solutions has carried over perfectly into my work in IT.”

After leaving active duty in 2019, Matt transitioned to civilian life but not away from service. He continues to serve part time in the Missouri Air National Guard, maintaining aircraft and staying current with specialized training. His schedule includes monthly drills and annual training, balancing his commitment to the Guard with his full-time role at MTN.

Matt’s passion for technology actually began during his military years, when he decided to build his first computer from scratch. “It was nerve-wracking,” he said, laughing. “You’re dealing with these delicate, expensive parts, and I remember it took me 20 minutes just to get the courage to clamp the CPU into place. But when everything powered on for the first time, it was worth it.”

Today, that same curiosity drives his work supporting MTN’s staff with technical systems and devices. “Our IT team is great,” Matt said. “We learn from each other, stay current on new tech and figure out how we can keep improving things here to help MTN.”

This summer, Matt’s service took him to Washington, D.C., where he represented the Air National Guard at a Fourth of July celebration on the White House South Lawn. “It was an amazing experience,” he said. “You see the history and the pride everywhere. It was an honor to be part of it.”

When asked what Veterans Day means to him, Matt answered, “It’s a sense of pride. Wearing the uniform is an honor, and Veterans Day is about reflecting on that, on the people who served before us and what they sacrificed for the freedoms we have today.”

Matt’s life has come full circle in more ways than one. He once considered a career in nursing before choosing the Air Force, and now he works in support of MTN’s mission to save lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. His wife, a nurse in the NICU at Truman Medical Center, shares that same calling to care for others.

From aircraft to IT systems, from Alabama to Kansas City, Matt continues to serve quietly and faithfully wherever he’s needed most.

Everyday Heroes: How One Cornea Gift Changed Matt’s World

November 4, 2025/in

/by Midwest Transplant Network

For Matt, a cornea transplant meant the difference between fading vision and a world brought back into focus.

November is Eye Donation Month, a time to recognize the everyday heroes who make restored sight possible —donors and their families, eye bankers, corneal surgeons, champions of eye donation and all who work to bring the gift of sight to life. This year’s theme from the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) is “Everyday Heroes.” It celebrates how nearly anyone can be a cornea donor and therefore a superhero by giving the gift of sight.

At Saving Sight, we see every day how donors, medical teams, and advocates come together to change lives. Matt’s story is just one example of the profound difference these everyday heroes make.

For Matt, a cornea transplant meant the difference between fading vision and a world brought back into focus.

“I didn’t know how much a single tissue could impact someone’s life until I was faced with losing my sight,” Matt said. “It’s incredible that two people have now given me this chance to live fully.”

Matt’s journey began unexpectedly after a seemingly minor ear infection ruptured as he slept. Discharge from his ruptured eardrum, combined with dirt beneath his contact lens, led to a rare fungal infection, causing severe vision impairment.

After numerous treatments that didn’t work, Matt was referred to an ophthalmologist at the University of Kansas Health System.

“I learned about Saving Sight and a little about what could happen, and we talked about possibly looking for a donor,” Matt recalled.

Tests revealed the infection was advancing rapidly, and Matt was informed that he would need a cornea transplant to preserve any hope of sight.

“They were concerned I could lose 100% of my eyesight, and I needed a transplant ASAP,” he said.

Matt’s experience with transplants started years earlier when he received a life-saving kidney from a living donor. That experience helped him understand the power of donation, but it wasn’t until facing potential blindness that he fully appreciated how even a single tissue gift can change a life.

“I am forever grateful,” Matt

said. “Someone selflessly gave me the gift of sight, and it’s overwhelming. What did I do to deserve such love and compassion?”

The impact of his donor’s gift goes beyond restored vision, it’s a testament to human kindness and the power of eye, organ, and tissue donation. Matt hopes to honor his donor’s legacy by sharing his story and inspiring others to become registered donors.

“You might be able to save someone’s life or change their world just by checking that box on your license,” he said. “It’s a chance to help someone in a way that goes far beyond what we can understand.”

Since 1961, Saving Sight and our fellow eye banks have facilitated more than two million sight-restoring corneal transplants, each one made possible by the selfless choice of a donor and their family. Eye Donation Month is our opportunity to honor these gifts, highlight their impact, and encourage others to consider joining this life-changing movement.

This November, you can be an everyday hero too:

· Register as an eye, organ, and tissue donor.

· Share your decision with loved ones so your wishes are known.

· Support the mission by helping raise awareness about donation.

Matt’s story reminds us that a single act of generosity can transform a life forever. Through the gift of sight, donors give recipients more than vision, they give hope, independence, and the ability to fully experience the world around them.

This blog was written by Saving Sight. Thank you for your contribution.