Community Engagement – Midwest Transplant Network

Why I Walk: We Walk to Honor Our Hero

May 20, 2025/in

Excerpt: Brayden Becerra was well known and loved for many reasons. His greatest gift in life and beyond was being a giver.

Brayden “Chewey” Becerra came from a large family. He had a great smile, a sense of humor and made a tremendous impact on his relatives and friends.

You could see the difference he made to others throughout his life. When he passed in September 2024, more than 1,000 people paid their respects during his honor walk and funeral service.

First Donate Life Legacy Walk

“We are walking at the MTN Donate Life Legacy Walk to create awareness about how important it is to donate your organs and save the lives of others,” said Brayden’s mother, Stephanie Becerra. “God gave us the opportunity to help others and extend their lives.”

Stephanie says her family prays the donor recipient is doing well. “We hope the organ recipient’s family can avoid the pain of losing a loved one with Brayden’s gifts.”

An Immense Pride

The family is proud that Brayden was a registered organ, eye and tissue donor. He joined the registry when he got his driver’s license at 16. “It was 100% his decision,” said Stephanie. “He was a true giver even at that young age.”

Brayden was very close to his siblings Zach and Breanna. “He was a great person and always so giving,” Breanna said. “He took great care of his body and was able to donate six organs.”

What is one thing Brayden’s family wants people to know? “It’s never too late to become a registered organ, eye and tissue donor,” said Stephanie. “He was a donor hero, and this is the kind of man his family and friends will remember him being.”

Donate Life Legacy Walk is June 7

Midwest Transplant Network invites you to join us for our annual Donate Life Legacy Walk on June 7, from 6-9 p.m. This free community event features a live concert, food trucks with items for purchase, our Tribute Trail honoring donor heroes and transplant warriors, and the opportunity for those impacted by organ, eye and tissue donation to gather together at the National WWI Museum and Memorial. Come celebrate the gift of life while helping raise awareness about the importance of registering as organ, eye and tissue donors.

The Donate Life Legacy Walk does not include a formal, timed walking event. Participants are encouraged to walk the Tribute Trail at their leisure. A path is lined with Tribute Trail signs, giving donor and recipient families the opportunity to stroll the site in celebration and remembrance.

Register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/MO/KansasCity/MTNLegacyWalk

Virtual Efforts Provide Hope During Donate Life Month

May 1, 2020/in

Community Engagement

/by Midwest Transplant Network

Reflecting on National Donate Life Month (NDLM), we are grateful to our hospital partners, community supporters, volunteer Ambassadors, staff members, board members and beyond for finding creative ways to celebrate. Throughout April, donation advocates across our service area spread the word about organ, eye and tissue donation.

Some of our staff members planted flowering dogwood saplings in their yards. These enduring, symbolic trees will grow stronger and blossom with life year after year.

Other staff members took NDLM goody bags to hospitals while adhering to social distancing guidelines. They delivered NDLM posters to help educate patients and staff about donation, along with treats for hospital staff, including hand sanitizer, green ribbon pins, badge pulls and more.

We heard from donor and recipient families during National Pediatric Transplant Awareness Week (April 19 – 25). If you missed their inspiring, heartfelt stories, check out our Facebook or Instagram pages.

Ambassadors and Green Ribbon Champions told us why they support donation in recorded videos. They encouraged viewers on our social media platforms to become registered donors.

Families decorated their sidewalks and storm doors with donation-related messages and designs, bringing visual attention to the cause all around our service area.

Thank you to everyone near and far who found ways to honor donor heroes and celebrate the gift of donation. We appreciate all the videos, social media posts, artwork and socially distanced visits that helped promote organ, eye and tissue donation.

Looking ahead, we plan to use the momentum we feel from NDLM to connect with everyone virtually for our fourth annual Donate Life Legacy Walk. Since it won’t be held in person, the walk will look different this year — yet we know the same thought-provoking, inspiring stories will arise as we all take time to honor the gift of life.

Celebrating the Gift of Life in the Era of COVID-19

April 7, 2020/in

Community Engagement

/by Midwest Transplant Network

This year’s National Donate Life Month (NDLM) looks different from those in the past. Donor remembrance ceremonies are postponed, office decorating parties are canceled and everyone’s thoughts are largely consumed by the novel coronavirus.

But just because most people in our donor service area will spend all of April living under shelter-in-place orders doesn’t mean we don’t all have cause for celebration. We all can honor and remember those who have given the gift of life through organ, eye, and tissue donation and educate people on the importance of donation. We can — and should — use this time to give hope and share life in support of the 112,000 people currently awaiting a lifesaving organ transplant and countless others who could benefit from a tissue transplant.

Here are some ways to participate in NDLM from home:

Join the organ, eye and tissue donor registry if you have not already done so at ShareLifeMidwest.com.
Share your donation decision with your family and ask about their wishes.
Tell your friends about the importance of joining the organ, eye, and tissue donor registry over the phone or on a video call, and encourage them to pass the message on to their social circles.
Share or comment on MTN’s social media posts. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Draft your own social media posts and use graphics from MTN’s NDLM toolkit. Don’t forget to tag Midwest Transplant Network and use #GiveHopeShareLife.
Update your Facebook profile picture with a National Donate Life Month frame.
Deck your family out in blue and green in support of donation, then take a photo and participate in Donate Life America’s Facebook photo contest.
Snap a selfie while wearing blue and green on National Donate Life Blue & Green Day (Friday, April 17), then post it to your social media channels and talk about the significance of the day. Use #GiveHopeShareLife and tag Midwest Transplant Network so we can “like” and share your posts.
Record a short video explaining what donation means to you and why it’s important. Upload it to your social media accounts, tagging Midwest Transplant Network and using #GiveHopeShareLife so we can see your creativity at work.
Draw or design a picture of a green ribbon, then hang it in a window or door of your house for neighbors to see as they walk by. Tell them what the green ribbon signifies when they ask (from a safe social distance), then ask them to involve their kids and create their own pictures.
Be creative and color green ribbons and “Give hope. Share life.” messages with chalk on your sidewalk or driveway. Don’t forget to take a picture of your creation, share it on social media, tag Midwest Transplant Network and use #GiveHopeShareLife.
Thank clinicians and others who impacted you or your loved one during the donation process. Whether it’s a nurse, social worker, physician or janitorial staff member, people will appreciate knowing the impact they made in your life or your loved one’s.

No matter how you celebrate, we hope you take time to remember the many donor heroes who have given the gift of life to grateful recipients in our community and beyond. Happy NDLM!