Recipient Stories

Organ, eye and tissue donations can have a lasting impact on transplant recipients and their loved ones. Hear real-life stories from individuals who have received lifesaving and life-enhancing transplants, thanks to the generosity of donors and their families.

Jason Talk

A second opinion and a kidney transplant gave Jason a new appreciation for life.

Jason Talk learned he was in end-stage renal failure when he went to the hospital with suddenly swollen legs. He started dialysis soon after that and later was told he was an unlikely fit for a kidney transplant due to complications with his veins.

Julie Filbeck

When Julie Filbeck cared for her first donor hero 18 years ago in the ICU, she never imagined that a donor could save her life, too. That all changed when a stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis came into her life in 2018.

The gift of tissue allowed Julie to return to her work as a nurse while caring for her three young children.

Jenna Mihalevich

For the first eight years, Jenna Mihalevich’s life consisted of feeding tubes, a major surgery and countless hospital stays.

Thanks to a donor hero, Jenna received a lifesaving small bowel transplant and her family has become passionate about organ donation because of the lifesaving impact it has had on them.

Read about donor families and the impact their loved ones made, or tell us about your own personal experience with organ donation.

Donor Stories Share Your Story

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