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.

Nicholas Bean Sr

Before getting married, Nicholas had a routine physical that showed his kidneys were failing. His wife, Kimberli, was able to give him the best gift of all — the gift of life.

In 2006, Nicholas Bean Sr and Kimberli Bean reached milestones like those of many other young couples: They got married, bought a house and purchased a car. Before their wedding, Nicholas had a routine physical for the first time in years. Labs revealed Nicholas’ kidneys were failing and he needed a transplant.

Olivia Eisenhauer

An otherwise normal teenager, Olivia was diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy and learned she would need a heart transplant. She can never thank her donor enough.

Olivia Eisenhauer was an ordinary, active teenager. That all changed the day she collapsed between volleyball matches and was unconscious and without a heartbeat for several minutes. Miraculously, Olivia survived — yet she and her family did not know what caused her sudden cardiac arrest. Eventually, she was diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy and learned she would need a heart transplant.

Margaret Gorrell

Baby Margaret desperately needed a transplant for her enlarged heart. After five months in the ICU, the call finally came that Margaret would receive a new heart.

In early 2017, Kristen Gorrell suffered cardiac arrest during the middle of the night. Her husband, Bryce, performed lifesaving CPR. Soon afterward, Bryce and Kristen’s previously healthy baby, Margaret, fell ill. Doctors could not determine what was wrong. Soon, Margaret was so sick that Kristen and Bryce admitted her to the hospital, where she received a chest X-ray revealing her enlarged heart. With a resting heart rate of 200 beats per minute, she desperately needed a transplant.

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

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