August is National Multiethnic Donor Awareness Month, a collaborative initiative to save and improve the quality of life of diverse communities by creating a positive culture for organ, eye and tissue donation.

Midwest Transplant Network will recognize and support National Multiethnic Donor Awareness Month with original content featuring voices who represent diversity and the mission to give hope and share life. We hope you enjoy the perspectives of our friends!

Meet Ashley Woodin

Ashley Woodin is a Laboratory Support Coordinator and joined Midwest Transplant Network in October 2016 – one day after her birthday. She is a mom, a cyclist and enjoys new experiences. On any given day at MTN, you’ll see Ashley on her way to the outpatient lab, full of energy and always with a smile to help care for a person who is waiting for a transplant and needs a lab test.

What’s your career experience in health care?

Before I worked at MTN, I worked at North Kansas City Hospital as a cardiology technician. I saved two lives by noticing heart rhythm patterns from patient Holter monitors.

Where’d you go to college?

I have a Bachelor of Arts in biology and a master’s in healthcare administration, both from Park University.

Who is the first person you met in college? Are you still friends?

Serena Franklin. We’ve been friends for 15 years. She’s my best friend, and she works at MTN. She’s worked here for five years. When we’re at work, we are focused on work, but we are best friends.

You’ve been invited to career day at a middle school. How would you explain your job to the students?

Organ transplantation is like giving someone a special gift – an organ, like a heart or kidney – that helps their body work better. Donation is when someone decides to give their organs after they pass away to help others live longer and healthier lives. It’s a bit like being a superhero by saving lives even after you’re gone. Midwest Transplant Network is like a group of real-life heroes. We work to make sure organs from generous donors get safely to people who need them. It’s like a team of helpers ensuring that the gift of life reaches those who need it most.

How has working in this field influenced your perspective? What does organ donation mean to you?

As a Laboratory Support Coordinator, I support the transplant process and impact patient care and organ matching. My responsibilities include assisting with phlebotomy, managing lab supplies, and ensuring timely and accurate blood draws, collaborating with hospital coordinators, communicating with lab staff for urgent testing needs and more.

Working in this field has given me a unique perspective on the critical need for organ donations, the impact on recipients’ lives, and challenges within the healthcare system. It also gives insight into ethical considerations like equitable organ allocation, consent, and the balance between saving lives and respecting donor wishes. Also, the emotional aspect of organ donation. It’s a process that involves both the joy of saving lives and the grief associated with loss, creating a complex mix of emotions for both healthcare professionals and families involved.

Organ donation is a powerful means of giving someone a second chance at life. It’s a sense of fulfillment and purpose knowing that my work contributes to saving lives and improving the well-being of others.

August is National Multiethnic Donor Awareness Month. How would you use your experience as a Black woman working in organ donation to encourage people from diverse racial and ethnic communities to learn more and register as donors?

There is mistrust and a history of mistrust in healthcare among multiethnic communities, and I understand. I volunteered at MTN’s booth for Juneteenth at 18th & Vine to share information about organ donation. I had to ask myself “Why should they trust me?” while explaining what I know to be true about organ donation and sharing facts.

Also, knowing what I know…people are dying who look like me. Children who look like my kids are dying, so if we don’t step up and register to be an organ donor, we’re never going to give hope to someone else or give hope to another person in need. It’s important to be informed and educated about organ donation, to learn and understand, and trust your heart.

What’s your connection, or experience, with patients who come to MTN for tests? Can you share a story to explain?

I hear their stories, their struggles, trials and tribulations on their journey. They just want someone to listen. I’ve gotten close to a patient over the years, and I’ve learned about her life. She’s an author and a three-time kidney recipient.

Some of the patients have the most positive outlook, even though they’re waiting for a transplant and might not be doing so well. Or they received a transplant and now they’re much better and they’re still positive. For example, I have a patient who is doing much better after a kidney transplant. He tells me stories about going fishing with his grandkids and living his life.

And there are some patients who ask for me when they come in for tests, and that’s nice.

I like working on behalf of the patients, communicating with coordinators and doctors. I make sure I do my job well and completely because it means someone gets a second chance, and it means that someone needs me to be an advocate for them.

You’re a cyclist. What piqued your interest in cycling?

The freedom of movement, the joy of exploring new places, the physical benefits, and the sense of camaraderie within the cycling community. When you ride, you can let your mind go to a different place.

What’s been your longest ride distance?

The longest ride was 73 miles, the Bacon Ride in Iowa. It was a summer ride with stops along the way with music.

Most memorable ride – good or bad?

It was a 50-mile ride from Prairie Village, Kansas, to Lee’s Summit, Raytown and Independence in Missouri, then back to Prairie Village. I didn’t eat well. My legs cramped so bad, I stopped in Kansas City and got a ride back to my car. That was a bad bike ride.

What’s your advice for anyone who might want to try cycling?  

My advice to newcomers is to start gradually, get the right equipment, and get fitted for a bike for your height and length of your legs. When you’re riding, find enjoyment in the process rather than being focused only on performance. And, pickle juice helps with leg cramps.

What’s the best concert you’ve been to?

Rob Zombie. It was theatrical and unexpected to me.

What songs are you listening to?

I like a mixture of genres of music. I’m listening to Billie Holiday, Chris Stapleton, John Coltrane and Elvis Presley. I’m not a music snob.

It’s summer. Do you have a favorite summer memory?

Taking my kids on trips over the years. I’ve taken my kids to lots of places, and we’ve been to Disney a few times. This summer, my daughter turned 16, and that’s exciting!

If you could spend your entire paycheck on something that’s not a bill, what would it be?

I’d travel! I’d go on a wine and food tour in Europe and take my mom with me.