2016 LifeGift Calendar (English)

2 0 1 6 C A L E N D A R • 2 0 1 5 A N N U A L R E P O R T

Dear Friends:Welcome to our 2015 annual report/2016 calendar, “Hopes and Dreams Take Flight,” specifically those of children touched by organ, eye and tissue donation. For the transplant recipient, they’re the hopes and dreams realized thanks to the incredible generosity of the donor. For siblings and children of donors, they’re the hopes and dreams that can come true, even after unthinkable tragedy. And for those children who wait for a lifesaving transplant, it’s the hope that their dreams are within reach. The pages that follow tell the stories of remarkable children and their families, who overcame insurmountable odds.

Our dual advocacy role – always advocating for the donor and the donor family, while doing all we can to optimize every gift to help as many people as possible – shines through in the faces you’ll meet in this calendar. Incredible generosity and hope, the expectation that good can come from

any situation, always amazes us at LifeGift.

We are beyond grateful to donors and donor families for making hopes and dreams come true for others.

What also amazes us is how LifeGift continues to evolve into a vibrant

and growing organization, thanks to our talented staff

and supportive partners. In 2015, we made significant

strides in tissue donation and broke ground on a new training area and Communication Center for Donation. We are working towards developing best-in-class clinical training programs and expanded staffing. Additionally, LifeGift is making progress on the ability to evaluate our organ donor management effectiveness and participating in numerous research and innovation projects at the national level.

As we look to 2016, we reflect on the advancement of our strategic plan. We are moving forward with improving our donation systems and critical authorization rates, while also focusing on research and education. We are actively creating partnerships in the living donation arena to offer more hope to those waiting for kidney transplants. Our hopes and dreams are for LifeGift to further impact our communities with improved organ, eye and tissue donation results to optimize every opportunity to benefit others through transplantation, medical therapy, research and education.

None of this would be possible without the continued support and expert guidance of our Board of Directors, Ambassadors of Hope, Executive Leadership Team and dedicated staff.

We invite you to hope and dream along with us.

With warm regards,

Kevin A. Myer, MSHA President and Chief Executive Officer

Roberta Schwartz, PhD, MHSChair, Board of Directors

when approached by LifeGift and asked to donate a loved one’s

organs*

Breakdown of Organs Recovered*

Organs Recovered*

Organ Donors*

Tissue Donors*

Kidney 467

Heart 92

Liver 202

Lung 120

Pancreas 27

Small Intestine 1

Pancreas Islets 1

9101,045

266

2015 Was a Record-Breaking Year in Tissue Donation

*For fiscal year 2015: Oct. 1, 2014 to Sept. 30, 2015

10%Increase from

2014

819

2

7

17

1

5

4

8

68

4

41

1

2

3

13

1

6

11

11

23

11

6

5

1

6

11732178Number of Organs Shared Outside the LifeGift Service AreaHouston, Fort Worth, Lubbock and Amarillo

Breakdown of Organs TransplantedLifeGift organs transplanted for calendar year 2014

Heart 144Heart-Lung 3Kidney 470Kidney-Pancreas 24Liver 255Lung 138Pancreas 4Small Intestine 0

Patients Waiting for Organ TransplantsBased on LifeGift waiting list as of Oct. 6, 2015 (numbers include those awaiting multiple organs)

Heart 264Heart-Lung 3Kidney 4,085Kidney-Pancreas 60Liver 971Lung 80Pancreas 17Small Intestine 1

KID

NEY

HEA

RT-L

UN

GH

EART

KID

NEY

-PA

NC

REA

SLI

VER

LUN

GPA

NC

REA

S

1,038TOTAL

LifeGift Organs

Transplanted Includes local and imported organs

Number of Lives Saved Across Three LifeGift Regions*

*For fiscal year 2015: Oct. 1, 2014 to Sept. 30, 2015

Both the Houston and Fort Worth communities demonstrated their support of organ, eye and tissue donation during the Donate Life Texas 2nd Chance Runs. Although thunderstorms caused us to

cancel the inaugural race in Houston only moments before the start time, the rain did not dampen spirits. In Fort Worth, more than 900 people participated in the 13th annual race,

including three NBA mascots: Clutch, Champ and Coyote. We look forward to the races in 2016. For more information, visit 2ndChanceRun.org.

Donate Life Texas Registry Reaches 8 Million

More than 8 million Texans have now signed up with the Donate Life Texas organ, eye and tissue donor registry. This growth is thanks to the steadfast support of passionate volunteers, health care professionals and donation advocates who know the lifesaving difference donor registration makes.

Among these advocates are more than 2,000 employees of the Texas Department of Safety’s Driver License Division, who make joining the registry easy and convenient while applying for a Texas driver’s license.

“People register for all sorts of reasons,” says Suzy Miller, executive director of Donate Life Texas. “They know someone who has been touched by the need. They could be fascinated by the power of transplant medicine or just want to help others. Whatever the reason, those who register are truly heroic because their choice is the gift of hope and may give a second chance at life when nothing else can.”

Finding new ways to educate and inspire people about donation is just as important as making it easy to sign up. The Donate Life Texas website offers interactive features that allow people to ask questions, announce their decision to register with personalized e-cards and social media, connect with others passionate about donation and even share their own Donate Life Stories. Donate Life Texas volunteers are now attending more events than ever, equipped with mobile technology that makes registering as fast as Scan. Click. Done!

of adults in Texas are registered organ, eye and tissue donors*

DonateLifeTexas.org

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

43%

8M

7M

6M

5M

4M

3M

2M

1M

*as of October 2015

Expansion to Offer More Hope to People Needing Lifesaving Transplants This past August, LifeGift broke ground and began building a new addition that will offer more hope to people needing organ and tissue transplants.

Led by Jessica Leibold, LifeGift’s managing director of facilities and purchasing, the new 7,500-square-foot expansion will house a sophisticated call center, the Communication Center for Donation, previously known as the Donor Resource Center (DRC) – the 24/7 lifeline for organ and tissue donation.

“Our talented staff who will work in this special place will help thousands of families experiencing the loss of a loved one by being the voice on the other end of the line, helping people at the worst time of their lives make a critical decision to save others,” said Kevin Myer, president and CEO of LifeGift.

The state-of-the-art space will operate using clinical information system technology provided by Transplant Connect, allowing LifeGift to serve its transplant partners with better information-sharing capabilities.

In addition to an upgraded call center, the structure will include a new training area as well as space for AlloSource, our tissue processing partner, to make specialty tissue grafts more readily available for area hospitals and surgical centers.

The expansion is slated to open the first half of 2016.

Calls per Month

4,538

OUTBOUND

Calls per Month

7,980

INBOUND

Communication Center for Donation

Hope starts in the LifeGift Communication Center for Donation (CCD), the 24/7 lifeline for organ, eye and tissue donation. The infographic below illustrates, on average, the number of calls received and made during 2015.

LifeGift leadership and Board of Director officers at the groundbreaking of the Communication Center for Donation in August. From left to right: R. Patrick Wood, M.D.; Kevin Myer; Sharyn Ivory; Pat Rubin; Roberta Schwartz; Matthew Girotto

New Year’s Day

Tournament of Roses Parade (Donate Life Rose Parade Float)

JAN 2016sun mon tue wed thu fri sat

Caleb Espinoza, now 4, was just 18 months old when he received a lifesaving liver transplant. The following year, the Espinoza family saw the other side of organ and tissue donation. Caleb’s father, Alfredo, passed away unexpectedly – but his gift helped give eyesight to two people. “As we received the gift of life, we also gave the gift of life,” says Elsy, Alfredo’s wife and Caleb’s mother. “It’s the most rewarding gift anyone can give and receive.”

Read the full story at: LifeGift.org/CalebEspinoza

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31

NATIONAL BLOOD DONOR MONTHNATIONAL THANK YOU MONTH

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

lifegift.org • 800.633.6562

Chevron Houston Marathon/Aramco Houston Half-Marathon

Caleb EspinozaLiver Recipient, March 21, 2013, and Son of Donor Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas

Alfredo EspinozaEye and Tissue Donor, September 22, 2014

Alfredo Espinoza

FEB 2016sun mon tue wed thu fri sat

Elif YuskelFuture Heart RecipientSugar Land, Texas

Elif Yuskel, 7, is hoping for a heart that will allow her to run with her friends without getting tired so easily. Her parents, Fatma and Sancak, work hard to keep her happy and carefree. “No one should ever be on the waiting list,” Fatma says, through tears. She hopes that her family, as open-minded Muslims, will inspire people of all faiths to register as organ and tissue donors.

Read the full story at: LifeGift.org/ElifYuskel

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28 29

Ash Wednesday

BLACK HISTORY MONTHNATIONAL HEART MONTHFeb. 14-20 – Random Acts of Kindness Week

Valentine’s Day

National Donor Day

Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day

Presidents’ Day

Lincoln’s Birthday

Washington’s Birthday

National Wear Red DayGroundhog Day


MAR 2016sun mon tue wed thu fri sat

Elise BabinLiver Recipient, March 23, 2013Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas

Julia WardwellOrgan and Tissue Donor, March 23, 2013

Elise Babin was only a few months old when she was placed on the waiting list for a new liver. It was nearly a year before she received the lifesaving gift from her donor angel, Julia Wardwell, 20, a mother and pediatric nursing student who longed to help children. Little did Julia know that her choice to register as a donor would save a little girl’s life. Thanks to Julia’s gift, Elise is now a happy 4-year-old.

Read the full story at: LifeGift.org/EliseBabin

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6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

NATIONAL KIDNEY MONTHNATIONAL EYE DONOR MONTHNATIONAL SOCIAL WORKER MONTH

Easter

American Diabetes Alert DayPalm SundaySpring Begins

Daylight Saving Time Begins

Good Friday

St. Patrick’s Day


Doctors’ Day

Julia Wardwell

APR 2016 1 2

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sun mon tue wed thu fri sat

NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTHNATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTHApr. 4-10 – National Public Health WeekApr. 10-16 – National Volunteer Week

Delton CroneKidney Recipient, February 15, 2012Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas

Ian HeidemannOrgan, Tissue and Hand Donor, February 14, 2012

Delton was stuck in the hospital with no parents and a debilitating kidney condition. Foster parents Roger and Judy Crone had already raised five kids of their own, but they adopted Delton in 2011, while he was still waiting for a new kidney. In February 2012, they received the miracle that would keep their new family together. Months later, the Crones got to personally thank the family of Delton’s donor, 22-year-old Ian Heidemann – they are now close friends.

Read the full story at: LifeGift.org/DeltonCrone

April Fool’s Day

National Donate Life Blue & Green Day

World Health Day

Passover Begins

Earth Day

Donate Life Texas 2nd Chance Run in HoustonNational Healthcare Decisions Day

Administrative Professionals’ Day Passover Ends


Ian Heidemann

Transplant Nurses Day

MAY 20161 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31


May 6-12 – National Nurses WeekMay 15-21 – National Police WeekMay 15-21 – National EMS Week

NATIONAL FITNESS MONTHCYSTIC FIBROSIS AWARENESS MONTHNATIONAL HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

EDUCATION MONTHOLDER AMERICANS MONTH

Jenna, Faith and Audrey MartinDonor FamilyHobbs, New Mexico

Caleb MartinOrgan and Tissue Donor, August 24, 2013

Faith, 14, Jenna, 10, and Audrey Martin, 6, lost their big brother, Caleb, when he was only 15, but through the tragedy, they learned how to give back. Caleb’s parents, Clay and Joanna, knew he would’ve wanted to donate his organs and tissues – he often shared his lunch money to help other kids at school. Today, the sisters find their own ways to spread hope, volunteering through church, making cards for people and becoming friends with lonely classmates.

Read the full story at: LifeGift.org/MartinFamily

National Nurses DayOrthodox Easter

Mother’s Day

Cinco de Mayo

National Day of Prayer

Memorial Day


Caleb Martin

Donate Life Texas 2nd Chance Run in Fort Worth

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JUN 2016sun mon tue wed thu fri sat

David “Davidcito” RodriguezBrother of DonorHouston, Texas

Fernanda “Fergy” Rodriguez Tissue Donor, September 29, 2011

David Rodriguez, 1, never met his big sister Fergy; she died tragically in a car accident before he was born. Fergy’s donated tissues helped up to 80 people, which helped her parents, David and Nancy, with the grieving process. Davidcito was born four years later, giving them the chance to be a mom and dad again. “He is not here to replace his sister,” Nancy says. “He is here to give us love and make us feel alive again.”

Read the full story at: LifeGift.org/DavidRodriguez

Flag Day

World Blood Donor Day

Father’s Day Summer Begins

Ramadan Begins


Donate Life Transplant GamesCleveland, Ohio

Fernanda “Fergy” Rodriguez

JUL 2016 1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

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31


Katelyn “Kate” NalleyHeart Recipient, July 3, 2011Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas

Kate Nalley was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy in 2011 at 5 weeks old. A month later, she was blessed with a lifesaving heart. Kate, now 5, still feels sick sometimes, but she stays joyful through it all. When she grows up, she wants to have 10 kids and be a doctor. The Nalleys are grateful she’ll have the opportunity. Every year on Kate’s “heart birthday,” they release balloons in honor of Kate’s anonymous donor, who gave her that second chance at life.

Read the full story at: LifeGift.org/KateNalley

Independence Day Ramadan Ends


July 10-20 – Every Community Has Opportunity(ECHO)

AUG 2016 1 2 3 4 5 6

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28 29 30 31


Aug. 1-7 – National Minority Donor Awareness Week

Christopher John “CJ” CooperTwin Brother of DonorCrowley, Texas

Cash CooperOrgan and Tissue Donor, July 15, 2014

CJ and the Cooper family suffered heartbreak when CJ’s twin brother, Cash, died tragically at the age of 2. Even though the pain of their loss never subsides, the Coopers find comfort in knowing that Cash’s donation saved a life and that their son lives on in others. A happy, energetic 4-year-old today, CJ loves Mickey Mouse,“Star Wars” and hamburgers.

Read the full story at: LifeGift.org/CJCooper

International Friendship Day


Cash Cooper

SEP 2016 1 2 3

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Justin StoutLiver Recipient, March 31, 2015Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas

To Justin Stout, 14, hope means knowing something better is coming in the future. That includes one day attending Texas A&M University and eventually fighting cancer as an oncologist. However, none of these things would have been possible without the liver transplant that saved his life and is keeping him in the fight against his own cancer – acute lymphoblastic leukemia or ALL. That gift inspires Justin to stay positive, even with several rounds of chemotherapy ahead.

Read the full story at: LifeGift.org/JustinStout

Fall Begins

Hispanic Heritage Month BeginsGrandparent’s Day

National Day of Service and Remembrance

Labor Day


OCT 2016 1

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30 31


NATIONAL LIVER CANCER AWARENESS MONTHFAMILY HEALTH MONTH

Carissa, Conner and Cooper BarnesDonor Family

Christopher “Toadbucket” BarnesOrgan and Tissue Donor, January 13, 2007

Conner Barnes and his 4-year-old brother Christopher were inseparable – until Christopher died in a 2007 car accident. But Christopher lives on as an organ and tissue donor who saved lives. And Conner, now 16, wasn’t alone for long. In 2009, his parents signed the papers to adopt Carissa, now 6; not long after, they found out they were pregnant with Cooper, also 6.

Read the full story at: LifeGift.org/BarnesFamily

Columbus Day

Rosh Hashanah Begins Rosh Hashanah Ends

Halloween


Sweetest Day

Hispanic Heritage Month Ends

National Make a Difference DayNational Bosses Day

Yom Kippur

Christopher “Toadbucket” Barnes

NOV 2016 1 2 3 4 5

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27 28 29 30


NATIONAL DIABETES MONTHNATIONAL HOSPITAL & PALLIATIVE CARE MONTHPULMONARY HYPERTENSION AWARENESS MONTHNATIONAL MARROW AWARENESS MONTH

Nov. 11-13 – National Donor Sabbath

All Saints’ Day All Souls’ Day

Election Day

Giving Tuesday

Veterans Day

Thanksgiving

Advent Begins


Daylight Saving Time Ends

Bethanie and Austin BoggsChildren of Living DonorWeatherford, Texas

Kaci Lusk Altruistic Living Kidney Donor, June 25, 2013

Kaci Lusk is an altruistic living donor – she volunteered to give her kidney to a total stranger. Because of her selfless gift, her children now have a new definition of hope and a desire to carry on their mother’s legacy of helping others. Austin, 16, hopes to become a forensic anthropologist, and Bethanie, 13, dreams of becoming a nurse. For Kaci and her children, caring for others runs in the family.

Read the full story at: LifeGift.org/BoggsFamily

Kaci Lusk

DEC 2016 1 2 3

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Jensen, Jaron and Ameena CruzChildren of Heart Valve Recipient & LifeGift Organ Placement SpecialistHouston, Texas

Jaron, 12, Jensen, 5, and Ameena Cruz, 2, have been impacted by LifeGift in more ways than one. Their dad, Rodney, an organ placement specialist, is a tissue recipient. He received an aortic valve and ascending aorta replacement in 2015. Their mother, Maria, works as a radiation therapist at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Clearly, Rodney and Maria set an amazing example for their children. “As long as you hope,” Jaron says, “you can do almost anything.”

Read the full story at LifeGift.org/CruzFamily

Winter Begins

Christmas Kwanzaa Begins New Year’s Eve

Christmas Eve

Hanukkah Begins


Grants and ContributionsLifeGift’s Board of Directors and staff wish to express sincere appreciation to the following individuals and organizations that generously contributed to our programs in 2015.

A & B Lawn and Garden AlloSourceAnonymous donor familiesThe Barnes familyBMPRobert Boudwin and friendsCharles Schwab CHI St. Luke’s Health – Baylor

St. Luke’s Medical CenterCommunity Tissue ServicesCook Children’s Health Care

SystemCryoLife CytonetDiabetes Research & Wellness

FoundationThe Dubose familyExxonMobil FoundationGulf Coast Regional Blood Center

Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center

IRONMAN Foundation, Inc.Mike and Berni ElderMillion Air Nick Plummer and family Nora’s Home Organ Recovery SystemsRed Boot Foundation Rhoads Insurance State Farm Good Neighbor

Citizenship ProgramTexas Children’s Hospital Texas Health Harris Methodist

Hospital Fort Worth TEXR FoundationTransplant Connect The Van der Linden Family

Foundation

Gone But Not ForgottenOur Ambassadors of Hope carry messages of strength, courage and joy. And when they depart from this earth, their legacies still shine brightly. LifeGift honors the memories of those we’ve recently lost:

Mary FrugéWillie “Willie T.” ThorntonFrank RochaYolanda “YoYo” JohnsonMarlon Jackson Tyler D. Nelson Twana Thomas Schulz

We also would like to remember baby Catherine Barnes, who passed away shortly before the publication of this calendar.

Hopes & Dreams Take FlightShare Your Story Do you have a story of hope that you would like to share on our website? Please visit ShareYourLifeGiftStory.com to submit the details, along with a photograph of you or your loved one.

We are proud to share with you these hopes and dreams. Please make sure to visit our website, LifeGift.org, for a more in-depth look at this year’s calendar participants. There you will find additional photos and will learn more about the participants’ “hopes and dreams.”

2015 Board of Directors Roberta Schwartz, PhD, MHSChair

Sharyn Ivory, FACHEChair-Elect

Matthew Girotto, MHA, MHRTreasurer

Kristen Turner, RN, MBASecretary

Kevin A. Myer, MSHAStacy Bacon, M.D.Robert BoudwinNancy C. CycholTom Flanagan, RN, BSN, MA, LP John Graham, M.D., D. MinJenifer Jarriel, MBAEdward KuntzGeorge Mallory Jr., M.D.Joseph Prosser, M.D.Steve Sanders, MSAdriana Valencia, CPRC

EMERITUS

Barclay Berdan, FACHEEdward K. Massin, M.D.Ruth SchiermeyerLawrence Schkade, PhD

Executive Leadership Team Kevin A. Myer, MSHAPresident and Chief Executive Officer

Patricia Rubin, CPASenior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

R. Patrick Wood, M.D., F.A.C.S.Chief Medical Officer

David Staley, SPHR/SCPSenior Managing Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development

Kimberly Davis, RN, CPTC, CTBSManaging Director of Donation Systems

Laura Frnka-Davis, BS, APRDirector of Communications

Jerry Dunn, Six Sigma Green BeltManaging Director of Information Systems

Ron Ehrle, RN, BSN, CPTCManaging Director, North Region

Justin Johnson, RN, BSN, CPTCManaging Director, West Region

Jessica C. LeiboldManaging Director of Facilities and Purchasing

Brian Roe, MS, CTBS, SSLBBPSenior Managing Director of Tissue Services and Communication Center Operations

Schawnté Williams-Taylor, RN, BSN, CCRN, CPTC Managing Director of Clinical Operations, Southeast Region

Thank YouLifeGift thanks Ralph Lauer for his generous contribution of photography throughout the 2016 calendar.

to all our donor families and supporters

for making hopes and

dreams come true for others

800.633.6562North1701 River Run, Suite 300Fort Worth, TX 76107817-870-0060817-870-2073 fax

Southeast2510 Westridge St. Houston, TX 77054713-523-4438713-737-8100 fax

West5812 64th St. Lubbock, TX 79424806-798-5568806-798-5572 fax

Register to become a donor at DonateLifeTexas.orgPictured on the cover: Christopher John “CJ” Cooper

Register to become a donor at DonateLifeTexas.org

Documents

2016 LifeGift Calendar (English)