108 Stories of Hope

Emily Schulze

"I am so blessed to have this second chance, and I intend to live everyday to the fullest! #donatelife"

See Emily's Story

Luis Angel Hererra Lopez

"Working to provide for his home, and being a good man was very important to him."

See Luis's Story

Deiondre Rice

"I still feel strong and I'm still confident in my knee. "

See Deiondre's Story

Marilyn Nelson

"It was a blessing to hear that she was able to give the gift of life to others."

See Marilyn's Story

Victor Rogers, Jr.

"Victor was very thoughtful, loyal and caring."

See Victor's Story

Alexa Blaine

"Because of my transplant, I decided to work in medicine to give back from what I really benefited from."

See Alexa's Story

Ron Fees

"Meeting my donor's mom and her family was a highlight of my life. They are part of our family know. "

See Ron's Story

Kyle Wolinski

"He swore like a sailor, hated having his picture taken and was a die hard Mopar fan. "

See Kyle's Story

Daisy Friedman

"My transplant gave me more empathy and realize the meaning of living a full life. I always work hard to achieve that full life."

See Daisy's Story

Michaela Kirkebak

"Michaela had a very kind heart.  She would do anything for anybody."

See Michaela's Story

Vicki Sentelle

"She was absolutely a kid at heart and loved to fly drones, play video games, and collect Minions."

See Vicki's Story

Zachary Tharnish

"From a young age, he talked about organ donation and giving was in his nature."

See Zachary's Story

Brandon Huber

"Brandon was always willing to help anyone and always saw the good in people."

See Brandon's Story

Daniel Scott

"He loved to laugh, when he laughed you couldn’t help but laugh with him."

See Daniel's Story

Stella Chow

"When I woke up, the first person I wanted to thank was the donor and their family."

See Stella's Story

Sara Wachter

"I gave Mark a card that said 'You have a match. I’m your donor. I’ll see you at UNMC on June 1.’"

See Sara's Story

Kevin “Trapper” Davidson

"Kevin will forever be remembered for his carefree spirit, contagious smile, and generous soul."

See Kevin's Story

Bailey Williams

"We thought about the opportunity for her spirit to live on and did not hesitate to say Yes."

See Bailey's Story

Jim Wigton

"Because of donation I was able to get off dialysis, resume my activities, and feel well again."

See Jim's Story

Yazbek Gomez-Sosa

"He always liked adventure, making others smile and having fun wherever he went."

See Yazbek's Story

Verle Finke

"He cared about his family, his church, his work. He gave 100% to those things he cared about."

See Verle's Story

Boden Reischl

"Boden was always the kid in every photo that was smiling from ear to ear."

See Boden's Story

Emily Niebrugge

"I made the empowered decision to undergo preventative surgery to reduce my risk of developing cancer."

See Emily's Story

Chuck Bensley

"We remember him with one hand holding a beer and the other outstretched, ready to help. "

See Chuck's Story

Ely Dehart

"Ely was always trying to make everyone smile and laugh and feel good about themselves. "

See Ely's Story

Andreea Baker

"If I had another spare part that I could give, I would. "

See Andreea's Story

Sara Steiner

"She was a person that once you met her you'd never forget her!"

See Sara's Story

Holly Heath

"She came home and showed off the red heart on her license."

See Holly's Story

Joseph Adams

"Once I got that heart, my life went in a different direction for the better."

See Joseph's Story

Gail Kerwin

"I fought so hard to live. I waited on the transplant list for five years."

See Gail's Story

Wendi Showell

"I am forever grateful for the person that said Yes to being an organ donor and saved my life. "

See Wendi's Story

Bruce Prenosil

"I'm almost 14 years post-transplant now and so grateful for what I've received."

See Bruce's Story

Kristin Stock

"Sometimes it’s hard for me to grasp the monumental gift someone gave to me."

See Kristin's Story

Keith Chambers

"Keith’s smile and sense of humor will be his most cherished memory."

See Keith's Story

Jim Wagner

"I was extremely fortunate to receive a heart at age 74 and return to a fairly normal lifestyle within weeks."

See Jim's Story

James Neal

"The impact the heart transplant has had on my life and my family is very humbling."

See James's Story

Joy Wolfe

"The surgery to repair my spine was a success and I was back to work in a few short weeks."

See Joy's Story

Richard Anderson

"Richard was able to see his grandchildren grow up and spend special occasions with his family."

See Richard's Story

Bruce J. Jorgensen

"The transplant has changed me into a more grateful and kind person."

See Bruce's Story

Keith Kelly

"I've returned to work and coaching youth sports, which is my passion."

See Keith's Story

Rodney Bennett

"Donation allowed me to have a 2nd chance at life and to make a difference for others as well."

See Rodney's Story

Tyler Gassaway

"My transplant has allowed me to not only become a father, but to hear my son call me 'Dada'."

See Tyler's Story

Matthew Brandon Rolfe

"Because of my brother, there are 108 more miracles to happen."

See Matthew's Story

Deborah Houghton

"She was a truly wonderful woman, always concerned for others (and her pets)."

See Deborah's Story

Mark Hopp

"Live On Nebraska allowed me to honor Mark as he wished."

See Mark's Story

Patricia Tanner

"She inspired anyone she knew to never give up even in the face of adversity."

See Patricia's Story

Landon Merritt O’Neal Palmer

"In his short time on our earth, Landon made his way into many hearts and lives."

See Landon's Story

Shirley Kramer

"Through the generosity of a stranger, I have had more than 31 years of living, loving, caring and sharing."

See Shirley's Story

Robert Swanson

"Everyone who knew him would say he was an extraordinary man!"

See Robert's Story

Steve Williams

"Steve was a devoted husband, father and grandfather (Papa)."

See Steve's Story

Amber Kudrna

"I have a career that I love, an amazing husband, and two beautiful children."

See Amber's Story

Warren Johnson

"Being able to donate is the greatest legacy he could leave behind."

See Warren's Story

Terry Baxter

"He was boisterous and could tell stories in the best way."

See Terry's Story

David Coleman

"David was able to get married, have a beautiful son and create many memories with friends and family."

See David's Story

Maggie Pierce

"She cared about what she did and felt so good about helping others heal."

See Maggie's Story

Kenneth Hain

"Our dad still makes us so proud. We are so happy that he's still helping others."

See Kenneth's Story

Marcie Luhman

"I had zero reservations about being a donor. If I could help, I was going to."

See Marcie's Story

Nate Peterson and Lance Pfeifer

"It brings peach and comfort knowing that Nate and Lance LIVE ON."

See Nate's Story

Cheryl Campe

"Before my transplant, daily tasks were difficult for me to do. Now I have nothing hold me back!"

See Cheryl's Story

Trevor Canaday

"Trevor's smile was so energetic and magical it could make anyone's day better!"

See Trevor's Story

Susan Johnson

"Susan was always very hardworking and put everyone and their needs before herself."

See Susan's Story

Jackson Gosch

"Jackson says he’s got someone else’s bone inside his and it’s made him so much stronger."

See Jackson's Story

Amy Hoyt-Whiteley

"She loved fiercely and found great joy in sharing her love of music with others."

See Amy's Story

Connor James Brown

"It didn't matter what time of day it was, if a friend needed help, Connor was there."

See Connor's Story

Sue Venteicher

"I was the first donor in a kidney chain. Nine people donated kidneys and nine people received kidneys!"

See Sue's Story

Matthew Merklein

"One of the recipients of Matt's tissue was a baseball player, just like him."

See Matthew's Story

Lorissa Roepke

"I've had the opportunity to accomplish things I thought were not possible for me."

See Lorissa's Story

Karla Stallbaum

"I have six close family members that have had transplants."

See Karla's Story

Lisa Carmichael

"This gift has given me the chance to do what I enjoy, helping people."

See Lisa's Story

Jeremy Shelden

"Jeremy was a very giving person, always there to help anyone in need."

See Jeremy's Story

John Gelecki

"John had always planned to be an organ donor."

See John's Story

Mark Tilton

"Mark loved and lived life to the fullest. He saw the good in all things."

See Mark's Story

Kali Fankhauser

"The word “donor” never crossed my mind until it hit home with our family."

See Kali's Story

Michael Elgin

"At least two people with vision issues were helped because of Michael."

See Michael's Story

Laurel Rader

"I was given a donor pulmonary valve. It's allowed me to live a life with no limits."

See Laurel's Story

Eulish Moore

"Since I received my heart transplant, my life has been truly blessed."

See Eulish's Story

Sam Wallman

"Sam is our real-life hero and a hero to many other families."

See Sam's Story

Nicole Canine

"Nicole would be incredibly proud to know that she saved two lives."

See Nicole's Story

Toby Arneson

"Toby read about animals all the time and could bring up any obscure detail that he had seen on Animal Planet."

See Toby's Story

Timothy Petersen

"He opened his own food truck. It always brought him joy to see people enjoying his cooking!"

See Timothy's Story

Kara Elliott

"A beautiful soul out there donated their skin. And that donation made a huge difference in my life."

See Kara's Story

Makayla Linder

"Makayla was a jokester. If the recipients end up getting ornery, it’s probably because of Kayla."

See Makayla's Story

Anne Juarez

"She was a genuine joy to be around, she loved hard and when she loved you, you knew."

See Anne's Story

Karen Mattox

"It's a strange feeling carrying around a part of someone who you know nothing about, yet love and admire like crazy!"

See Karen's Story

Cindy Schabow

"I have been blessed with nearly 35 years of memories made with my family and friends."

See Cindy's Story

Edgar Reyes

"He loved to carve wood and paint, only to then give his works to others."

See Edgar's Story

Dave Kotinek

"Dave was gifted in music and had the tools to fix anything."

See Dave's Story

Kennedy J. Bowles

"She was bubbly, had the most beautiful smile and the deepest ocean blue eyes."

See Kennedy's Story

Ryker Dean Tatro

"Ryker was always our little clown. He made everyday better for us."

See Ryker's Story

Jeff Befort

"Jeff would give the shirt off his back for anyone, so giving the gift of life to someone would have made him beam with pride."

See Jeff's Story

Laura Harrington-Criger

"Now my liver functions are so boringly normal and it’s wonderful!"

See Laura's Story

Joshua Gasper

"Joshua was friends with everyone, would give the shirt off his back, and do anything to help another person."

See Joshua's Story

Kathi Hassel-Strom

"She was so full of love and she gave it freely without any expectations."

See Kathi's Story

Joan Munn Hopkins

"I am now 7.5 years out from my transplant, enjoying life."

See Joan's Story

Ryan Post

"Ryan didn’t just light up a room. She lit up the world just by being alive."

See Ryan's Story

Malcolm Robbins

"I am so humbled and so grateful for God's blessing and a second chance at life."

See Malcolm's Story