LifeGift Feel Good Fridays: Because of You, Hope Lives On

LifeGift Team Member Spotlight: Connie Robinson Administrative Assistant

LifeGift is honored to support our community’s choice to save lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. Connie Robinson, administrative assistant for LifeGift’s Fort Worth region, plays an important role behind the scenes. From welcoming guests and answering calls to coordinating travel and mailing flags and certificates to donor families, she helps keep daily operations running smoothly.

A member of LifeGift’s Administrative Team, also known as the “A-Team,” for nearly three years, Connie takes pride in supporting her colleagues. “Administrative support may happen behind the scenes, but it’s essential to keeping the process running smoothly,” she says. “Through communication, coordination and organization, I help my colleagues focus on donation and transplantation while ensuring our hospital partners reach the right department.”

Connie believes her role at LifeGift is part of a greater purpose. “I believe nothing happens by accident or coincidence; it’s all ordained by God,” she shares. “I’ve always had a heart for helping others, and administrative work allows me to use my organizational skills to support those around me. Looking back, I believe God led me to LifeGift for more than a career. He placed me here for a purpose, and I’m grateful to serve both professionally and personally.”

Working at LifeGift has deepened Connie’s appreciation for the difference even small gestures can make. “Whether I’m mailing a Donate Life flag to a donor family, answering questions or helping someone find information, I’m reminded that even the smallest task can touch someone’s life in a meaningful way. I’m grateful to be part of an organization where I can serve others and contribute to such important work.”

Annual BBQ Cook-Offs
Bring Communities Together to Share LifeGift’s Mission

LifeGift proudly sponsored two longstanding West Texas traditions: the 30th Annual Amarillo Good Times Celebration Barbecue Cook-Off and the 27th Annual Hub City BBQ Cookoff in Lubbock. These community events provided valuable opportunities to connect with attendees, raise awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation, and share LifeGift’s mission of saving and healing lives through donation.

LifeGift’s Kevin Myer, Jessica Kirkendall, Barbara VerWey, Breanna Garcia and Jasmine Vega participated in the events alongside LifeGift Ambassadors of Hope volunteers Christina Coghil, Vanessa Flores, Kristena Goen, Debbie Lea, Briana Sperry and Ana Williamson. Together, they helped share the life-changing power of donation and encourage conversations about how one person’s decision to become a donor can offer hope and a second chance at life to others.

It's a Wrap!
Fort Worth 2nd Chance Run Celebrates Hope and Community

Thank you to the 572 participants who joined LifeGift for the 24th annual Fort Worth 2nd Chance Run at the historic Stockyards! Donor families, transplant recipients, hospital partners, sponsors and volunteers came together to celebrate the life-changing power of organ, eye and tissue donation and honor the hope it brings to individuals and families.

Congratulations to our largest teams: Texas Health Fort Worth, the largest hospital team, and Our Lungs Failed Us!, the largest family team! A special shout-out to all the family teams and hospital partners who participated and helped make this year's event a success.

View all Fort Worth 2nd Chance Run hospital and family teams here.

Explore the Fort Worth 2nd Chance Run photo gallery here.

View the 5K and 1-mile race results here.

Claire Rowland, a University of North Texas student journalist, joined us to film interviews for a class assignment. Watch her video which highlights the event and
LifeGift’s mission to save lives through organ donation.

Lace up for life! Stay tuned for updates on LifeGift's 2027 2nd Chance Runs as we continue bringing communities together to celebrate the gift of life.

AATB Recognizes
LifeGift’s Tissue Team

LifeGift’s Tissue Team was recognized at the Association for Advancing Tissue and Biologics (AATB) Congress 2026, where the team’s abstract and corresponding digital poster were accepted for presentation at the annual national conference, held October 4–7 in San Francisco, Ca.

The AATB Congress 2026 highlights innovative research and advancements within the tissue banking community. LifeGift’s Tissue Team continues to focus on improving performance and quality metrics, with an emphasis on reducing contamination and improvements in safety during tissue recovery.

LifeGift’s submission, “Optimizing Donor Reconstruction: A Safer, Faster Alternative to the Standard Running Suture Technique,” by Emmitt Savannah III and Jennifer Raska, received first place recognition. Savannah presented the improvement in LifeGift practices through this project during a conference breakout session with tissue banking professionals from across the country, providing an interactive opportunity to share LifeGift’s reconstruction practices and demonstrate how those have improved safety and relationships with aftercare providers.

Congratulations to LifeGift’s Tissue Team on this outstanding achievement and recognition!

Partners in Hope:
Nora’s Home Golf Classic

On October 16th, golfers came together for the 13th Annual Nora’s Home Golf Classic, raising a record-breaking $212,000 to benefit Nora’s Home’s Adopt-A-Family program. Nora’s Home provides a welcoming place to stay for organ transplant patients and their families, helping ease the burden of travel and treatment during an often challenging time.

LifeGift was proud to participate once again, with a team representing organ clinical operations, logistics and purchasing. Team members included Sergio Ibarra, MD, senior director of organ clinical operations; Craig Curbello, director of logistics; Michael Lane, manager of organ clinical operations and Patrick Patten, CPSM, manager of purchasing.

“I’m proud to participate in Nora’s Home Golf Tournament because, through my role at LifeGift, I’ve seen firsthand the important role Nora’s Home plays in supporting Houston’s transplant community,” Curbello shares. “This event brings together people from diverse industries to support Nora’s Home and raise awareness of the life-changing impact of organ donation. Participating each year is a meaningful reminder of why our work matters and the many lives we’re fortunate to touch.”

Hospital in the News:
LifeGift Joins Houston Methodist for XXVII Conferencia Hispana

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Houston Methodist hosted the XXVII Conferencia Hispana, bringing the community together for health education and conversations about whole-person care. LifeGift joined the program to help raise awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation, reinforcing the importance of collaboration in sharing information and offering hope to diverse communities.

Barry H. Trachtenberg, MD, FACC, of Houston Methodist, presented “Más Allá del Diagnóstico: Amiloidosis, Ansiedad y el Cuidado Integral de la Persona” (“Beyond the Diagnosis: Amyloidosis, Anxiety and Whole-Person Care”). Rev. M. Oscar Hall, DMin, BCC, senior chaplain at Houston Methodist Hospital, presented “Aspectos Pastorales y Teológicos: Amiloidosis, Ansiedad y el Cuidado Integral de la Persona” (“Pastoral and Theological Perspectives: Amyloidosis, Anxiety and Whole-Person Care”). Together, the presentations explored the medical, emotional and spiritual aspects of caring for the whole person.

Representing LifeGift, Claudia Habib, events & multicultural specialist and member of the Multicultural Advisory Committee (MAC), connected with attendees and shared information about donor registration and the life-changing difference donation can make for individuals and families. LifeGift extends its sincere thanks to Rev. M. Oscar Hall for the invitation and opportunity to participate in this educational program and help share the message of donation and hope with the community.

LifeGift is proud to collaborate with our hospital and transplant center partners to advance organ, eye and tissue donation, bringing hope to the communities we serve in Amarillo, Fort Worth, Houston and Lubbock. Please email us at communications@lifegift.org with any questions or support needs!