LifeGift Feel Good Fridays

Student Athlete's Selfless Organ & Tissue Donation: A Life-Saving Legacy

In a heartwarming testament to the power of selflessness and compassion, a college student athlete has emerged as a real-life hero by saving numerous lives through organ and tissue donation. This young man’s story sheds light on the incredible impact one individual can have on the lives of others even in the face of adversity.

Graylan Spring was a dedicated college student attending Stephen F. Austin State University and known not only for his prowess on the football field but also for his unwavering commitment to making a real difference in the world. “He worked hard in the classroom studying Business/Entrepreneurship,” shares his mom, Krista Spring. “Graylan was a modern-day superhero. He was strong and fierce as well as caring and loving. Graylan always thought about others’ feelings and took care of those younger and less fortunate than himself.”

Tragically, his life was cut short nearly a year ago due to an 18-wheeler accident. Graylan’s legacy lives on through the incredible act of organ and tissue donation.

Graylan's decision to become an organ and tissue donor has had a profound ripple effect, touching the lives of many individuals who were in dire need of life-saving transplants. His heart now beats in the chest of a grateful recipient and his kidneys have provided the gift of renewed life to two others. Graylan's tissue donations also have been used to enhance the quality of life for numerous patients, offering them the chance to regain mobility and vitality.

This college student athlete's story serves as a poignant reminder that even in the face of tragedy, acts of kindness and selflessness can leave an enduring legacy. Graylan's decision to donate his organs and tissue has not only saved lives but also inspired countless others to consider becoming donors themselves. He is a testament to the profound difference one person's generosity can make in the world, highlighting the importance of organ and tissue donation in transforming tragedy into hope.

National Hispanic Heritage Month: Sharing the Importance of Organ, Eye & Tissue Donation

National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed annually from September 15 – October 15. This is a special time to celebrate and honor the generosity of Hispanic donors and their families while also underscoring the critical need for people from this diverse community to register as organ, eye and tissue donors.

It’s important to note that Hispanic Americans have high rates of diabetes and heart disease which can lead to the need for a kidney or heart transplant. Currently, about 21% of the total candidates waiting for transplants are Hispanic American while about 15% of Hispanic Americans are registered organ donors.*

Since one-fifth of patients on the waiting list are of Hispanic heritage, it’s critical that we work to increase the number of Hispanic American donors. To encourage donor registration, there is a need for more awareness of organ donation within this population. With multicultural communities being one of the larger groups in need of organ transplants, it’s imperative we work to increase the number of registered donors.

Please join us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) to help us support our Hispanic communities while sharing the important message of organ, eye and tissue donation. We also want to recognize the clinical teams continuing their dedicated work during this time to help honor the gift of donation and save the lives of those waiting for a second chance at life.

During National Hispanic Heritage Month, there’s no better time to raise awareness in your community about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation and how you can help. Start sharing; it’s never too late to save a life!

Source: Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network

The American Association of Tissue Banks Recognizes LifeGift’s Tissue Team

LifeGift’s abstract and corresponding digital posterboard have been accepted by The American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) and will be displayed at this year's annual national conference, September 17-20, in National Harbor, Maryland, and in the conference app and website.

The 2023 AATB Annual Meeting recognizes outstanding research conducted in the tissue banking community. LifeGift’s tissue department continually has focused upon improving performance metrics with a critical emphasis placed on control of contamination, meaning reducing growth of microorganisms on tissues recovered, which equates to more transplantable tissue and more lives saved. LifeGift has completed numerous studies and plan-do-study-acts (PDSAs) with proven results and wanted to showcase the study and results on a national level with the goal of helping organizations to adapt or adopt existing practices to improve quality and performance metrics to save more lives if less tissues are discarded due to preventable contamination events.

"LifeGift’s recent submission summarizes the PDSA we began in 2019 that introduced an innovative and alternative recovery method of the hemi-pelvis that we hypothesized would lead to a decrease in microbial growth; the results show that it did significantly!” shares Emmitt Savannah III, LifeGift’s manager of tissue recovery and research training. “Not only that, but an internal survey showed added benefits to the recovery method that positively impacted LifeGift’s tissue team training and yielded favorable results overall.”

This isn’t the first time LifeGift has submitted an abstract/posterboard to AATB. “We've submitted several over the past few years, including the Physical Assessment Workshop that was a multi-departmental effort summarizing the work and efforts to train team members responsible for performing physical assessments on organ and tissue donors, how we sustain and satisfy annual competency and how we trained the trainers to conduct the workshop,” adds Savannah. “In addition, we submitted an International Tissue Recovery Training that summarized how our Houston’s tissue department partnered with a Canadian tissue bank to train their tissue recovery personnel.”

Congratulations to LifeGift’s Tissue Team!

Sizzling Showdown: Mark Your Calendars for Two Unforgettable BBQ Cook-Offs!

Get your taste buds ready and prepare for a mouthwatering extravaganza as two sizzling BBQ events are just around the corner! The 27^th Annual Amarillo Good Times Celebration Barbecue Cook-Off and the 23^rd Annual Hub City BBQ Cookoff in Lubbock are set to take place on Thursday, October 5, 2023. But it's not just about the food; LifeGift is proudly sponsoring both events. As you indulge in the sumptuous dishes, take a moment to appreciate the significance of LifeGift's efforts to promote organ, eye and tissue donation, giving the gift of life to those in need.

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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 Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock and Amarillo. Please email us at communications@lifegift.org with any questions or support needs!