Stories of Hope

Our goal at Donate Life Northwest is to educate and encourage people to sign up on their state donor registry. Why? To offer hope to the parents of an 11-year-old boy given six months to live unless he receives a heart transplant. To give grieving families the knowledge their loved one left a selfless legacy. To join in celebration of lives saved and sight and mobility restored because a person's decision to donate was known and honored at their time of death. Because organ, eye and tissue donation is about one human being offering the gift of life to another. Submit Your Story

Ken Reese

An average kidney transplant lasts between 10-15 years. The kidney Ken received from his mother has lasted 50 years -- still going strong and looking forward to the future.

Young Caucasian woman smiling back at the camera over her left shoulder

Abby Richter

Abby Richter has a promising future ahead of her thanks to a generous liver donor.

Close-up of a smiling Caucasian teen boy with wavy, brown, shoulder-length hair

Wyatt Owens

Wyatt's family always believed in organ donation – and they talked about it. When the time came, there was no doubt that he wanted to give the gift of life.

Black teenage boy wearing a white basketball uniform that reads BEND 10 and he is holding a basketball in his right hand.

Donovan Williams

At the age of 14, Donovan “Dono” Williams gave an extraordinary gift to five strangers: life.

A couple sitting on concrete porch stoop, man on the left wearing blue flannel shirt, woman on right wearing denim jacket, with a gray and brown doggo between them.

Rose Naughtin

Rose’s health journey hasn’t been an easy one, but she is here and healthy thanks to three generous donors.

A smiling Dad, surrounded by a woman and four teenaged children

Greg Tyree

It was during a routine physical for a life insurance policy that Greg learned he was in kidney failure. Now, he's hoping to find a kidney donor to save his life.

Caucasian man with curly brown hair, beard, and glasses, wearing a blue button down shirt and smiling

Kevin Kuhl

When Kevin learned that a co-worker was desperately ill and needed a kidney transplant, he took it upon himself to get educated. Then, he saved her life.

Smiling teen girl with long, curly dark hair

Mandi Christensen

Mandi only lived on this earth for 16 years, but her years were good years – years full of faith, hope, and love that she freely shared with everyone around her.

Smiling young Caucasian man with short dark hair wearing a Portland Trailblazers cap

Mackenzie Hoover

When Mackenzie was just 16, he decided to register as a donor. Almost 10 years later, a tragic accident and brain injury led to him giving the gifts of life and sight.

Smiling, tall Hispanic woman with short curly hair, wearing a red button-down shirt, with arms around a shorter, smiling, long-haired Hispanic woman

Paola Sauceda

For the last 27 years, since she was 3 years old, Paola’s life has been a constant fight for survival. She is ready for a kidney transplant so that she can live the healthy life she has always wanted.