Stories of Hope

Unexpectedly stricken with Necrotizing Fasciitis -- a flesh-eating bacteria, Mark spent a month in a coma. Today, he is thankful for the skin and tissue grafts that saved his life, and he spends his days giving back.

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) and kidney transplants were a fact of life when Mary Romero was growing up. When she was 5, her Grandma had a transplant. Then later, her uncle and her dad had transplants as well.

Faced with so many health problems, many people would have given up. But Mike has faced it with courage and determination. Now, with a donated heart, a donated kidney, and enthusiasm, he's moving forward.

After an airborne bacteria infected her right eye, "simple" tasks became impossible for Nancy. Thanks to a cornea donor, she now has her vision and her life back.

Nathan became an organ donor at age 17, donating his liver and both kidneys. He will always be remembered for the lives he saved.

Today, Nathan is an enthusiastic husband, professional, volunteer, and board member thanks to the generosity of three liver donors and a kidney donor.

Nelson's illness came suddenly and quickly led to a life of medications, restrictions, and dialysis. But now, because of the generosity of a donor, Nelson is living to encourage those still on the waiting list.

Nevaeh was diagnosed with Alport Syndrome as a child, but for years it lay dormant. As a teen, it was her knees that gave her problems. This led to her receiving tissue allografts. Now, at 17, she is facing kidney failure.

Nick's bright future came to a tragic and sudden end during a car crash when he was only 18. Through cornea and tissue donation, he enhanced the futures of 52 recipients.

In Kindergarten, Nicole and Anna were such good friends that they pretended to be sisters. But since Nicole donated a kidney to Anna in 2007, they "share" a kidney and the gift of life - a bond they feel is closer than sisters.