Hello everyone and welcome to the Get to Life podcast where we have conversations about organ, tissue and ideonation. I'm Maurice Steele and I'm a community educator with the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency or LOBA. And I'm Joey Boudre, I'm the Chief Clinical Officer at FOUR LOBA. And I am smiling big as you can probably hear because it's this week we are so thankful it's Thanksgiving it's time to let people know what we are thankful for and we are thankful for those families that work with us each and every day to help make life happen.
Absolutely. It's amazing. It is amazing and I'm also very thankful for having a big full belly right now. Yes!
I didn't go up so... Just putting that out there. It's a lot of really good events Laurie of course you know over the past couple two or three months and you guys are going to be able to hear some nuggets from some of our volunteers, also some of our co-workers, a little bit about donation and how it's impacted them. You know it's been great.
We've been hearing so much feedback about this podcast. We ask people, hey let people know about it, download it, do what you can. We have new listeners who are coming forward and they say we didn't know it was out there but we are learning so much just as you and I are each and every day from partnering with these folks out in the community. It's just an amazing process and we're easy to find.
We are easy and I always get you know even from family and friends you know, hey how do I find us on iTunes, Pocketcast, Ditra, TuneIn, BeyondPod and Miro. You're like a little expert now about all this huh? And guess what Laurie, we've actually gotten another big player coming. Google Play music has just added podcasts to their library.
That sounds very impressive. Of course our IT department as good as they are. They signed us up. Yeah Troy was smiling very very big because he's going to open new doors not only for this podcast but for folks hearing and learning about donations starting those healthy conversations so we are thankful for that.
And look we're on Facebook as well. It's Donate Life Louisiana so a lot of things that we talk about here on the podcast you can actually see pictures from different events and different things that we mention. Also Twitter, Instagram, we're at Donate Life LA so get involved, do what you can, spread the word today as we said we're thankful. So you'll be hearing from those who are with us in the trenches day in and day out trying to make life happen and just spreading donation awareness.
Absolutely and of course as we have in the recent past we've got Sally with our family services. Oh Sally that girl yes. And she's going to talk to us a little bit about grieving and of course the holidays. Yeah it's tough with the holidays coming around but she always leaves us with a nugget and so can't wait to talk to her as well.
And you know honoring a hero one of our favorite parts of the podcast will do that as well here on the gifted life. Well this is a special episode of the gifted life because it is Thanksgiving week. We are thankful and we know that the folks that we work with are thankful and they want to be vocal about that as well. Now we deal with donor families recipients those waiting on transplants and this is where Sally plays a big part with us.
There's a lot of emotions around any holiday but when you start getting into it and there's different people on different sides of donation. What say you when it comes to that? Well the holidays are a very difficult time for many of us let alone if you have lost a loved one or if you're waiting on a transplant or maybe if you've just received a transplant and you're just thankful that you're here and grateful that the people had suggested donation. I know speaking specifically for the donor families it's difficult because you're thinking of your loved one and the times that you've had with them in the past over the holiday seasons and how much you do miss them at this time.
We just want you to know that family services here is available for you or if you would like to give us a call or perhaps go on our website and leave us a message and email. We'll be glad to give you a call and perhaps refer you to some local resources that might be of help to you during this time. But I think it's very important for you to know that we appreciate so much what you all have done to help others and that it's time for good memories and warm memories of your loved one and to be sure and take care of yourself during this time of the year. And it's so touching to me I know that you've been out in the community as well.
Libby, Nyla's getting out involved as well and that's our family services division which is very powerful but you can see the connection made as you guys help transition these donor families through this difficult time and so we can see that there's a definite connection when it comes to family services at LOPA and it comes to these families who have said yes to donation. Well we take a great deal of pride in being available to our families. It's basically how we decided many years ago to take this program and put it into the hands of the families and what can we do to help them. And you know one of the things Laurie you know we talked about will be hearing from some of our events or some of the people that were at our events when I'm at these events and I witnessed I'm able to witness the you know the conversation some of the conversations that the families have with Libby and with Sally.
It's a connection. It's powerful. It's a connection there. They are absolutely an extension you know of them as a family.
You can feel it is powerful. Oh absolutely. You know just recently we had a you know a gift of sight and life service at in Baton Rouge and there were so many families that went up there and you know share a little bit about their loved one but there was some that were there. It was very recent you know that their loss had occurred and you can see even with those that were very recent there you know connection that they had with Sally and to be at that time.
It was it's really amazing what we do. And I'm proud to be a part of it as well and it is just something to see and I don't know how you feel I know you deal with lots of different families and help them through this difficult time. I mean you guys are pretty special. Well I do appreciate that very much from both of you all but I want you to know that from the very beginning when our LOPA staff talks with the families at the hospital all through the process and then if they do volunteer and working with you Lori talking a few Joey if they have clinical questions that we're not able to answer for them.
I think that just speaks so highly of our organization as a very giving and compassionate set of individuals who want to help folks make it through this grief journey and to be proud of what their loved one has been able to do to help others. And they join forces with us and they want to help celebrate life and they join us at many different events across the state and we could be prouder or more thankful for that. But right now Joe let's just let everyone listen to some of these connections that are made across the state at these different events and hopefully it just inspires you. My name is Hollings Nelson our son I like to end on my son Christian our oldest son died two years and five months ago it was May of 2013 and he saved four lives gave sight to two tissue donations to hundreds from what we understand and first I want to say thanks to Sean Paul for doing this I know how much work how much time I mean this is above and beyond just job for you it's a passion for you and we thank you and the LOPA family from the get-go for us has been our saving grace that he not chosen to be an organ donor I mean I don't know where we be today I mean we have two other children with all our hearts but we're not the same life isn't life is normal but it's a different normal for us and without LOPA to be kind of a safety net for us I don't know where I would be but I'm glad to be here on a Saturday morning with a lot of people to have something in common that I think we all wish none of us had a comp and I think there was a miracle that happened this morning because I think all of our angels got together and saw the forecast and said no it's not gonna happen not today not for anything like this so our hats off to LOPA we do a lot of work in their name in their honor we have our own foundation as well but really it's all about spreading the word not only about a work in donation but a work in donation registration and all starts with get signed up and I know you guys know I don't need to preach the choir but thank God for what but thank you all for being here 18 years ago I didn't even know what donor mom and it's been a long 18 years in some ways it's been very short my son was a donor 18 years ago he saved five lives and gave sight to two people and I have had so many of these donor families today tell me that they could have made it without their LOPA family the same holds true for me I had a little family 18 years ago it was just a really tiny family at that time we're growing so thank you all for being out here and for honoring your hero and letting us get to know them just a little bit thank you for sharing them with us our son Kelly Terrio passed away it'll be three years on the third which is a couple days from now on the fourth the rec happen on the third he was able to donate his arguments he saved five people by the way of organ donation and two people in sight from his eyes he's still living today you know whether he's he's not here in person but he is here he is here he is here saving the lives of these other five people we were able to meet the heart recipient my wife was able to meet the lung recipient during the year we've had contact with the guy that has his pantry as a liver so we know our son is still there he's still love he's still going his job but miss Libby said without the helping support of the family the local family there's no way way we could could even be here today you guys have been so much support for us but just on the support side of it these people here are really got sent for us because they kept us they kept us same as strange it is but thank you for being there for us thank everybody for coming up today for supporting this great cause and keep spreading the word to our nation that's what it's all about that's why we're here today thank you hi I'm Ginger Timino my son down my son down just died four months ago my name is now a typical we couldn't have made it without the local family really it's hard but I am donating organs and I made it a little less hard on us you know we've got contact with one of the ladies that got his kidney we're hoping to be up here for the other people my daughter is a 25-year-old sister pregnant patient and she's two years post-transparent at time transplant thinking for about two months to live and I can't think your family's enough I know what you go through I almost lost a child of my own she has a two-year-old son which she was not supposed to be able to have I guess he's kind of our miracle we I've always been an organ donor myself way before Stephanie but we have since Stephanie really tried to educate and get as many people as we know to pass along to become organ donors because of how important it is and I just want to thank all of your families from the bottom of my heart because it wasn't for families lucky but I've been here I know that you all have gone through great loss and it's it's a hard decision but I really appreciate everything that Loba does for the recipient families as well as the donor families and thank you all so much for the bottom of my heart for a safe little girl all right Cheryl Mercedes here at WFB we had the runway run for life yeah this is our fifth annual this is your fifth annual yes yes I've been here since the beginning Laurie asked me to come on board and I am a runner and what a better event to run for is for organ donation I am an organ donor and my brother passed away I learned how important that was for someone else right so you know that is a huge and I feel like you know since we've had this event a lot more people are encouraged to get that harder than a license plate or on their license yeah and a lot of it is from you use your local celebrity for good yes we can't thank you enough we know it's early on a Saturday it takes a lot of your off time but you do it and you know what it's not that big of a deal anyway because if that ruse is a huge health initiative and to come out for an event like this to support something you know is even better it encourages more people to get in shape as well as bring awareness to such a good cause well we certainly appreciate you year after year and we hope to see you next year I'll be here yeah absolutely all right hey everybody thanks so much for coming out I think we always have a good time coming out I had a liver transplant in 2009 and was doing really good for six years and then it went into failure and I had a liver and kidney transplant just six months ago I am doing great I'm feeling great but I really think we all need to look around and look at your neighbor click to your state and next to we're all family here somebody said yes to organ donation and that's why all of us are alive today without that generous gift none of us would be here so it's really thanking each other it's supporting each other and it's all about family and friends and saying yes to organization and getting your heart under license it's literally a miracle that I'm standing here I was given 72 hours to live and was in a coma and I was told I probably would not live and I did and it's because someone said yes to organ donation and I thank God every day that I'm alive just be here to spend this time with you I consider my family thank you hi I'm representing team Debbie made up of my family right back there Debbie was my grandmother and she had a double lung and heart transplant in the 80s and the ten years later had a kidney transplant and I never would have met her if it weren't for her heroes I wish she would have died before I was born and she is one of the most influential in my life and shaped who I am today and I'm so thankful for everyone who made that decision to donate life and to to make that self-assision that others live so to everyone here who is part of a donor family thank you so much from the bottom my heart we are so thankful that we've got 19 extra years of my grandmother that wouldn't have been possible without people like you.
Hey everyone I'm Savannah I'm Ms. Lori introduced me earlier I'm currently a freshman at Southeastern and I'm majoring in nursing last year on May 31st I had a liver transplant and I haven't been able to be here today without it I just really want to thank everyone that's out here today to support such a wonderful cause because without my second chance I don't know where I would be today and I've had the opportunity to start school I can hunt fish again myself again I'm there for my family my friends and I'm able to share my testimony with everybody and really promote organ donation awareness since that's what saved me I just want to thank you all for being out here today and I hope you all enjoyed it and I know the jump line was awesome so make sure you get some. Actually I'm here to honor my dad Dennis my dad passed away a year and a half ago I tried to get in free at home he fell his head on an in-table and three days later he passed away while we were sitting in the hospital I had a call to my friend Shelly because her sister also was a donor and she helped me and my family talk through this process and believe the team was there and gave us nothing but support so that day my dad became a donor he saved the lives of three men at this point I feel blessed and honored that my dad was able to donate his organs and save the lives of those three men I'm not sure why God chose my dad to get that gift but he did and in that process it has helped my family go close together we've grown close together and we've leaned on our faith I connect with Lori and the Lupa team and God knows for a year and a half we've been crazy back and forth with just constant support and awareness for this organization so I encourage you all if you are not currently donors to go ahead and get that cute little heart on your license because indeed you do say lies and it does make a difference well I'm thankful to get to be a part of all of that each and every day it's amazing it's amazing the strength that these families have it amazes me the energy that these recipients have they want to pay it forward it's just amazing if you want to be part of the team you know we know that life is busy especially around the holidays but we try to have fun events we try to do things on social media that don't take a whole lot of time you can get involved in any way shape or form we try to make it as easy as possible we do I mean you can go right on our home page Lupa.org there's a big bright orange button that says volunteers on it Lori and you can click on there and sign up I can I can assure you you know you won't be let down anytime you're part of any of these events it is such a positive emotional experience for everyone everyone I talked to you after the trail run was like oh my god I'm coming back I'm guaranteeing you I'm coming back next year it's a good celebration of life it is really what it inspires you it rejuvenates you just a good place to be but another thing that I love about adding new people to our team is that everybody has different ideas they come from different walks of life and so maybe we're not doing something that you think should be done hey you want to hear about that because we want to do it so let us know join our team we'll let you know what's happening in your area no pressure if you can join us we'd love for you to join us and help make life happen it is now time in this get-to-life podcast to remember a hero those that we like to honor and today we are honoring Jeffrey Scott Dennis. Jeffrey was a second of three children he had an older brother Ben and a younger sister Katie he grew up in a childhood in Akhakrish and later moved to Shreveport area he was according to his family very gifted he was very strong academically he was a really a computer whiz they said he was a first one everyone went to if they had any kind of computer issues or any questions or anything like that you know but but the big thing about him is that was he was such a musical talent he grew up with a guitar in his hands you know and then as he got older he learned to play the piano and the bass guitar and the drums and of course everything was self-taught he later kind of became a writer and started writing his own music as he became an adult he married his dream girl Christine Kaspar in 2006 they later in 2009 bought a home entry board and they discovered that she was pregnant for a baby and the unfortunate part of the story one of the unfortunate parts is that he wasn't able to see his baby being born he unfortunately passed later on that year he went to sleep and he never woke up on August 10th of that year new bright light came into the family his son Parker was born his family is so happy that they said we felt that God in his mercy had let us keep a part of Jeff with us and he has survived of course by his family and friends who still agree for such a wonderful man but they they want to say thank you to local for helping Jeff's live on through others it's powerful story you can visit local.org faces of donation look up the name Jeffrey Scott Dennis and you can actually see the precious picture of baby boy Parker that really touches the heart there so check that out you can read his story and other heroes of donation I'm at this point in the podcast let's go ahead and pause and say thank you to Jeffrey Scott Dennis for the gift of life and we have reached the end of this special Thanksgiving edition of the gifted life and as we're all gathered here and talking about how thankful we are received this video for one of our firecracker volunteers and you have to take a listen this is Wendy Lipsey and her cousin Terrace Seville.
Hey we live to hear I'm a recipient of a liver and a kidney and I'm alive today because someone said yes to organ donation and my cousin here got a heart of her license today and said yes to donation and no matter how long you are how far over the speed limits you are you can't do it too I did it for her you do it for somebody else sounds like a winner that's my cousin and I love her thank you so much now that's amazing all right so that's just windy just live and live out there right what do you think oh she's great I love it and then so we received more information when we said hey Wendy this is awesome and she said that Terrace her cousin is 85 and this is the first time in her life she has put a heart on her license. We say it all the time don't rule yourself out man and so just grateful and thankful for Wendy's gifts Wendy's always paying it forward that's amazing and inspiration. Yeah I know so guys it's Thanksgiving week we talked about how thankful we are to be a part of this team part of this family how thankful we are for our volunteers and we hope that folks listening you know learn a little bit and are thankful as well for the gift of donation and I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving absolutely Sally I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving had a wonderful Thanksgiving and happy holidays and just thanks for partnering with us be a part of the team spread the word it's really easy just a click follow us on Facebook do what you can and we really appreciate you listening to the gift of life