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Bill Getzinger, Tissue Recipient

Bill had always been active, but it wasn't until he injured his right knee while playing a game of flag football in December 2005, that he developed a passion for road and mountain biking, and running. He tore his ACL, and received donated tissue during his surgery, allowing him to recover quickly and return to his energetic lifestyle. Bill was walking the day following his surgery and after one short month of physical therapy, he was cleared to exercise on his own. In March 2006, just a few months after his injury and surgery, Bill bought his road bike. Six weeks later, he competed in the 200-mile Tour of the Scioto River Valley bike ride. Three months following the bike tour, Bill ran in his first half-marathon race with his wife, Abi. He is so grateful for the gift of tissue that's given him the opportunity to return to playing golf, exercising, and walking his dog every day.

Carla Oliver, Kidney Recipient

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

My journey began in 1992. During a routine visit to the doctor, I learned my blood pressure was high. When the medications didn't lower it, I had a biopsy and was diagnosed with a kidney disease that was either inherited or caused by the high blood pressure. I knew I would eventually need a kidney transplant, but in the meantime, I continued to live my life, raising my son and enjoying my marriage to my husband, Michael.

In January 2001, I was forced to start dialysis. I tried not to let it control my life. I was able to continue working and traveling. My family was constantly worried about my health, and I worried that the call that would save my life might never come. I knew there was no guarantee.

But the call did come. It was 5 a.m. on May 22, 2003 and later that day, I received my Gift of Life. I was scared and excited, but I was also sad, knowing someone had just lost a family member.

The December following my transplant, I went on a 7-day cruise in the eastern Caribbean with my mom, and 10 others. It was a celebration of my second chance at life. But, truthfully, every day is a celebration.

When I wrote my donor's family, I wanted them to know how blessed I felt and that their daughter is my hero. In July, I had the pleasure of meeting them personally - and it was the perfect ending to an amazing journey. But the journey will continue as I continue to stay in contact with these new members of my extended family.

Don Blair, Organ and Tissue Donor

We often stated Don (pictured second from left) was a symphony to our souls. He resonated throughout our lives striking every possible note and cord; both major and minor. His life exemplified that symphony. Don was a highly diverse and eclectic individual. He was as comfortable on the football field as he was creating works of art and poetry. He loved life and life loved Don. He was born confident and strong willed, with a high level of energy and a determination to succeed. These attributes were to mark Don's life.

Don was a goal setter who chose to pursue and live out his dreams. Don graduated from Texas Christian University, with a degree in Entrepreneurial Business and a minor in Fashion Merchandising. In the continued pursuit of his dreams, following graduation, he sold his car, took that money and moved to New York City. He talked his way into an internship paying $10.00 a day, convinced he would prove his worth to the company in a short period of time. From that humble beginning, in three short years, he became the Junior Financial Controller for the US division of a ninety million dollar Italian clothing firm. Don was constantly networking, developing relationships and touching lives with his dedication, enthusiasm and love of the chase. We enjoyed living vicariously through his daily emails or phone calls. He was so full of hope and commitment to his future. Even when discouraged, Don was not defeated. His contacts with us were full of his upbeat philosophy as well as constructive criticism of himself. It was Don's hope and desire to impact the lives of others and to be a positive influence in the world. Little did we know how that hope was to be fulfilled.

Don was scheduled to return home to Dayton May 27, 2005 for the Memorial Day weekend. He had become weary of the frantic pace of New York City life and wanted to retreat home and take a quiet break to renew his spirit. Upon arrival to the airport, he learned his flight home was overbooked. Don and his roommate/cousin, Brent, were unable to board the plane together. They chose to re-book their tickets for the next morning with the added incentive of a free voucher for future travel. He was disappointed to be cutting short his weekend home and telephoned to say he missed us and was looking forward to seeing us in the morning......

We received a phone call later that night informing us Don had been struck by a van while riding his bicycle to the store. Brent later joined him at the hospital and called to let us know the severity of the injuries. After speaking with Brent, we realized we needed to be in New York with Don. During the ten hour drive to the city from Dayton we communicated with the hospital staff on a regular basis. Within the first four hours we knew that Don had suffered a non survivable brain injury and had likely suffered brain death. The New York Organ Donor Network was contacted thus starting the wheels in motion to ensure that Don had the opportunity to impact the lives of others. Don's untimely death was defined by sharing a gift of his life. James Adams, an American historian once said, "The greatest use of a life is to spend it for something that will outlast it." exemplifying Don's wishes.

The final chapter of Don's life is defined by saving the lives of the seven recipients of his organs. A single mother who works hard to provide for her family received Don's pancreas. Two people received his kidneys and no longer require frequent and lengthy dialysis treatments. Don's heart remained in the city he loved. A lawyer in New York City is now practicing law with one great "big" heart and a father of five received a portion of Don's liver. A five-month-old baby received the other portion of this organ and now has hope and a future as a result of Don's gift of organ donation. Don has provided the opportunity for over 50 people's lives to be enhanced by his gift of tissues. Don's gift of life to others will outlast his own. He was able to positively impact the lives of so many others who now have the opportunity to continue their lives and leave their own positive mark in the world.

In conclusion, we would like to share a quote found on Don's laptop under "note to self.....":

"DO NOT WAIT FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN TO YOU...MAKE THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU. You are responsible for the majority of your overall happiness: your success, your accomplishments, your life. Take control while you have the time, the resources, and the energy. Practice on being the best possible person you can be. This is your one chance, make it count."

Ian Sanchez, Heart Recipient

Stacy and Harold Sanchez welcomed their third child - a baby boy named Ian - into the world January 11, 2006. The Sanchez household was busy with activity, and three healthy children, until late March 2006. Just two months old, Ian stopped eating well and Stacy became worried. After talking to the family's pediatrician, Stacy and Harold took Ian to Nationwide Children's Hospital. Soon after arriving in the ER, the Sanchez's learned that a virus had likely attacked Ian's heart and he was in congestive heart failure. Little Ian would not be going home to his two older sisters in Washington Court House until his heart healed. Stacy prayed for a miracle - that Ian's heart would get better - but after four weeks in the pediatric intensive care unit, she was told Ian's only hope for survival was a heart transplant. Ian was listed for a transplant April 21, and six days later, on April 27, he received his second chance at life. Stacy says she got the miracle she prayed for when her baby returned home just in time for Mother's Day, but adds not a day goes by that she doesn't think of the donor's family. "They were so brave. Saying yes to organ donation in their time of grief saved my son's life." Now, Ian is a healthy, active preschooler, who enjoys playing superheroes with his three sisters.

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Ryan Zinn, Heart Recipient

In 1988, my life was forever changed when a doctor told me I needed an organ transplant. I had been an extremely healthy boy for 14 years, but it all changed one year as my body began to fail. Somehow, a virus had damaged my heart, and it had become so weak that I could no longer function. We tried rest and we tried medication. But I only got worse. For nine months I continued to lose weight, become more lethargic, and show stronger signs of end stage cardiac failure. Eventually, the medication I took each day to save my heart began to damage my liver. But the final straw occurred as I began my sophomore year of high school. While sitting at the kitchen table, doing my geometry homework, I suffered a stroke. Soon after the stroke, I was put on the list for a new heart. The doctors said it was either a heart transplant... or prepare to die in 6 months. At age 15, I was suddenly confronted with my own mortality.

So I joined the thousands of people nationwide who were waiting for a life-saving transplant. My optimistic personality told me it would all work out. It had to... because I had too many things planned for my life. For most people on the list, the fear of never receiving that new organ consumes their lives as they wait. For me, I could only focus on the day at hand. What little energy I had, I used just trying to stay alive. The ones who really paid the price, who worried each day as they watched me slowly die, were my parents. They sat there helplessly, knowing that the only people who could save my life were strangers who didn't even know I existed. But somehow, we found each other.

After only seventeen days on the list, I was one of the lucky ones. A heart was found and the match was perfect. But as I prepared to enter the operating room with my family praying for my safe return, I realized that another family was grieving over the loss of their son. That family's decision to donate, during the darkest days of their lives, speaks of the courage and selflessness that we all aspire to achieve in our own lives. Every day I live now, each step I take, and every life that I touch is a tribute to my donor and his family.

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