Stories of Hope

Inspirational stories open up pathways for connection, hope, love and second chances. These stories feature individuals in our community who have been impacted by donation and transplantation, and who have been highlighted in our annual LifeCenter Calendar, bring to life the ways in which people support each other, especially through challenging times and turn their stories into hope.
  • All
  • Donation Champions
  • Donor Families
  • Living Donors
  • Organ Recipients
  • Tissue and Cornea Recipients
  • Waiting
Tissue and Cornea Recipients

June: Sgt. Keith Belcher, Tissue Recipient. 8-years post-transplant. Featured in 2014 Calendar.

I am a police sergeant with the City of Milford. I received my Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tissue graft in 2014. I was injured while …

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Living Donors

May: Hillary and Bea Weidner, Living Liver Donor and Recipient. 6-years post-transplant. Featured in 2017 Calendar.

My life would be vastly different without donation. Our oldest daughter, Beatrice, was born with a rare liver disease and at six months old she …

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Organ Recipients

April: Taiquese “Tater” Hicks, Small intestine, Pancreas and Liver Recipient. 11-years post-transplant. Featured in 2011 Calendar.

Tater is a multi-visceral (small intestine, liver and pancreas) transplant recipient. He received his lifesaving transplant back in April of 2010. Before transplant, his life …

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Organ Recipients

March: Glenna Bertsch, Kidney Recipient, 13-years post-transplant. Featured in 2012 Calendar.

September 22, 2021 marked my 13th year post transplant. It’s been an incredible journey and this journey has only been possible because of the superhero …

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Organ Recipients

February: Tony Mankus, 24-year post-transplant. Featured in 2010 Calendar.

I was honored to be a participant in the 2010 LifeCenter calendar. At that time, I had been a heart transplant recipient for 12 years, …

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Donor Families

January: Dee Dee Mitten, Organ Donor (1967-1991). Featured in 2005 Calendar.

January 25, 1991. The last day I would experience as a “normal” life, a life without grief. A day I would consistently go back to …

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