Fran Albrecht has dedicated her life to supporting others, but when she was injured in a ski accident, the roles were reversed – and suddenly she needed help. She got back on her feet thanks to a tissue implant from a donor to repair her ACL. “I don’t know if I have the words to express my gratitude for such an incredible gift,” she said. “It has allowed me to continue to be my best in service to others.”

In late 2020, Rebecca Rodrigues got news no woman wants to hear: She was positive for a mutation of the BRCA2 gene, putting her at an elevated risk of breast cancer. This started her on a health journey that led to breast reconstruction with a special graft thanks to the generosity of a donor.

Donation is a gift that is never forgotten. When 18-year-old Avery Kranski died unexpectedly, he was already registered as a donor. In the midst of their grief, his parents honored that decision. “Because of Avery, others get to have their life and thrive. He is going to be here forever. There’s a ripple effect,” said Kari, Avery’s mother.

Graham Rose is a pillar of his Ohio community, mentoring youths of all ages as a wrestling coach. When he tore his ACL, all that came to a halt, and Graham suddenly faced knee surgery. He chose to receive tissue from a donor because it would promote faster healing, enabling him to get back to coaching that much sooner.

“Everybody needs help, even the best of us. Imagine if every person just helped somebody else – somebody outside of your inner circle. The world would never go without.” – Christopher Woody, a living kidney donor who is now being evaluated as a potential liver donor.

Throughout his childhood, Jimmy Januska wanted to be superhero. Instead, he became a real hero at 15 after he lost his life riding on a motorcycle with a family friend. Jimmy's family said yes to organ donation – and as a result, many other lives were saved. "What impacted me the most was probably the letter that I received from somebody who got his kidney," his mother, Theresa said. "She had nine brothers and sisters, and none of them were a match – just Jimmy."