Podcasts

End of Life advance directive and preplanning may be uncomfortable to think about or discuss. Although it may be a topic that is easier to avoid, making those decisions for yourself will help your loved ones at a time when they are in the midst of grief and a highly emotional period. In tragic circumstances […]

Marva was a young women when she came to work at Lifebanc. Although she didn’t have a personal connection to the mission, she loved being part of saving lives. Little did she know that, many years later, her husband would be one of the lives saved by a donor hero when he received a heart transplant.  Listen in as Deacon Kenneth and Marva Smith share their story about […]

A group of geniuses from the Lifebanc Quality Services department created a process called the Whiteboard Walk About to communicate how each department, and ultimately each staff member – plays a key role in the success of Lifebanc and how we are all connected. Lifebanc, and all recovery agencies are highly regulated and to ensure […]

Do you know that 60% of those on the national waiting list are either, African Americans, Hisapanic/Latino, Asian Pacific Islanders or American Indian/Alaska Natives.  But these groups make up less 50% of those who receive transplants.  Also, these groups are less likely to register as OET donors. Linda D. Kimble, Executive Director of Cleveland MOTTEP discusses this […]

No one could imagine how life would carry on when four teenagers from Brunswick, Ohio were killed in a car crash, a day before their high school graduation. Kevin Fox, one of the teens in the car, made the decision two years prior to the accident to be a registered donor. Kevin’s sister, Colleen Fox […]

For 35 years, Lifebanc has coordinate thousands of letters and cards sent to and from donor families and recipients wanting to connect. At the heart of this process is Mary LaRiccia, Bereavement Services Coordinator and Elissa Berman, Sr. Bereavement Services Counselor.  Listen as they discuss the many aspects of communicating and what it takes to connect families touched by donation or […]

Part two of our conversation with  longtime Cleveland TV personality, Jan Jones.  As we learned last week,Dr. Sheldon Artz was an amazing man and his transplant story was certainly dramatic and unique. After his heart transplant, Jan and Shelly shared 15 added years together.  During those years, becoming Lifebanc ambassadors and advocating for organ donation became a passion for them. […]

Their story was magical, like something out of the movies. Longtime Cleveland TV personality Jan Jones and renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Sheldon Artz, or “Shelly” as we came to know him, fell in love and began a journey together that would challenge even the strongest of couples. With a history of heart issues, Dr. Artz was thrilled when a heart for transplant became available. To everyone’s shock, however, the donor heart […]

Being winded and out of breath was unusual for Griff Hill. He and his wife were active and had just returned from a ski trip. Griff went for a diagnostic procedure that turned into an emergency. He was in the hospital for over 30 days and never thought he would require a lung transplant to […]

Mindy Kraft’s life was in jeopardy. For years, she had endured medications, treatments and procedures that allowed her to make it to this point.  She was feeling worse and worse and knew that her options were few.  Doctors said that a liver transplant was the only option left. She was placed on the waiting list, but there […]