August 2, 2014 – Our journey began! While on reserve duty at Ft Knox, KY I had an unstoppable coughing event, so I went to Ireland Army Hospital where I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I went through several procedures to try and avoid a transplant, but none were effective enough. June 19, 2015- The decision was made to try to keep me healthy enough to get a heart transplant. I entered the hospital on September 4, 2015 (Friday…

It’s been awhile since we’ve posted, but this letter from one of our wonderful Donate Life Ambassadors celebrating their donor is too good not to share on this holiday celebrating love. Dear Valentine in Heaven, I look at this picture and see silly handshakes, goofy dance moves, a shared love of Rocky and cheese curls, and inside jokes that I will never understand. But, I also see a side to each of them that wouldn’t exist without the other. I…

Sorry for the reminder, but it’s almost holiday season in my world. I can’t even fathom how that’s happened so quickly! 61 days until Halloween (if you needed another reminder of how quick the year is going) We had a wonderful picnic in Lexington at Jacobson Park last week where Ambassadors experienced a whole lot of love and friendship. Here’s a Facebook post from a recipient family on how special it was. Tonight we attended a picnic surrounded by fellow…

I’m going to die… One day, hopefully not anytime soon. When I do, I hope I have the opportunity to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. This is exactly what I’ve been telling people when they ask me about my job. Now that I’ve gotten you to read this far, let me introduce myself. My name is Crysta and I work for Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) as a Community Educator. The past 6 months have been nothing short…