The University of Iowa Health Care is celebrating its employees through a week-long event, University of Iowa Health Care Appreciation Week: YOU&I, Together; Changing Medicine. Changing Lives., starting Sunday, May 7 – Saturday, May 13.

​Throughout the week, UI Health Care will host various activities, wellness events, and more to recognize and acknowledge the hard work their teams do every single day, year-round serving all our communities across Iowa and beyond.

Will you join us in celebrating them by helping spread awareness about this initiative with your communities? Support them today at https://uigoldrush.org/healthcare.

Rain or shine, we were going to walk to support Iowa Donor Network at the Green 5K - and we did!! 💚 

The Green 5K is Iowa Donor Network's largest fundraising event to support their mission and life-saving programs. Over 106,000 men, women and children are waiting for an organ transplant in the US right now. Our Dragonfly Transplant Fund team is happy to be a part of a community that is determined to end the wait!

We walked to HONOR those who have given the gift of life, to CELEBRATE lives saved and healed, and to SUPPORT those waiting for a life-saving transplant. THANK YOU to those supporters who walked/ran with us on Saturday, May 6th in Des Moines.

Want to support Team Dragonfly? It's not too late! Make your donation to our IDN Green 5K team below.

Mark your calendars for Friday, August 18th, 2023! We're excited to return to Blue Top Ridge Golf Course at Riverside Casino and Golf Resort in Riverside, Iowa for our 6th Annual Dragonfly Transplant Fund Golf Outing and Fundraiser. 

This four-person scramble will have an 11:30am shotgun. Foursome and sponsorship registration is now open! Add the event to your calendar via Facebook. ​

We are also seeking donations for prizes and silent auction items. Please email dragonflytransplantfund@gmail.com or call (319) 318-2376 with any sponsorship inquiries or to arrange your donation.

In 2018, the Dragonfly Transplant Fund's Annual Golf Outing began. We hosted 38 golfers and raised $5,500. Through this annual fundraising tradition, we have raised nearly $200,000 for the Dragonfly Transplant Fund with the University of Iowa Center for Advancement.
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We are thrilled to be celebrating our 6th year of this golf outing and showing our supporters the exciting projects we have been working on to support transplant nurses as well as patients, their families, and their caregivers at the UIHC Transplant Center. With your continued support, we are one step closer to our ultimate goal of creating a resource center and lounge for the transplant community at UIHC Transplant Center.
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The University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics Organ Transplant Center now has a video portal through YouTube to share more information on the transplant process for patients, their caregivers, and their loved ones. Check out the first video below in the series with an overview of organ transplantation. 
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April is Donate Life Month. One donor can save up to 8 lives through organ dona­tion and save and heal 50 – 300 lives through tis­sue donation.

Are you an organ donor? Tell us your "why" via the link below. 

Not registered yet? Are you ready to change the lives of organ transplant patients?

The Dragonfly Transplant Fund is proud to support the Iowa Donor Network and their fundraising efforts through this year's Green 5K in Des Moines! 

"The Green 5K Fun Run honors those who have given the gift of life, celebrates the lives of organ and tissue recipients, and recognizes those who continue to wait for a lifesaving transplant," explains Iowa Donor Network. "This is a family-friendly event so no matter your skill level the Green 5K is open to everyone. Honor and support those who have been impacted by organ, eye and tissue donation and wear your best GREEN + BLUE apparel to celebrate the gift of life!"

On Tuesday, February 14th, three of our volunteers with the Dragonfly Transplant Fund visited the UIHC Transplant Center to serve a special brunch to their staff. This includes:

• Transplant surgeons
• Transplant medical physicians
• Transplant administrative staff
• Transplant pharmacists
• Nurse transplant coordinators
• Transplant psychologists
• Physician assistants with transplant specialties
• Transplant social workers
• Financial counselors dedicated to transplant cases
• Full resources of Iowa's only academic medical center

The Dragonfly Transplant Fund was happy to serve more than fifty boxed brunches, catered by the Bread Garden Market. This special meal was to celebrate the UIHC Transplant Center's success in 2022.

"We handed out the {boxed brunches} and I was able to personally talk with at least a dozen of the Transplant Center team members," said Darrin Yuska, Dragonfly Transplant Fund volunteer. "Everyone was so apprecative and we would definitely do this again for them. They deserve it."  

Last year alone, there were 115 organ donors and 979 tissue donors registered in Iowa. The total number of organ transplants was 347!!! Our volunteers would like to again congratulate and thank the UIHC Transplant Center team for what they do every single day to make this happen.
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The Iowa Donor Network just released their 2022 annual report. Highlights from this past year include:

• 115 organ donors
• 979 tissue donors
• 347 organs transplanted

What a year in the world of organ and tissue transplant! Thank you to IDN and all of their staff as well as volunteers that support transplant patients, their caregivers, and their families.
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"I had my first cornea transplant in 2005 with Dr. Jacobs at Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was a scary whirlwind. I didn't know anyone else that ever had a cornea transplant and I felt completely alone afterwards. About six years after my transplant, I had the amazing honor of meeting my donor's family. We celebrate birthdays, holidays and most importantly, my donor Jarren. Becoming a volunteer for the Iowa Donor Network was also life changing for me. My donor's mother and I share our stories and volunteer for IDN and the Iowa Lions Eye Bank together. I love being able to educate people on myths about donation and hear that because of me, or my donor's mother, they're going to reach out to their donor or loved ones recipient. If that doesn't give you goosebumps to hear.

In 2022, the Dragonfly Transplant Fund was able to collaborate with the nursing staff at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Organ Transplant Center to create a special patient care bag, also called a "swag bag." This care bag is given to transplant patients and their families as they conclude their stay at UIHC during the transplant process.

The bag is a reuseable bag with a few resources and tools for them to take home, including:

• Blood pressure cuff
• Thermometer
• A special pillow
• Information on the Dragonfly Transplant Fund and organ donation