Dragonfly Transplant Fund
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Crystal Ellis Shares Her Story

12/8/2022

 
"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.

​I also found Team Iowa through IDN and learned, I was not alone. Through the connections attending the Transplant Games of America, I have been able to meet SO many other people that have had cornea transplants. I love hearing their stories and also being able to be the person for some, I never had for support after my transplant.
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I've recently had to undergo a second cornea transplant in my same eye in October of 2019 with Dr. Greiner at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. I wrote a letter to my second donor family, but I haven't had the opportunity to connect with them. I made sure to let them know the incredible impact their decision had on my life, and that I would live the rest of my life honoring both of my donors. And that's what I do! I start each day with a grateful heart and always count my blessings."
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 -Crystal Ellis, Cornea Recipient

Leslie McCloy Shares Her Story

9/1/2022

 
We had the opportunity to meet Leslie McCloy, Post-Transplant Kidney/Pancreas Coordinator at UIHC at the Iowa Donor Network Donor Dash 5K in August. Leslie has an incredible passion for transplant care and a special story to share, and we are honored to share her story with our Dragonfly supporters:
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"Donation and transplant have been the cornerstone of my nursing career. I had the privilege of working with organ donors and their families through my role at Iowa Donor Network as an organ donation coordinator. This experience led me to my current role as a kidney/pancreas post transplant coordinator, working with our transplant team to guide our recipients after they have received their transplant.

​My recipients inspired me to pursue living kidney donation, and on September 9th, 2021 I was able to donate my left kidney to a man I did not know. He and I both continue to do well after surgery, enjoying simple things like spending time with family and friends.

​I feel like it is within our power to say YES to donation. It was the right choice for me, and it is a powerful creed to believe in."

Register Today To Be A Donor

REPLAY: Q&A with Leslie McCloy and Iowa Donor Network

The Story Behind Blu

10/27/2021

 
Kim and Dave Burdakin, former residents of Muscatine, Iowa, sponsored the creation of Blu. Kim received a liver transplant in 2000 at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.

Blu was created in 2017 by Kim's brother, Jim Hetzler with Hetz Studio, as part of a public art installation and fundraising campaign called K-9s for Cops. The art campaign memorializes Chicago's fallen officers while supporting the families of officers killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.
Jim created Blu in Kim's honor as a tribute to organ and tissue donation. The Burdakin family donated Blu to the UIHC Transplant Center in gratitude for the specialized care that Kim received and to help continue their efforts to raise awareness of the importance of organ and tissue donation.

We are very thankful that the Burdakin family is in support of The Dragonfly Transplant Fund and we love seeing Blu on display at the UIHC Transplant Center!
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Learn More About Kim's Story

What is Deb Brown’s Legacy?

5/9/2021

 
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Photo and Graphic Design by Read Photography in Cedar Rapids, IA
A legacy is a powerful approach to make a lasting difference. It is a way of creating the future you will not see but believe can be.
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"Ultimately, how we live our life defines our legacy. For Deb, she was a great cook and baker who loved to entertain guests. She loved all animals. She was an avid reader (especially cookbooks and magazines). She spent so much time in her gardens. She had many good friends and she had a way of making the people she was with the center of attention.


As I write this today, April 12th, 2021, it is our 41st wedding anniversary. We spent many beautiful years together that were filled with all kinds of memories of family, traveling, and just simply enjoying our home. She left us physically last year on May 10th, Mother’s Day. She left so many good things behind for us. Now that I have had a year to stand back and reflect, one quality of Deb’s stands out to me. Her courage and tenacity was a quality that speaks best for her. Fifteen years ago, Deb took on breast cancer and, from there, she moved forward. Four years ago, she struggled through the process of a successful liver transplant, and she moved forward again. She was a fighter! Through all of the challenges that she faced, she showed courage through each challenge - time and time again.

Together, we hoped The Dragonfly Transplant Fund that we established would help transplant patients, families, and caregivers. It is our way of saying thank you to organ donors - past, present, and future - and also a way to thank the whole medical staff that guided us through the transplant process. This fund is our legacy, what we wanted to give back for all that we received, and how we both want to be remembered. Most importantly, it is a way of creating the future...Deb’s legacy, my legacy, and our legacy together."

- Ed Brown, Co-Founder of The Dragonfly Transplant Fund


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A Message To Honor of Deb Brown

8/5/2020

 
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"I continue to be moved and inspired by the generosity that Ed and Deb have shown and inspired in others. During her lifetime, Deb was the symbol of what it meant to be resilient and to conquer the challenges life and health threw at her -in particular related to her organ transplant - as they were many. She felt strongly about helping others in her same situation be more resilient and the Dragonfly fund is what was born from that belief. Deb felt so strongly that this cause continue beyond her own days and made it part of her own legacy through her estate.
 
Now, in her honor, Ed and all who give to the Dragonfly fund continue to champion the resiliency of transplant patients and families by supporting the work of our Health Care Heroes at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics through the Dragonfly Fund for Transplant Support."


Alli Ingman
Assistant Vice President, Health Sciences Development
The University of Iowa Center for Advancement


How to Make a Donation in Honor of Deb  Brown

To make a donation to the Dragonfly Transplant Fund through the University of Iowa Center for Advancement in honor of Deb Brown, please click the link below. 
Give Now

A Letter from Logan

7/24/2020

 
Last week, we received a donation with a very special letter included. Thank you to Logan for thinking of us with the Dragonfly Transplant Fund. Your donation means so much to us and the lives of those we hope to improve over the years ahead. 
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"As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other for helping others." - Audrey Hepburn

In Memory of Deb Brown

5/12/2020

 
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To make your donation in memory of Deb Brown, co-founder of the Dragonfly Transplant Fund, please send your donation to the address below or click the link to be directed to our online giving platform through the University of Iowa Center for Advancement:
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Dragonfly Transplant Fund
In Memory of Deb Brown
260 33rd Ave SW, Ste M
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
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Donate Online

Special Messages from the Dragonfly Transplant Fund

“In 2017, when Deb and I decided to establish the Dragonfly Transplant Fund, we had a lot of goals we wanted to accomplish. We wanted to give back, to thank the UIHC team, to promote organ transplant, and to thank our donor. One very important goal was to build something that would live on into the future. We found a niche that a transplant resource center and lounge at UIHC would serve our purpose. The fund has grown to lay the ground work for achieving our goals and will continue on in the years to come. With Deb’s passing this spring, the perpetual torch has been lit - the Dragonfly Transplant Fund will live on into the future! If nothing else, it has been fired up by the support we have received during this difficult time for our family, friends, and supporters. With focusing on helping the families and caregivers of transplant patients, the effect on the overall program will only improve from here. Deb is the matriarch and inspiration; she is the Dragonfly." 

- Ed Brown, Co Founder of the Dragonfly Transplant Fund
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"Deb and Ed started the Dragonfly Transplant Fund (DTF) to honor the gift they had been given and to offer back to those in the greater transplant community where they saw a glaring need – a vision of a place for caregivers to find a nurturing environment while their love ones were recovering from transplantation. Deb enjoyed several years of good health and spirit following her transplant and she and Ed were able to live life to its fullest following her recovery. Deb is no longer with us, and while we share deeply with Ed and his family in their loss, we also share in their commitment to Deb’s unwavering legacy and see the DTF through to its completed mission. Together, they were a force of nature. The UI Organ Transplant Center and the Center for Advancement are eager to help Ed and his close circle of support in this effort." 

- Dr. Alan Reed, Director of the UI Transplant Center & Alli Ingman, Assistant Vice President - Health Services Department of the University of Iowa Center for Advancement
Read More About Deb Brown

Happy Anniversary to Deb & Ed Brown!

4/16/2020

 
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The founders of the Dragonfly Transplant Fund, Deb and Ed Brown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, had a special reason to celebrate on Sunday, April 12th. Not only was it a very special Easter, but they were celebrating their wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary, Deb & Ed! 

Send your well wishes to Deb and Ed by email via the link below.
Send Your Message

"A Boy of Many Gifts"

1/7/2020

 

Charles City youth wrestler gives gift of life through organ donation

CHARLES CITY - Logan Luft wanted to be a state championship wrestler. Tragically, that won't ever happen for Luft, but the 15-year-old Charles City native will be remembered forever as a champion of life.

Thank You

12/11/2019

 
It’s been almost two years since the Dragonfly Transplant Fund was founded. We have said "thank you" multiple times to many of you over the last two years, but as the year comes to a close, we want to say it again: THANK YOU! 

We are just the spokespeople for the mission of the Dragonfly Transplant Fund. All the organ donors, the recipients, and the great medical staff at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics are the reason we work towards the goals of the fund. At the end of the day, the organ donors, the recipients, and the UIHC medical staff are the ones who will make the Dragonfly Transplant Fund's mission and vision to become a reality. They are the true heroes.

As we have become more involved with the transplant cause over the years, we have met groups of people and organizations that have the same heart as we have. The thing we remember is: yes, we can do more and we can make a bigger impact! And we can do even more together. 

In 2020, we will continue to grow the Dragonfly Transplant Fund and inch closer to our goal of a caregivers' suite and providing a tool for education and assistance to transplant patients and their families. Our website is constantly changing and we will be active on social media by year-end – keep checking us out. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your past, present, and future support of the Dragonfly Transplant Fund. Happy Holidays! 

Sincerely,
​Deb & Ed Brown
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    Authors

    Volunteers with the Dragonfly Transplant Fund established by Ed and Deb Brown are dedicated to supporting the UIHC Organ Transplant Center through giving. We share their stories, fundraising efforts, and memories here with followers, friends, and family who support the Dragonfly Transplant Fund. 

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    Click here to learn more about the UIHC Transplant Center in Iowa City, Iowa.


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Website sponsored by EJ Brown & Associates

​Contact Us

Phone: (319) 318-2376
Email: dragonflytransplantfund@gmail.com
Mailing Address: 
​260 33rd Ave SW, Ste M, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404
Donate Now! givetoiowa.org/dragonfly 
NOTE: The University of Iowa Center for Advancement is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization where tax-deductible contributions are identified via tax ID # 42-0796760. 
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