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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!" 
 L to R: Woody Bruhn, Ed Brown, Darrin Yuska 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:
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.  The Iowa Donor Network just released their 2022 annual report. Highlights from this past year include:
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. "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'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."
-Crystal Ellis, Cornea Recipient 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:
 Theresa Moore is a nurse in the Organ Transplant Center at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. She is one of the individuals who delivers the Dragonfly care bags to patients and their families. This is what she has to share about the bags:
In 2022, the Dragonfly Transplant Fund was able to create an endowed fund in honor of Deb Brown through the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. This fund was developed to award scholarships to medical professionals working at the UIHC Transplant Center for specialized trainings, meetings, and other continuing education opportunities to improve the transplant process for patients, caregivers, and families. Andrea Koehler, RN, BSN, Assistant Nurse Manager at UIHC Transplant Center, was the first recipient of the Dragonfly scholarship. We were fortunate to have Andrea present at our 5th Annual Golf Outing and Fundraiser reception. Andrea shares a bit more of her story with us today.
Congratulations to Andrea on receiving this scholarship! We look forward to meeting future scholarship recipients and sharing their stories with our Dragonfly Transplant Fund supporters.
On behalf of our volunteers with the Dragonfly golf committee, we are thankful for each and every one of our golfers, volunteers, sponsors, and donors for contributing to a successful golf outing in 2022! We are thrilled to announce that our total funds raised in 2022 topped last year's funds...  ...in the total amount of $48,925! This amount has been put into the Dragonfly Transplant Fund for transplant support at the UIHC Transplant Center through the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. Our work to continue the vision of the Dragonfly Transplant Fund by creating an engaged community of survivorship and re-birth from end-stage organ failure for pre-, peri- and post-transplant patients and for their caregivers through philanthropy revolves around our focus on the future, including:
 We loved celebrating at Tin Roost in North Liberty with our friends from UICA, Alli and Taylor, and presenting them with the official (BIG!) donation check. We look forward to sharing photos from the golf outing very soon. We look forward to announcing the date for our 6th Annual Golf Outing and Fundraiser in 2023! Small Things, Big Impact
Don't Forget! Download Your Foursome Photo
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:
"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." REPLAY: Q&A with Leslie McCloy and Iowa Donor NetworkWatch the Reception Replay
For those of you who were unable to attend our golf outing, you're welcome to replay the live stream from our reception at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort. The video can be played below or you can also find it on our Facebook page.
Our Golfers
Final Results
We will be sharing photos from Cory John Photography in the coming days as well as our official announcement and final tally of the funds raised from our 5th Annual Golf Outing & Fundraiser. Stay tuned - we are beyond excited to share the results!
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AuthorsVolunteers 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. 
Click here to learn more about the UIHC Transplant Center in Iowa City, Iowa.Archives
September 2023
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