VOLUME 21 ISSUE 2 SUMMER 2018

2 Donor Remembrance Ceremonies

4 DestinyLivesOn

6 RacingtoSaveLives

8 VolunteerwithLifeShare

9 Team NC Heads West

10 DonateLifeMonth

Going Paperless

12 Counselor’s Corner

www.LifeShareCarolinas.org | 800.932.GIVE

269 Lives Saved by Adult Donors

43 Lives Saved by Pediatric Donors *Age 17 and under

312 Lives Saved in 2017

Christa & Jeff Erdle share the story of losing their son Eli

Ella Kate, Heart Transplant

Recipient, Levine Children’s Hospital

Every year, LifeShare has the honor of paying tribute to our heroic donors at our Donor Remembrance Ceremony. It’s a time for family members to reflect, share memories and honor their loved ones who gave the gifts of life and health through organ, eye and tissue donation. They are also reminded they are not alone in this journey, as they hear from other donor families who have walked a similar journey and can truly understand the pain they’re feeling.

HONORING

This year, Charlotte families heard from Christa Erdle, who lost her son Eli at just 6 weeks old. Families in Asheville heard from Steven Brown, whose son Matthew died at the age of 28. The ceremony also helps families see first-hand how transplant recipients not only survive, but thrive and go on to lead happy and healthy lives. To each and every donor family, we honor you, we thank you and we are here to support you in your journey toward healing.

OURHEROES

Transplant recipients show their gratitude

Below: Travis Robinson,

Heart Transplant Recipient, Levine

Children’s Hospital

Transplant recipients show their gratitude

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LIVES ONKind. Loving. Incredible. Beautiful, inside and out. Talented. Compassionate. These are just a few words used to describe Destiny Stafford. Kelly Stafford says her daughter was a happy young woman with a contagious laugh and a smile that could brighten anyone’s day. When she was just 3, she started dancing. That love of dance led to her to become the captain of her school’s cheerleading team. She was Kelly’s bright light and little ball of energy.

OnJuly25,2015,thatbrightlightwentdim.Destinysuffered

severeheadtraumaduringahorsebackridingaccident.Kelly

stayedbyherdaughter’ssideatLevineChildren’sHospital,praying

foramiracle.Twodayslater,Destinydied.That’swhenKellywas

facedwiththedifficultdecisionwhethertodonateDestiny’s

organs.Kellysays,“Iknewinstantlythatthiswaswhatshewould

wantandIalsoknewIdidn’twantanothermomtohavetofeel

thepainthatIwasfeelingatthatmoment.”Kellysaidshenever

lostfaithandsheiscomfortedknowingsixotherfamiliesgot

theirmiracles.“Althoughourgriefwasimmeasurable,wewere

transformedbythehopeandhappinessofthosethatweresaved

byDestiny’sgifts.”

Kellydecidedshewasn’tgoingtoletDestiny’slightstaydimand

shefoundedtheDestiny Lives on Foundation.Injustafewshort

years,theyhaveraised$100,000tohelpotherfamiliestouchedby

organdonation.Thefoundationhostsanannualgolftournamentin

April.ThroughoutJulytheycollecttoys,whicharedeliveredtokids

atLevineChildren’sHospitalonJuly27,thedayDestinygother

angelwings,adayherlovedonescallher“angelversary.”

Today,Destiny’slightonceagainshinesbright.Itshinesthrough

hermother’sdedicationtoraisingawarenessaboutdonationand

helpingotherfamilies.Itshinesthroughthepeoplewhoselives

weresavedbyDestiny.Itshinesthrougheverypersonwhohas

contributed to the Destiny Lives on Foundation.Thankyou,Destiny

andallourdonorheroes,forbeingthebrightlightinsomanylives.

Kelly had the opportunity to meet the recipient of Destiny’s heart, Brandon. Nerves mixed with excitement as she waited for the moment she could once again hear her daughter’s heartbeat and meet the young man carrying on her legacy. The families formed an instant bond. They have spent many days together, celebrating Brandon’s bright future, made possible by Destiny.Above: Kelly hears Destiny’s heartbeat Below: Brandon’s high school graduation

Golf Tournament Toy Collection

Kelly & Destiny

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Destiny’s heart

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Alsco 300, May 26

Mike’s mom, Kathy Queen

TO SAVE LIVESRACING

ForJoeyGase,gettingbehindthewheelisn’tjustajob.It’sachildhooddreamcometrue.It’salso

adeeplypersonalmissiontomakeadifference.In2011,Gaselosthismomtoabrainaneurysm.Just18yearsoldatthetime,hemadethedifficultdecisiontodonatehismom’sorgansandtissues.Sincethen,Joeyhasbecomeastrongadvocatefordonation,partneringwithorganprocurementorganizationsaroundthenationtopromotethecauseonhiscar,givinghopetothoseinaraceagainsttimeastheywaitforalife-savingorgantransplant.

AsasponsorofJoeyGase,LifeShareusedtheopportunitytoturnthe#35carintoatributetoatruehero;amanwhogaveselflesslyinlifeandindeath,DetectiveMikeDoty.AfterDotywaskilledinthelineofduty,hiskidneysweredonated,savingthelivesoftwoothermen.DetectiveDoty’sfamily,friendsandlawenforcementcolleagueswereinvitedtoplaceapainthandprintorheartonthecarinhishonor.Onraceday,theDotyfamilywatchedasthismovingmemorialtoMikehitthetrackandcheeredonGase,whofinishedtheracein17thplace,his5thtop20finishthisseason.

Mike’s family and friends

with Joey Gase

Duringraceweek,LifeSharejoinedtheCircleKSpeedStreetpresentedbyCoca-Cola,onamissiontospreadthewordabouttheimportance

oforgan,eyeandtissuedonation.Duringthe3-dayNASCARthemedstreetfestival,211peoplesigneduptosaveandenhancelivesthroughdonation.

211211DONOR REGISTRATIONS

Mike’s Dad, Bob Doty

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Areyouarecipient,donorfamilymemberorlivingdonor?Maybeyou’rejustverypassionateaboutorgan,eyeandtissuedonation?Thenwewantyoutojoinourfamily!LifeShareisalwayslookingfornewvolunteerstohelpusspreadthewordabouttheimportanceoforgan,eyeandtissuedonation.

Show your Donate Life pride on social media using

#Donate Life

For more information, go to www.LifeShareCarolinas.org/Volunteer

PleasejoinusinwishingTeam North Carolinathebestofluckasthe

yheadtoSalt

LakeCity,UT,forthe2018DonateLifeTrans

plantGamesAugust2-7!Theteamis

madeupof19athletes,includingrecipientso

fhearts,lungs,kidneysandliversand

onelivingkidneydonor.

TheDonateLifeTransplantGamesisamulti-s

porteventforpeoplearoundthe

countrywhohavehadlife-savingtransplants

.Asidefromgivingathletesthe

opportunitytocelebratetheirsecondchance

atlife,thegamesarealsoaimedat

bringingattentiontothecriticalneedformore

organ,eyeandtissuedonors.

LifeShareisproudtosponsortheseathletes

andwewillbecheeringthemonwhen

theyarriveinSaltLakeCity!Tolearnmoreab

outTeamNorthCarolina,meetthe

athletesandlearnhowyoucantakepartinth

e2020games,visittheteam’swebsite

at www.nctalife.org.

CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

LifeShareCarolinas

@LifeShareNC CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS

Members of Team NC at 5K fundraiser

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For 20 years, LifeShare of the Carolinas has been bringing you the latest news through our quarterly newsletter. This newsletter is an important way for

us to link you – our community – to important information about LifeShare and other donation and transplantation news. As part of our evolution, we have made the

decision to go digital.

Starting in 2019, LifeShare Link will be available electronically. You will be able to read the newsletter on our website, LifeShareCarolinas.org/Newsletter. You can also subscribe to receive a copy directly to your inbox by visiting LifeShareCarolinas.org/Subscribe.

If you would like to continue receiving a paper copy of LifeShare Link, please call 704-512-3063 and leave a message with your first and last name, full mailing address and a phone number to contact you should we need to follow up.

Joshua’s Tree, named in

honor of Joshua

Jolly

Rev. Mason Jackson, who has been with LifeShare for just one year, has

been promoted to the role of family services manager. In his previous role, Mason served as a family services specialist/hospital development specialist in the western part of the state. While he will still play an important role on the hospital development team, he

takes on additional the responsibility of leading the team who supports our donor families through the donation and end-of-life processes. Before coming to LifeShare, Mason, a board-certified chaplain, served as a hospital chaplain in southwest Florida. A native of western North Carolina, Mason is grateful to have the opportunity to serve his home community. He has a passion for helping people in times of crisis and is excited for his new role as manager of family services and continuing care. Mason says, “I hope that as our team serves our donor families before, during and after the donation process, families will find peace with death that has occurred and the possibility of new life that comes through donation.”

NAMED FAMILY SERVICES MANAGER

National DONATE LIFE MONTH

MASON JACKSON

Celebrating the gift of life, and thanking those who gave so much.Throughout the month of April, the donation

community celebrated all the heroes who saved lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. Many of our hospitals flew the Donate Life flag in honor of National Donate Life Month. Carolinas HealthCare System NorthEast and Pineville celebrated the gift of life by placing new leaves on their Legacy Trees

in honor of donors from their hospitals. At Mission Hospital, a similar ceremony honored

donors from the northwestern region of North Carolina. Joshua’s Tree was donated and

dedicated in 2017 by the Jolly family, who lost their 21-year-old son Joshua in 2015.

Carolinas Medical Center Donate Life flag raising ceremony

HELP SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY EDUCATION

BymakingafinancialcontributiontoLifeShare,youcanhelpsavelivesbyraisingawarenessoforgan,eyeandtissuedonation.Youmaycontributeinthefollowingways:

• Inlieuofflowers,designateLifeSharetoreceivememorialcontributions

• Inhonorofatransplantrecipient,donororotherlovedone

• InsupportofhelpingLifeSharecontinuesavinglivesthroughdonationandtransplantation

EveryonewhomakesacontributiontoLifeSharereceivesathankyouletter.Ifacontributionismadeinhonorofsomeoneelse,thepersonnamedorthedonor’sfamilyisnotified.

Allcontributionsaretax-deductibleandareusedforpubliceducationpurposes.PleasemakeyourcheckpayabletoLifeShareOfTheCarolinasandmailitto5000-DAirportCenterParkway,Charlotte,NC28208.

GOING PAPERLESS

LifeShareCarolinas.org/Newsletter

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5000-D Airport Center ParkwayCharlotte, NC 28208

Memories…we all have them. Some are good, some are bad. Some memories evoke pain, and others give us joy. Some bring tears to our eyes, while others give us a good belly laugh. When we’ve lost someone

we love, it is important to cling to the positive times we experienced with

them. But it’s ok to acknowledge the not-so-pleasant moments. There is a place for both. Maybe it’s a momentous occasion such as a wedding or the celebration of a significant milestone. Perhaps we remember something our loved one did that just really got under our skin. These are all real experiences, and they all have their place in our stories.

When we’ve lost a loved one, it is important to process our entire experience with that person – both the good and the bad. Writing your thoughts down or sharing them with someone who will listen are great outlets for our feelings. Many people worry that doing so will elicit a lot of emotion – and that is sometimes true, but it is ok. Those emotions are sitting there and they need somewhere to go. Give yourself permission to feel – to laugh, to cry, to remember. If you need someone to talk to, do not hesitate to reach out. I am here for you.

Counselor’s Corner