Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network is proud to serve as the federally
designated not-for-profit agency that coordinates organ and tissue donation
and supports families of donors in the northern three-quarters of Illinois and
northwest Indiana.
Dee’s Story
Dee with her husband Jim
Donate Life Illinois volunteer, Dee Tilton, has a remarkable story to share. Dee is a recipient wife and a donor mother, and she also has been a Donate Life Illinois volunteer for more than five years.
Dee’s donation and transplantation journey began 19 years ago when she met her husband, Jim Tilton, who is a 20-year kidney recipient. It was because his donor’s family said “yes” to donation that Dee and Jim have had 19 wonderful years together. “We want to give back and help others. Jim was given a healthy life by his donor’s family, and we are very grateful to them,” Dee explained.
New Life Rises at 2010 Rose Parade Every year families of organ/tissue donors and transplant recipients gather at the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California to honor those who gave the gift of life through organ and tissue donation. This year, one donor’s wife, Anne Gulotta, had the opportunity to participate in the event. To view the video from her experience, click here.
Federal Grant Helps Increase Registrations Among 18-Year-Olds The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services awarded Illinois’ Secretary of State’s Office, in partnership with Gift of Hope and the University of Illinois, a grant to help increase the number of 18-year-olds who register to become organ/tissue donors. To read more about this grant project, click here.
Israel Revamps its Priority System
for
Organ Donation In the U.S. everyone has an equal right to receive an organ donation; however, in Israel, new priority is given to those who are registered and to those whose family members were donors. To read about this unique priority system,
click here.
Rose Parade Video
Two local families honor their loved ones who gave the gift of life through organ and tissue donation at the Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA. To watch the video from the parade, click here.
2009 Donor Family Tribute Event Every year Gift of Hope’s donor families and friends gather for a special day of hope and remembrance to honor their loved ones who became organ/tissue donors. This year, more than 700 people attended on September 12, to hear inspiring stories and view a memorial presentation. To see the videos from this extraordinary day, click here.
Gift of Hope has moved! For the address and directions to our new facility, click here.
Donor Father Urges You to Register Donor family member Tim Joos recounts the tragic loss of his young daughter, Samantha, who helped enhance the lives of others through tissue donation.
To hear Samantha’s story and learn how you can register to be an organ/tissue donor, click here.
“When I Needed an Angel”
Inspires Listeners to Register The music group, All-4-One, is debuting their new hit single, When I Needed an Angel, as a way to help bring awareness to organ and tissue donation. Proceeds will be used to help educate about the importance of organ and tissue donation and the need to register as donors. You can help by downloading the song from www.itunes.com and registering to become a donor. To read more about this inspiring project, click here.
Chicago White Sox Want You to Register Donate Life Illinois and the Chicago White Sox team up to spread the word about organ and tissue donation. Former White Sox pitcher, Ed Farmer, received a kidney transplant in 1991, and is now urging people to help save lives by registering to be donors. To hear Ed’s radio commercial, click play below.
