Christy Setzke is a donor sister from Wisconsin. Her brother, Todd, was an organ donor after his passing. Christy now advocates on behalf of organ & tissue donation. Most recently, she hosted a Donor Dudes event at Ashland High School in which she spoke to 11th and 12th-grade Medical Science
Tagged as: Awareness
Time to Transplant: Bella’s PSC Story
It all started when Bella Pacini was in first grade. She was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease in which the immune system attacks the gastrointestinal tract. At the time of diagnosis, Bella’s doctors noticed that her liver enzymes were elevated and she would have to undergo additional
CKF Honors Key Donors at Founders Circle Dinner
The evening of August 21st was a special night for the Chris Klug Foundation. The night marked CKF’s Fourth Annual Founders Circle Dinner; an event created to recognize and honor key stakeholders and supporters of the Foundation. The work of CKF is made possible largely because of the generous contributions
Cancer After Organ Transplants
CKF partnered with the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance for this informational post. We want everyone to be safe and healthy to #livelifegivelife Organ transplants are life-saving procedures for many patients, and one organ donor can save up to eight lives. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), there were
Organ Health Spotlight in Time for a Healthy New Year
The winter season is filled with resolutions, analysis, and momentum. Often times, self-reflection and projection can be stressful and chaotic, but motivating nonetheless. In addition to basking in the charm of the new year, it is also a time to consider overall health and particularly, lung health. Lung diseases as
New kidney from life-long friend transforms V.C.’s life
KOKOMO, Ind. —When Todd Gambill welcomes new students to Indiana University Kokomo each semester, he tells them the friends they make in college are likely to become an integral part of the rest of their lives. He knows this all too well after his college roommate recently gave him a new
12th Annual Summit for Life Michael Wells Inspirational Award Recipient
Every year the Chris Klug Foundation Nominates a lucky recipient of the Michael Wells Inspirational Award. The award’s namesake is our friend Michael, a liver recipient who has hiked Aspen Mountain for Summit for Life almost every year since the beginning! As an on-going tradition for the eighth year, we are
When you get to the top of the mountain, keep climbing.
There I was standing under the event banner at the base of Aspen Mountain, with my arms raised joyfully yelling, “Summit for Life!” My husband, Noah, on one side, Chris Klug on the other, alongside a group of extraordinary human beings touched by transplantation. It was the kick-off to one
Someone Else’s Tragedy Saved My Life
It was January 2009, just after ringing in the new year when I first felt ill. After a week of a dull stomach ache, I knew something wasn’t quite right and scheduled an appointment with my family doctor. He assured me that everything was fine and that I was just
Brady and Belichick are NOT Organ Donors
While a freshman in high school I was diagnosed with Polycystic kidney Disease. By my early 30s each kidney had grown to the size of footballs creating a distended abdomen. With all my internal organs pushed and squeezed I began to get sicker feeling like morning sickness. I was vomiting
12