The Chris Klug Foundation (CKF) recently announced the two winners of our Bounce Back Give Back Awards this year! The annual award recognizes two organ transplant recipients who exhibit an outstanding quality of life post-transplant, whether it is through career accomplishments, participation in sports or hobbies, or simply leading fulfilling
Tagged as: Transplant Recipient
From Sharing a Desk to Sharing a Liver
Written by John Paulsen, liver transplant recipient. Edited by CC Cunningham, CKF Program Manager. One spring day during my junior year of high school, the usual lunchtime banter was abruptly interrupted by one of my friends exclaiming, “Oh my god, Paulsen—your eyes are yellow!” This initial discovery led to months
A Spoke-Tacular Time in Leadville
Written by CC Cunningham. CC Cunningham is the blog writer and Program Manager for the Chris Klug Foundation. …Sorry about that terrible pun, but we did have a pretty awesome time in Leadville, Colorado this past weekend! As is the yearly tradition with our foundation, this year’s CKF charity team
The Most Important Lesson My Brother Taught Me…
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
No Greater Love
Written by Kim Hinsley, Brian Hinsley’s wife and caretaker during his lifesaving liver transplant. Brian is one of CKF’s 2018 Bounce Back Award winners. I’m going to share Brian’s journey from my side, the caregiver’s side. Brian and I have been married for 22 years now. On our wedding day,
Living and Breathing a Love for Life
Written by Samantha Rick, lung transplant recipient and one of CKF’s 2018 Bounce Back Award winners. Edited by CC Cunningham, CKF Program Coordinator. Samantha Rick was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF), a fatal genetic lung disease, when she was just three years old. Sam’s lung capacity slowly deteriorated as she
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
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
Being a Hero is Being an Organ Donor
I have been asked a number of times to tell my story, in writing, of receiving the amazing gift of a liver. And one would think since I have shared it publicly hundreds of times in front of high school students, fellow nurses, and physicians that it would be easy.
Making the Most of a Second Chance
I have been called a hero for being a living donor to my brother Jim. The true hero is Jim, who has made the most of his new kidney and has made a difference in many lives for over 34 years since the kidney transplant. Since then, Jim has promoted