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This Thing Called Life is a podcast about acts of giving, kindness, compassion, and humanity. Host Andi Johnson, will introduce you to powerful stories about organ, eye, and tissue donation from individuals, families and front-line health care teams, whose experiences will hopefully inspire you and remind you, that while life is hard and unpredictable, it’s also beautiful. We hope this podcast serves as a catalyst for you to register to become an organ, eye, and tissue donor.
Episodes
Tuesday Jun 29, 2021
Tuesday Jun 29, 2021
Advocacy For Organ And Tissue Donation In The Community, an interview with Lincoln Ware on WDBZ
Lincoln Ware and Andi Johnson discuss Life Centers involvement in the community educating and advocating for those in need of a transplant. The key is making sure there is accurate information about donation being discussed and the conversation is driven by facts not myths.
Community Heroes is a special extension of This Thing Called Life’s podcast. In this series we talk to community leaders, share important information about organ and tissue donation and honor those who have been instrumental in saving lives through the gift of donation.
Resources:
https://lifepassiton.org/
https://lifepassiton.org/who-we-are/leadership/
https://www.facebook.com/LifeCenterOH
513-558-5555
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
During episode 23 of This Thing Called Life podcast, host Andi Johnson talks to Bobby Schrichten; He is a manager at the Tissue Services Department and a long-time staff member at the LifeCenter. Andi and Bobby discuss how organ donation happens and the moving parts that contributes to giving the gift of life. Tune in for this important, informative talk!
Episode Highlights:
- Bobby talks about his journey at the LifeCenter, where he joined 15 years ago as a Perfusionist.
- A perfusionist is an individual who is available in the operating rooms and makes donations happen from respective organizations and teams for recovery.
- A perfusionist is also a transporter and logistic role who travels all over to recover organs and bring them back to the center.
- Andi confirms that so much happens for an organ to recover from the patient. Transporting an organ requires a lot of effort; It also has to be matched with a patient in a short period of time.
- Bobby says he took a short time break from the Perfusionist position and joined the community center, which is now a donation support service center.
- The donation support service team manages and deals with all referral aspects of individuals and hospitals.
- Andi informs that the law requires hospitals to report every death to LifeCenter and other organ procurement organizations throughout the country.
- Bobby’s career journey led him to return to his role of perfusionist and after 3 years, Bobby got the responsibility of the Tissue recovery center at the LifeCenter.
- Andi asks Bobby “Before working at the LifeCenter, what did you know about organ or tissue donation?”
- Bobby shares about the EMS program that he has created.
- The person who dies on the scene are tissue donors, not the organ donor, because in order to become an organ donor, you have to be in the hospital.
- Ensuring that his team is emotionally and physically well is the most challenging thing for him at the LifeCenter, because they have to make a recovery and also have to cope with families who have lost their loved ones.
- Andi addresses organ, eye, and tissue donation in regards to the LGBTQIA community. She asks Bobby to share his insights and what the restrictions are around donation?
- Due to a lifestyle that is allegedly associated with gay men, the Tissue Banking industry has decided that we can’t donate tissue, says Bobby. They allow donated organs, but not eye or tissue.
- There are so many tests to make sure that everything is safe and can be transplanted.
- As demand is increasing, we will see many changes in the coming years when it comes to tissue, eye, and organ donation. It will allow more people to help more people, and that’s what is most important.
- The HIV Organ Policy Equity act was passed, and it allows organ donation between HIV-positive individuals.
- Bobby says that due to the HIV act, required organs are available for needed folks to live on, make changes, and be the people in society that they were supposed to be.
3 Key Points:
- Bobby talks about his love to help people, save lives, and change lives forever. He also talks about the motivating factors that push him forward.
- Andi refers to Bobby as a compassionate leader who truly cares for every person on his team. He comes every day and gives everything to the LifeCenter.
- Bobby says he loves everything about LifeCenter, not because of his position but due to the people he works with, the team he has, and the overall mission and vision of the LifeCenter.
Resources Mentioned:
- LifeCenter website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube| Twitter
- Andi Johnson website |LinkedIn
- Organ Donation Website
- Bobby Schrichten | https://lifepassiton.org/who-we-are/leadership/
Tuesday Jun 15, 2021
Tuesday Jun 15, 2021
Melissa Armstrong and Andi Johnson join Liz Bonis for an interview on What’s Happening In Health that airs every Sunday on WKRC TV. This interview focuses on the 40 year anniversary celebration and the planting of live trees at Mt. Echo Park creating the Path of Life. Melissa shares her story of her battle with a genetic kidney disease and how long she has been waiting for a kidney. We all can learn something from this very powerful message.
Community Heroes is a special extension of This Thing Called Life’s podcast. In this series we talk to community leaders, share important information about organ and tissue donation and honor those who have been instrumental in saving lives through the gift of donation.
Resources:
https://lifepassiton.org/
https://lifepassiton.org/who-we-are/leadership/
https://www.facebook.com/LifeCenterOH
513-558-5555
Tuesday Jun 08, 2021
Episode 22: A Family's Journey That Comes Full Circle
Tuesday Jun 08, 2021
Tuesday Jun 08, 2021
During episode 22 of This Thing Called Life podcast, host Andi Johnson talks to Audrey Holtzman, Diversity Outreach and Educator Associate at LifeCenter. Audrey is educating high school kids about organ donations so that they can make an informed decision.
Episode Highlights:
- Audrey is working with LifeCenter as a Diversity Outreach and Educator Associate and recently celebrated her second work anniversary with LifeCenter.
- When students get ready to get their driver’s license, that is when they decide if they are going to register as a donor.
- Audrey wishes to empower young people just to be the best they can be.
- She came to know about organ donation through her brother Henry. Henry had an accident while riding his bike.
- Sadly, Henry suffered severe head injuries and was in ICU with a life support system. Her sister-in-law told Audrey that he was a registered donor.
- The doctors asked Audrey’s mother’s permission to recover Henry’s organs as he was a registered organ donor, and it was his decision.
- The fondest memory of Henry for Audrey is the way he interacted with his friends and the way he loved being a teacher.
- Donation is not a topic that people talk about, which makes her job in high school more crucial because it is a conversation the community needs to have to help save lives.
- Henry saved the lives of 8 people with his choice to donate his organs.
- It is a personal choice to be a donor but people need to have the clear and correct information.
- More conversations about donation and also about the process will help encourage people to be willing to register as organ donors.
- Audrey says, “We do a great job here at LifeCenter to walk our families through the whole process even when we know they are grieving. “
- Andi says it is important to have the conversation with our family members so that if something happened suddenly, the family would know what to do.
- When talking to leaders of different communities and asking what their faith believes about donation, not a single one of them said no we don’t believe in donation because if it is as a gift, it is not against our religion.
- People just need to take a moment to look into the information and get to know what it means, and that could remove apprehension about being able to do something beautiful.
3 Key Points:
- Audrey shares about her life journey. She was born in Liberia, West Africa came to America at the age of thirteen, and in 2016 received American citizenship. Before joining LifeCenter she was a registered organ donor, and it’s been about 10 years now.
- When it comes to organ donation, parents have both cultural and religious thinking. There is a lot of helpful information to consider about being able to donate.
- Andi asks about Audrey’s experience while working in this field, being immersed in the community and talking to people about donation, especially in the community of color and the areas where people are poor and underserved. She inquires “What stood out to talk to them about the donation?”
Resources Mentioned:
- LifeCenter | website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube| Twitter
- Andi Johnson website |LinkedIn
- Organ Donation Website
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
The Path Of Life, For Those Who Donated
Andi joins Radio One’s Lincoln Ware for a conversation about The Path Of Life at Mount Echo park that honors 40 years of Organ Eye, and Tissue Donation. This episode also honors the Nurses in our community for the service they provide.
Community Heroes is a special extension of This Thing Called Life’s podcast. In this series we talk to community leaders, share important information about organ and tissue donation and honor those who have been instrumental in saving lives through the gift of donation
Resources:
https://lifepassiton.org/
https://lifepassiton.org/who-we-are/leadership/
https://www.facebook.com/LifeCenterOH
513-558-5555