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This Thing Called Life is a podcast dedicated to acts of giving, kindness, compassion, and humanity. Host Andi Johnson introduces you to powerful organ, tissue, and eye donation stories from individuals, families, and front-line healthcare teams. These stories are meant to inspire and remind you that while life can be challenging and unpredictable, it’s also incredibly beautiful. We hope this podcast inspires you to connect with our life-saving and life-healing mission.
Episodes
Tuesday Apr 29, 2025
Tuesday Apr 29, 2025
Episode Summary
In this heartfelt episode, we sit down with Gretchen Starnes, Family Aftercare Manager with Network for Hope (Louisville), an organization that also supports families after the loss of a loved one through organ donation. Gretchen shares the deeply human side of her work—walking with families through the grief process, offering comfort, connection, and compassion in the wake of profound loss. We explore how the gift of life through donation can bring a measure of hope to unimaginable sorrow, and how Gretchen and her team help families navigate that journey with care and grace.
✨ Episode Highlights
- Gretchen Starnes discusses her role as a Family Aftercare Manager at Network for Hope.
- She describes the Aftercare Department’s mission to support donor families and ensure their needs are met with compassion and understanding.
- Gretchen shares her personal journey, beginning as a Family Support Worker and transitioning to Aftercare, highlighting the critical role of empathy in her work.
- She reflects on working with grief and the full spectrum of emotions that come with it, reminding us: “There’s nothing wrong with you when you’re grieving.”
- Andi asks Gretchen about the myths and misconceptions surrounding grief and bereavement support.
- Gretchen explains that support systems often fade after the first year of loss and shares her experience that, for many, the second year is even harder.
- The organization offers 15 months of ongoing support through mailings, in-person meetings, and online resources.
- Families find healing and comfort in sharing stories, memories, and legacies of their loved ones.
- Donor families play a vital role in encouraging and supporting newly bereaved families through direct connections.
- Gretchen talks about the emotional challenges donor families face when reaching out to donor recipients and how the organization offers guidance through that process.
- They reflect on the powerful impact of the Holiday Honor Walk, which brings donor families together to foster connection, support, and healing.
- Gretchen emphasizes the importance of saving lives through organ donation and the value of being surrounded by a strong, supportive community.
- She also highlights the importance of self-care, a healthy team environment, and emotional support to navigate the difficulties inherent in this deeply meaningful work.
📝 Key Takeaways
- Gretchen Starnes shares insight into her work as a Family Aftercare Manager at Network for Hope and the organization's mission to meet the needs of donor families with compassion.
- She and Andi explore the realities of grief, the range of emotions involved, and the common myths and misconceptions about supporting grieving families.
- Gretchen explains how donor families approach donor recipients and describes how the donor community's connection fosters healing, hope, and resilience.
📢 Tweetable Quotes
"I think that is the honor that all of us in aftercare have, to walk beside these families during their grief and really establish rapport and relationship with them."
— Gretchen Starnes
"Doing this work really restores my faith in humanity."
— Gretchen Starnes
"There's nothing wrong with you when you're grieving. What you need is someone to walk beside you, to help you take that next breath, the next step, and to help support them."
— Gretchen Starnes
"One of the greatest fears for most people who are grieving is that people will stop saying their loved one's name, or that they will forget those details of their loved ones."
— Gretchen Starnes
"There are moments it's okay to be sad and where we need to cry, and tears are cleansing. Yet we also want to show that hope that comes from the amazing gift that loved one gave, so I think the Honor Walk kind of brings all of those things together."
— Gretchen Starnes
Resources:
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
Tuesday Apr 15, 2025
Tuesday Apr 15, 2025
Episode Summary
In this powerful episode, we sit down with Jon and Felicia Rohman to share the remarkable journey of their daughter Hadlee, who underwent a life-saving heart transplant in 2020—right amid a global pandemic. What began as a terrifying health issue became a testimony of faith, resilience, and appreciation for the incredible gift of life. Years later, Hadlee is thriving, healthy, joyful, and full of gratitude. Join us as Andi Johnson interviews the Rohmans, who open up about their challenges, the community that rallied around them, and the beautiful, beating heart of their daughter’s second chance at life.
✨ Episode Highlights
- Andi Johnson welcomes Jon and Felicia Rohman, a husband-and-wife team and proud parents of four.
- The conversation centers around Hadlee, their third child, who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
- Felicia recounts Hadlee’s birth in 2017 and the significant right-sided heart failure she experienced by late 2019, which made organ donation the only viable option.
- Jon discusses the mental and emotional preparation required as they faced the reality of a potential heart transplant.
- The couple acted quickly, getting Hadlee placed on the transplant list in January 2020. She received her new heart on May 28, 2020—coincidentally, their son’s birthday.
- Jon reflects on the emotional toll of the process, including a failed donation and navigating the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Felicia shares the complexity of maintaining infection control while managing the needs of their other children. During this time, Jon resigned from his job to be with Hadlee full-time at the hospital.
- Jon honors Felicia’s strength as she worked two jobs—80 hours a week—while homeschooling and caring for their children at home amid the pandemic.
- Today, Hadlee is flourishing with a new baby sister and enjoys activities such as swimming, soccer, and dancing.
- The Rohmans express deep gratitude to the donor family, highlighting the life-changing impact of the transplant.
- Felicia reflects on how their faith sustained them through hardship and the emotional conversations they had with their children.
- The couple emphasizes the vital importance of organ donation and the hope it brings to families in need.
- Jon encourages other families to lean into their communities and be open to receiving help.
- They also speak to the power of social media in spreading Hadlee’s story and building a network of support.
- The Rohmans express appreciation for organizations such as Donate Life and Network For Hope for amplifying their journey and giving them a platform to share.
📝 Key Takeaways
- The Rohmans candidly share their daughter Hadlee’s powerful story of survival through a heart transplant during the global pandemic.
- They reflect on their mental and emotional journey as parents navigating uncertainty, especially at the height of COVID-19.
- Their testimony highlights the sacrifices they made, their unwavering faith, and the critical support of their community, family, and social media network.
Tweetable Quotes:
- “At the beginning of 2020, she started to have a pretty significant right-sided heart failure. So really, at that point, our only hope was organ donation and transplant.” - Felicia Rohman
- “They said she was one of the quickest to be put on the transplant list — So January, 2020, and then she actually had her transplant, May 28 of 2020, which is ironically our son's birthday.” - Felicia Rohman
- “I don't think I fully appreciated everything that she (Felicia) was doing while I was in the hospital with Hadlee. But with me having quit my job, she was working two jobs, 80 hours a week, with the other two kids at home, navigating COVID, and then having to do homeschooling, and everything else in that capacity.” - Jon Rohman
- “There were a lot of tears on the way back home because they didn't understand the full magnitude of everything that was going on. But yeah, I think just supporting each other and just kind of trying to maintain some sense of normalcy through things with our faith, it is really kind of what got us through.” - Felicia Rohman
- “It just gives hope, not only to the recipient families, but as those things are going on, hope that something better can come out of it and and to just be able to acknowledge that you can see good following a storm.” - Felicia Rohman
Resources:
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
Tuesday Apr 01, 2025
Tuesday Apr 01, 2025
Episode Summary
In this inspiring episode, Zach Wells a TV sports anchor shares his incredible journey of receiving a kidney donation from his brother. Zach opens up about the unexpected news that his kidney was failing and the challenges he faced battling kidney disease, and the profound lessons he learned about hope, resilience, and the importance of prioritizing health. Tune in as Zach offers a raw and honest conversation about overcoming adversity and the power of family, health, and seizing the moment.
Episode Highlights
- Zach Wells was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2007 and experienced a gradual decline in kidney function before receiving a transplant in 2018.
- He recalls the moment he first learned something was wrong—his wife left him a message from a business trip, urging him to check his test results after his doctor raised concerns about his creatinine levels.
- Determined to manage his condition, Zach relied on diet, exercise, and medication but ultimately knew that a transplant was the best path forward.
- Before his diagnosis, Zach was a self-proclaimed workaholic, often neglecting his health in favor of his career. He later realized that without prioritizing his well-being, his time was limited.
- He reflects on the physical toll of kidney disease—the fatigue, nausea, and other symptoms—while balancing parenthood and work responsibilities.
- Throughout his journey, Zach found unwavering support from his wife, Caroline, and his family, which made all the difference.
- His brother turned out to be a perfect donor match, bringing renewed hope and gratitude.
- Zach discusses the emotional and physical impact of his illness, the dedication of his medical team, and the perspective he gained through this experience.
- Inspired by Zach’s story, Andi sheds light on the kidney transplant crisis and the need for greater awareness about living donors.
- Prospective donors undergo rigorous screening, but their generosity can transform the lives of over 100,000 people currently on the transplant waitlist.
- When asked for advice to men facing kidney disease or dialysis, Zach encourages them to stay present, be patient, and stay committed to their medical care and fitness routines.
- He highlights the importance of hope, scientific advancements, and the skilled professionals who make transplants possible.
- Zach expresses deep gratitude for his transplant surgeon, doctors, and everyone who played a role in his recovery.
Key Takeaways
- Zach’s journey with kidney disease began in 2007, leading to a transplant in 2018.
- His initial reluctance to seek medical care due to work commitments taught him a valuable lesson about balance and self-care.
- The support of his family, medical team, and a generous kidney donation from his brother gave him a second chance at life. He now finds joy in the little things and is committed to raising awareness about kidney disease and transplantation.
Tweetable Quotes:
- “So about managing the disease, doing everything I could to be as healthy as I could, drink as much water as I could, have the best diet that I possibly could, knowing that probably the chances of this reversing, the chances of this having a better outcome, were not going to be a very high so it's a long road.” - Zach Wells
- “I think transplants really reward the patient. They reward the dutiful, they reward the optimistic.” - Zach Wells
- “I was a workaholic. All I thought about was work. And I thought that I can't deal with this or go to the doctor, because that's going to interfere with my work schedule. But I learned very quickly that if I didn't get balance and prioritize this as another full-time job, that I wasn't going to be around very long.” - Zach Wells
- “I was not feeling well at all. I was run down. I had like, bags under my eyes. I would randomly sweat, I felt nauseous.” - Zach Wells
- “I think that that's one of the many areas where I've been so lucky, is just having an incredible support network of people that have really helped me. That's amazing.” - Zach Wells
- “What I want to do is, like, really draw attention to the fact that this is an incredibly solvable problem. Yes, like the people that are waiting, like, the waiting list is over 100,000.” - Zach Wells
Resources:
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
Episode Summary
In this episode of This Thing Called Life, Andi Johnson interviews Means Cameron, a successful entrepreneur from Cincinnati and the founder of the clothing brand BlaCkOWned™ Outerwear. Means shares the inspiration behind launching BlaCkOWned™ Outerwear in 2011, influenced by his cultural experiences and the importance of representation. He discusses the significance of community ownership, legacy, and his personal connection to organ donation.
Cameron highlights the impact of organ donors on his friends' lives, including a fraternity brother who received a kidney transplant. He also addresses common misconceptions about organ donation within the Black community, emphasizing the need for education, trust, and personal storytelling to make the topic more relatable.
The discussion underscores the power of local narratives in raising awareness about organ donation and encourages open conversations within families and communities.
Episode Highlights
- Origins of BlaCkOWned™ Outerwear: Means Cameron shares how the brand was born out of his desire to embrace identity, cultural heritage, and community pride.
- Meaning Behind the Brand Name: "BlaCkOWned™ wasn’t just about a Black-owned business—it was about owning who we are as a people, our culture."
- Legacy and Impact: Means expresses his vision for his legacy: "Fostering Black creativity and dialogue, and showing people they have options."
- Connection to Organ Donation:
- Means discusses his personal experiences with organ donation, including friends and family members who have received transplants.
- He highlights the challenges of mistrust and misinformation about organ donation in the Black community.
- Addressing Misconceptions:
- Many individuals fear that becoming an organ donor could put their lives at risk in medical settings.
- In reality, only 1% of registered organ donors pass in a way that allows for organ donation, while thousands remain on transplant waiting lists.
- The Importance of Storytelling: Means emphasizes the need to humanize the organ donation process by sharing real-life experiences to build trust and awareness.
- Encouraging Open Dialogue:
- Andi asks Means how he would approach someone hesitant about organ donation.
- Means stresses the importance of respecting different perspectives while sharing personal experiences to help others make informed decisions.
- Final Reflections: Andi expresses gratitude for the meaningful discussion and appreciates Means’ insights on business, legacy, and organ donation advocacy.
Key Takeaways:
- Means Cameron’s journey as an entrepreneur reflects his deep commitment to identity, community, and legacy.
- His personal experiences with organ donation have fueled his advocacy for increasing awareness and addressing misconceptions.
- Andi and Means then dig deeper into educating ourselves and others about how organ donation can help address mistrust and save lives and the importance of humanizing the organ donation process by sharing personal stories and the faces who make it more relatable and trustworthy.
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Cincinnati needed something for the culture, something that spoke to our culture, to give us something to be proud about, to speak about our heritage, and for not to just be in private rooms, but for us to be able to take it out into the world. “ - Means Cameron
- “So the idea of BlaCkOWned™ came out of me, wanting to have ownership of who I am and never losing it.” - Means Cameron
- “And so BlaCkOWned™ wasn't just about a black-owned business. It was about owning who we are as a people, our culture and the name black owned, just came to me. “ - Means Cameron
- “One of the most challenging things in our community is that we believe that if we become organ donors, that someone is going to take our organs if we ever are sick or in a doctor's bed and our life is on the line.” - Means Cameron
- “ I guess the best thing I can do for anyone that is on the fence is just to share with them my own experiences. “ - Means Cameron
Resources:
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
This episode of TTCL will feature an interview with Luis Santiago on La Mega.
This monthly interview will inform the Spanish Community about Network For Hope and
the incredible miracles that happen with Organ, Tissue, and Eye Donation.
Resources:
https://getoffthelist.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
https://aopo.org/
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
In this episode of This Thing Called Life, Andi Johnson sits down with Joel Chase, Vice President of Organ Services at Network for Hope, to discuss his role and how it has evolved following a recent merger. Joel shares insights into the integration of two smaller Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) into Network for Hope, the strategic changes that followed, and how he is leading a growing team.
Joel walks through the organ donation process, from the initial referral to organ recovery, emphasizing the importance of supporting donor families, transplant recipients, and OPO staff who navigate these complex and life-changing moments. He also reflects on his career journey, the challenges of balancing leadership with personal life, and the impact of medical advancements on the field of organ donation.
Episode Highlights:
- Joel’s Role & the Organ Donation Process: He oversees the entire donation process, from organ referral and evaluation to allocation and recovery.
- Navigating Growth Post-Merger: The transition from 32 full-time employees at Legacy Life Center to over 90 at Network for Hope has required new leadership strategies.
- Evolving Case Timelines: The duration of cases has expanded from 24 to over 50 hours, depending on testing and logistical challenges.
- What Drives Joel: He is motivated by mission-driven work, helping people, and witnessing his team’s success.
- Biggest Leadership Challenge: Time management in an organization that never stops and balancing work with family life.
- Leadership Philosophy: Leading with openness, support, and grace while prioritizing an inclusive leadership style.
- Memorable Moments: Joel shares a powerful story of how a leader’s critical decision helped save three lives, a defining learning experience in his career.
- Public Awareness: He encourages open conversations about organ donation with loved ones and addresses concerns from those hesitant to register.
Key Takeaways:
- Leadership in Organ Donation: Joel shares insights into leading a non-profit OPO, managing growth, and the importance of learning through challenges ("failing forward").
- The Organ Donation Process: Understanding how OPOs evaluate, allocate, and recover organs while collaborating with hospitals to ensure successful transplants.
- Encouraging Public Awareness: Addressing misconceptions about organ donation and why open conversations with family are essential.
Tweetable Quotes:
- “I've always been fascinated with medicine, so you get to kind of play nurse or doctor without necessarily having to have the license. So I thought that that was just a great, intriguing career.” - Joel Chase
- “We are there to help facilitate, to make donation happen in the best way possible, and in these 24 hour shifts that a lot of the team members are working and all the things that they're doing, it's very hard to expect perfection when a lot of staff want to do their best all the time, and it's just not possible. We're all humans, and we have to have some grace for each other too.” - Joel Chase
- “I think that we should learn from our experiences, whether they're good or bad. If we don't learn from them, then I think that's more of a failure. Otherwise, it's an opportunity to improve and do better the next time. So I definitely like that mindset, and it kind of ties into knowing that we're not perfect people, and I don't think we're ever going to have a perfect A to Z case” - Joel Chase
- “It's the OPOs job to evaluate the patient's medical record and their current clinical condition for organ donation potential. A lot of times that could mean that the patient ends up surviving their injury, and they go through the rehabilitation process” - Joel Chase
Resources:
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
This monthly interview will inform the Spanish Community about Network For Hope and
the incredible miracles that happen with Organ, Tissue, and Eye Donation.
Resources:
https://getoffthelist.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
https://aopo.org/
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
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. In this episode, we talk with Lincoln Ware from WDBZ the Buzz of Cincinnati talk station.
Resources
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
Tuesday Jan 28, 2025
Tuesday Jan 28, 2025
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. In this episode, we talk with Don Juan from 100.3 FM Cincy's R&B station in Cincinnati.
Resources
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
Thursday Jan 09, 2025
Thursday Jan 09, 2025
Episode 106: The Donation Coordinator's Responsibility within the Donation Process of the Organ Procurement Organization, with Christienne King
During this episode of This Thing Called Life, host Andi Johnson talks about the donation process from the OPO (Organ Procurement Organization) lens. This week, Andi is speaking with Christenne King. She is the Senior Donation Coordinator. She meets family in very difficult times. Tune in to hear about her experiences as it relates to the important process of organ donation.
Episode Highlights:
- Many people believe that organ, eye, and tissue donation is just a service of the hospital but Andi shares how it is much bigger than that and requires the collaboration of many.
- Christenne has been with the Life Center for over 20 years and is currently the Senior Donation Coordinator. She explains her role as one of the individuals who handles the evaluation, medical management, organ placement, and logistics of the operating room for an organ donation.
- Andi asks Christenne to share what kind of training and background is required to do work as she does.
- Christenne shares her personal experience with organ donation about her sister, Adrienne King who had epilepsy and cerebral palsy.
- What does brain dead mean? Christenne shares facts that listeners may not be aware of. She explains the difference between that and a vegetative state or coma.
- Organ donation and the education around it have grown significantly over the years.
- Christenne explains her connection to Network For Hope and how meaningful it has been to her on several levels.
- Christenne put herself to paramedic school and applied as an organ coordinator.
- Andi asks Christenne how she prepares for her day and meeting with families in desperate times.
- What happens at the bedside to evaluate potential organ donation?
- Christenne shares that some cases have changed her forever and how it has been a blessing.
- What goes into supporting the families who are in contact with them?
- Andi talks about how COVID-19 caused many people to reflect and seek more meaningful jobs.
- Andi asks Christenne to share what a typical workday looks like for a donation coordinator.
- Logistics and time frames are very important in the process; Christenne explains.
- A lot of communication is required for this job because of the many pieces that must come together.
- An average case lasts about 72 hours so that the right thing is accomplished with the donor.
- Christenne talks about when organ gifts are placed in other locations.
- The donation coordinators are very passionate about giving each individual the best preservation options.
- Have you thought about registering to be a donor? Find out more at https://lifepassiton.org/
3 Key Points
- Christenne shares her personal experience with organ donation when her sister, Adrienne King passed away and saved several other lives.
- Organ donation happens through the collaboration of many. Andi and Christenne talk through the organ coordinator role and the piece it is in the overall process.
- Emotional taxation is high in the role that Christenne has. She talks about the challenges, and blessings, and how she perseveres through them.
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Organ, eye, and tissue donation does not happen without collaboration.” -Andi
- “There are intricacies of this life-giving, life-saving process.” -Andi
- “When someone has been deemed as potential to help someone through donation, a donation coordinator will be onsite for 24 hours/day through the end of the process.” -Christenne
- “For those who do not know, when a person is declared brain dead, it is a legal pronouncement of death, it is the time that will go on their death certificate.” -Christenne
- “My sister was one of only 39 organ donors in Cincinnati in 1992. It was so rare.” -Christenne
- “Donation can have such a positive effect on those that are donor families. “ -Christenne
- “This role requires you to be strong and sensitive to the fact that a family is going through the worst possible time.” -Andi
- “We are intimately involved with the families in the room and with the donors in the room, it is difficult.” -Christenne
- “Other than being a parent, this job is the most rewarding thing I will do in my life.” -Christenne
Resources Mentioned:
- https://getoffthelist.org/
- https://www.networkforhope.org/
- https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
- https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO