Gift of Life

In this powerful and deeply moving episode, we meet Brian Springer, a true warrior whose journey will touch your heart and stay with you long after the episode ends.

Brian has already endured four open-heart surgeries, and most recently, received an LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device)—a life-sustaining device that is keeping him alive as he waits for the ultimate gift… a new heart.

But Brian’s journey comes with an added challenge.

With 99% antibodies, finding a compatible organ donor is incredibly difficult. His wait for a heart transplant could be years away—time he continues to face with courage, resilience, and an unwavering positive spirit.

In this episode, Brian not only shares his story, but also sheds light on something so important:

the critical need for more organ donors.

Because for patients like Brian, the more people who choose to donate, the greater the chance of finding that one life-saving match.

This is more than just a story…

It’s a reminder of the power of hope, the strength of the human spirit, and the life-saving impact of organ donation.

 You will not want to miss this episode.

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In this milestone Episode 100, BJ welcomes Mike Duncan from Bloomington, Indiana, whose life-saving liver transplant journey is a powerful reminder of the life-changing impact of organ donation.

Mike’s story began in 2016 when subtle symptoms during a trip to Florida — dark urine, yellowing eyes, and swelling — revealed something much more serious. His liver was failing.

What followed was a frightening medical journey that included hospitalization, severe complications from liver failure, and the emotional challenge of waiting for a donor organ.

While on the transplant list, Mike experienced the harsh realities of liver disease, including high ammonia levels that caused confusion and hallucinations. Through it all, his partner Jeff, along with family and friends, rallied around him with encouragement and support.

After a heartbreaking false alarm when a donor liver was found but ultimately deemed unusable, Mike’s health continued to decline. Just weeks later, the call came again — and this time the transplant moved forward.

Following surgery, Mike faced rejection, extreme weakness from months in the hospital, and an intense rehabilitation process. At one point he believed he might spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

But determination, medical care, and the love of those around him helped him fight back.

Today, Mike Duncan is thriving, working out daily and living life to the fullest thanks to the incredible gift of organ donation.

His story is one of resilience, hope, and the power of never giving up.

Some inspire.

And some ask us to lean in and truly listen.

This is one of those episodes.

In Episode 98, we introduce you to Shawn Kortes — a husband, a father, and a man courageously fighting for more time.

Shawn is in need of an O positive kidney transplant.

His story is real. It’s raw. And it’s unfolding right now.

He shares openly about:

• Living with kidney failure

• The emotional weight of waiting

• What it feels like to depend on the generosity of a living donor

• His hope for more birthdays, more holidays, more everyday moments with his family

This conversation isn’t just about medicine.

It’s about time.

It’s about love.

It’s about the power of one person saying yes.

If you’ve ever wondered what it truly means to wait for a life-saving organ, this episode gives you a front-row seat to that reality.

And if you’ve ever considered becoming a living donor — this may be the story that moves you to take the next step.

Shawn's links to help: https://nkr.org/RJV252

Listen now.

Share widely.

You never know who might be the miracle someone is praying for.

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In this deeply moving episode, we meet Caroline Mozare, a courageous young woman whose life changed forever after years of being undiagnosed—until her body could no longer fight on its own.

What began as unanswered questions and quiet suffering led Caroline to the hospital, where she learned the unthinkable: she needed a liver transplant to survive. As her condition rapidly declined, Caroline spent many critical days unconscious, unaware of how close she came to losing her life. During that time, her husband stood in the gap—making impossible decisions, praying for a miracle, and later becoming the voice who would gently tell her everything that happened while she was gone.

Caroline’s story is raw, real, and profoundly human. She opens up about the physical pain, the emotional toll, and the silent strength it took to endure what no one should have to face—especially at such a young age. This episode is not just about transplant; it’s about love, resilience, faith, and the unbreakable bond between two people walking through the darkest days together.

This is a story that will stay with you—one that reminds us how fragile life can be, how powerful hope is, and how lifesaving the gift of organ donation truly is.

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This week on Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we share a powerful and honest story of survival, accountability, and redemption.

Our guest, Alyson Jeter, opens up about her journey to a life-saving liver transplant following alcohol-related liver failure. In her own words, Alyson courageously shares the realities of addiction, the road to recovery, and the moment she was given a second chance at life through the gift of organ donation.

Her story is one of humility, growth, and hope — a reminder that transformation is possible and that every donor gift has the power to change not just a body, but an entire future.

This episode sheds light on:

• The realities of liver failure and transplantation

• The importance of personal responsibility and recovery

• The life-changing power of organ donation

• What it truly means to receive a second chance

Alyson’s testimony is raw, real, and deeply moving — and it reminds us why awareness, compassion, and grace matter so much in the transplant community.

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This week’s episode is one of courage, faith, resilience, and the long road of living with transplantation.

We are honored to introduce you to Kim Jacques, a heart and double lung transplant survivor whose journey began far earlier than most. At just five years old, Kim’s family knew something wasn’t right. Years of tests, uncertainty, and incredible medical care followed — but it wouldn’t be until she was 16 years old that Kim would learn the truth: she would one day need a transplant to survive.

Navigating adolescence is hard enough. Facing it while feeling different, fragile, and uncertain about the future is something few can imagine. Kim opens up about returning to school, carrying fears no teenager should have to hold, and learning to live with a body that didn’t always cooperate.

Now, 30 years after her life-saving heart and double lung transplant, Kim once again finds herself at a crossroads — facing the possibility that another transplant may be in her future.

In this deeply moving episode, Kim shares her full story with honesty, grace, and strength — reminding us what it truly means to live life one day at a time, to honor donors and medical teams, and to keep moving forward even when the road ahead is uncertain.

This is a story of survival.

A story of faith.

And a story of hope.

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In this powerful and deeply moving episode of Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we share the extraordinary journey of Mary Ann, a woman in need of a liver transplant who never could have imagined how God was already working behind the scenes.

While searching for hope and answers, Mary Ann received devastating news — the passing of her son’s childhood best friend, Jared. With a grieving heart, she went to visit Jared’s parents, Steve and Angie, bringing a simple condolence gift and her love during one of their darkest moments.

What happened next is nothing short of a God moment.

After Mary Ann left, Angie began reading about her story and learned that Mary Ann was in need of a liver transplant. Moved by compassion, faith, and the unbreakable bond between her son and Mary Ann’s family, Angie felt a calling she couldn’t ignore. After prayer and heartfelt conversations with her husband Steve, Angie made the courageous decision to be tested as a potential donor.

Guided by faith and love, Angie stepped forward — and God showed up in a powerful way.

Not only was Angie a match… she was a perfect match.

This episode is a testimony to divine timing, sacrificial love, and how God can bring healing out of heartbreak. It’s a reminder that even in our deepest grief, God is still writing beautiful stories of hope, life, and purpose.

You will not want to miss this incredible, faith-filled story of loss, love, and the miracle of organ donation.

This week on Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, I sit down with someone who truly inspired me — Fred Hueston, a man who received his life-saving heart transplant at the age of 72 at AdventHealth in Orlando, Florida.

Fred’s story is one of perseverance, faith, and the incredible strength of love. His wife, a nurse, was right by his side through every moment of his transplant journey — a reminder of how powerful support and compassion can be in the healing process.

As a 70-year-old transplant recipient myself, I felt a real connection with Fred. We share a bond that only those who’ve faced these challenges can truly understand. Beyond his transplant journey, Fred is also an author of two books about life after transplant, with a third on the way — continuing to give hope and education to others walking a similar path.

Fred is also a well-known expert in his field of stone forensics, host of The Stone and Tile Radio Show, and the voice behind an active blog and YouTube channel. His drive to keep creating, helping, and inspiring others is a true testament to living fully after transplant.

This week, we meet Wayne Adam Greer — a husband, father, grandfather, pastor, and author whose faith and resilience carried him through one of life’s biggest challenges.

Wayne’s journey began with what seemed like nothing more than a stubborn cold that just wouldn’t go away. After weeks of no improvement, he headed to the ER expecting a simple diagnosis like bronchitis — but instead, doctors discovered he was in congestive heart failure. Within three months, his condition worsened to cardiomyopathy, but through medication and care, his heart stabilized, allowing him to enjoy 17 more blessed years.

Then, the unthinkable happened — his heart began to fail again. Facing the ultimate test of faith, Wayne would go on to receive a life-saving heart transplant, giving him not just more time, but a renewed purpose to share his story and inspire others.

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Today’s episode is extra special because we’re diving into something deeply personal—my brand-new memoir, More Parts Than a Chicken Nugget.

But this book wasn’t written alone. By my side through the process was Christina Metcalf—a gifted writer and, more importantly, someone who understands the meaning of the gift of life firsthand. Christina is a living donor, having given part of her liver to her half-sister in an incredible act of courage and love.

Together, Christina and I wove my journey into words—the surgeries, the setbacks, the resilience, and yes, even the humor that has carried me through. In this episode, Christina shares what surprised her most about my story, why she took on this project as a passion, and the bigger message we both hope readers will carry with them.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to turn a life’s worth of experiences into a memoir—or how organ donation touches not just one life but entire families—this conversation is for you.

 Listen now and join us as we celebrate writing, resilience, and the gift of life.

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