LifeShare Network is recognizing employees whose personal connections to organ, eye and tissue donation fuel their work during Healthcare Heroes Week.
LifeShare has long earned recognition as a top workplace, driven in part by employees’ strong commitment to its mission to save lives and inspire hope through donation. For many employees, that commitment extends beyond their professional roles.
This week, LifeShare highlights team members who have experienced donation and transplantation firsthand as donor family members, recipients, living donors or loved ones impacted by transplantation. Their experiences shape the compassion, urgency and care they bring to their roles every day.
“While working at LifeShare I am blessed to have a daily reminder of the incredible impact our work has on families throughout Oklahoma,” said Andy Halko, CFO of LifeShare Network. “My wife Kay received a kidney transplant in the fall of 2017 courtesy of LifeShare. Because of this miracle, my wife was able to attend our son’s High School graduation as well as many other special family events. This personal connection to organ donation drives everything I do at LifeShare.”
“Organ donation holds a special place in my family, as my husband received a life-saving liver transplant after just one month on the waiting list,” said Krista Bowles, hospital liaison. “Because of that gift, we’ve celebrated meaningful milestones together, including our daughter’s senior year and graduation. That personal experience drives my passion for supporting families, our team and hospital partners through every step of the donation process.”
“Working at LifeShare is deeply personal to me, as my connection to donation began long before my career here,” said Karen Gray, executive assistant. “My sister-in-law donated her liver and saved a life, and my husband recently celebrated his 25th kidney transplant anniversary. Witnessing both loss and hope firsthand — and the compassion shown by LifeShare — made it meaningful to join the team and be part of this mission.”
“My journey with LifeShare began with a personal loss, when my daughter’s father died unexpectedly and became an organ donor,” said Desiree Burkert, organ recovery coordinator. “What could have been an overwhelmingly heartbreaking experience became something meaningful, as his decision helped save multiple lives and gave our family a sense of purpose and healing. That experience led me to LifeShare, where I now support families with empathy and understanding, helping them find hope in the midst of loss.”
“In September 2023, I was rear-ended at a red light and sustained a neck injury that required extensive treatment over the following year,” said Jennifer Surratt, medical records specialist. “After trying multiple therapies, I underwent surgery in November 2024 and received a donor bone graft as part of my procedure, an experience that deepened my appreciation for the impact of tissue donation.”
These personal stories are at the heart of LifeShare’s lifesaving work and strengthen connections with donor families and transplant recipients across the community.
Healthcare Heroes Week highlights the vital role healthcare professionals play in saving and improving lives. LifeShare encourages the public to honor those efforts by registering as organ, eye and tissue donors.
One donor can save up to eight lives and enhance more than 75 others through tissue donation. To register as a donor or learn more, visit LifeShareOK.org.
