Recipient Stories Archives - LifeShareOK | Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation

Aubree Lyla Carlton, Organ Donor Hero

At just seven years old, Aubree Lyla Carlton, of Grove, Okla. left behind the kind of legacy most people spend a lifetime hoping to make. Aubree brought joy everywhere she went. She loved playing in the water, spending time with her beloved cat Charlie and her new puppy, Eugene. She was known for making

LifeShare Network Announces Allisen Wayda as Director of Tissue Operations

LifeShare Network is pleased to announce the promotion of Allisen Wayda to Director of Tissue Operations. In this role, Wayda will provide operational leadership and oversight for Tissue Recovery Services and the Donation Services Center, supporting high-quality performance, regulatory excellence and alignment with LifeShare’s mission to save lives and inspire hope through donation. Wayda joined

This Father’s Day, Family Honors the Legacy of Organ Donor and Devoted Father Ethan Reid Nickell

This father’s day, two young boys will celebrate the father they lost and the lives he saved. Ethan Reid Nickell, of Ada, Okla., was a devoted father to two young boys whose greatest joy was spending time with those he loved. Weekends meant fishing poles in the water and his boys never too far behind.

Anniversary Event Honors Donor Heroes and Supports Future Education, Research and Family Programs

LifeShare Network, Oklahoma’s nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and inspiring hope through organ, eye and tissue donation, celebrated its 40th anniversary on June 4 with an evening honoring donor heroes, donor families, transplant recipients, healthcare partners and community supporters whose generosity has shaped four decades of lifesaving impact. Held at City and State Venue

LifeShare Celebrates Healthcare Heroes Week by Honoring Staff with Personal Connections to Organ and Tissue Donation

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

LifeShare Tissue Services Earns Top National Honors from MTF Biologics

LifeShare is proud to announce that its Tissue Services team has been recognized with multiple top honors at the MTF Biologics Technical Services Awards, including the prestigious Platinum Partner Award. Headquartered in Edison, New Jersey, MTF Biologics has spent more than three decades advancing tissue donation and transplantation through research, innovation, and partnerships that improve

Recipient Stories

LifeShare Celebrates Healthcare Heroes Week by Honoring Staff with Personal Connections to Organ and Tissue Donation

May 6, 2026 No Comments

Recipient Stories

Oklahoma Minister Receives New Heart, Finds Renewed Purpose with Lifeshare

Written by Harrison Flowers April marks Donate Life Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about organ donation, one Oklahoma man is living proof of its impact. Pete remembers two dates: June 1, 1990, when he began full-time ministry, and June 1, 2024, when he received a new heart — a gift that saved his

April 21, 2026 No Comments

Recipient Stories

Healing and Strength: Paige’s Wellness Journey Through Transplant

At just 26 years old, Paige Denney is living proof of the lifesaving impact of organ donation—and the powerful second chances it makes possible. Paige received a liver transplant at age 20 after a diagnosis that came as a complete shock. What began as severe itching led to a dermatologist visit, where signs of jaundice

April 21, 2026 No Comments

Recipient Stories

Nearly 30 Years Later, Oklahoma Family Continues to Honor Daughter’s Gift of Life

A normal Sunday morning in November 1996 turned into a life-altering tragedy for one Oklahoma family—but through loss came a legacy of hope that continues to impact lives decades later. As LifeShare Oklahoma marks its 40th anniversary of saving lives and inspiring hope through organ, eye and tissue donation, the organization shares the story of

April 15, 2026 No Comments

Recipient Stories

Tom Stamp, Lung Recipient

After being diagnosed with an incurable disease his doctors could not explain, Tom Stamp, of Oklahoma City, knew he was running out of time. That is, until a lung transplant gave him a second chance at life. At 62, Tom learned he had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease that causes scar tissue

January 28, 2026 No Comments

Recipient Stories

Women’s Sight Restored After Corneal Transplant

As Jillian Sulley of Oklahoma City, Okla., began the drive back to college to take her final exams, she suddenly noticed the only thing she could see out of her left eye was a white haze. Terrified, she called her mom who instructed her to finish her final exams and that she would schedule an

December 17, 2025 No Comments

Living Donor

Our Little Kidney

Cynthia Decker, of Oklahoma City, has a generous heart. For years, she had the Little Red Heart on her license, but because she was so passionate about it, she began a process to save another person’s life. In June 2012, Cynthia was browsing thru Craigslist and stumbled across an ad from a 38-year-old single mother

December 15, 2025 No Comments

Recipient Stories

Brandi Rutherford, Heart Recipient

In December 2014, Brandi had a case of strep throat which resulted in the diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy. Unable to tolerate any of the medications to treat it, she was told that ultimately a heart transplant would be needed to save her life. When her insurance denied her a transplant in Austin, Texas, Brandi decided

December 15, 2025 No Comments

Recipient Stories

Ann Arthur, Liver Recipient

I was 21 and healthy, I thought, until I suddenly found myself in complete liver failure. Within hours of the diagnosis, I slipped into a coma, and my family was told I would die in a couple of days if a liver wasn’t found. Thanks to the family of a sweet lady, who had my

December 15, 2025 No Comments

Recipient Stories

Oklahoma Brothers with Rare Lung Disorder Receive Lifesaving Transplants Just Six Months Apart

Oklahoma City, OK (September 18, 2025) – Oklahoma City brothers Shannon and Toby King grew up as energetic, fun-loving kids. Both played sports from the time they were four years old, had rigorous workout routines, and joined the Army as young adults. In the early 2000’s, both Shannon and Toby started to have trouble keeping up

September 18, 2025 No Comments