Astellas Transplant

Through the Transplant Scholars Award, Astellas is proud to recognize the transplant donors and recipients who have honored the amazing gift of life by pursuing further education and giving back to the transplant community.

This year, Astellas extended the scholarship to 12 deserving individuals whose stories reflect the strength and ambition of the transplant community. Each of these transplant scholars will pursue their academic dreams with the assistance of a $5,000 scholarship from Astellas.

Congratulations to the 12 winners of the 2010 Transplant Scholars Award:

Kyla-Tana Aquino, kidney transplant recipient from Rancho Cordova, CA
For both of Kyla-Tana's kidney transplants, her wait was short; but she knows that not all people in need of a transplant are quite as fortunate. Kyla-Tana leverages this knowledge to increase awareness for organ donation. Since her transplants, Kyla-Tana has spearheaded a successful Donate Life campaign that organized over 500 organ donor registrations and wishes to continue her education in communication studies, so that she may further promote the benefits of organ donation nationwide.
Click here to read Kyla-Tana's story.

Tonisha Daniel, liver transplant recipient from Dolton, IL
A transplant was a foreign concept to Tonisha until—diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver at age 14—she was told she would need one. Embracing her new life with open arms, she realized that she was not the only one unaware of transplantation. Tonisha started sharing her story with the local community and eventually reached statewide channels for communicating the lifesaving possibilities of organ donation. Through her experiences, she met children who, though tragically ill, shared with her an optimism for the future. Helping these children has been an inspiration to Tonisha, fueling her dream of becoming a pediatrician.
Click here to read Tonisha's story.

Michelle Davis, kidney transplant recipient from Pensacola, FL
Michelle had been living 18 years with end-stage renal disease when she received her kidney transplant in 2008. Touched by the sincerity and support she received from her transplant team, Michelle has served as a patient ambassador with Dialysis Patient Citizens in hope of giving back to others as others have given to her. With her new lease on life, Michelle has since pursued her dream of returning to school, where she is working towards a degree in healthcare reimbursement.
Click here to read Michelle's story.

Jennifer Eckhoff, liver transplant recipient from Pensacola, FL
Jennifer was studying social work when she decided to leave school to take care of her mother. Although her mother passed before she could receive a new liver, Jennifer enjoyed being her mother's "favorite nurse" and, from this experience, gained the inspiration to become a medical assistant. Years later, she discovered that, like her mother, she too would also require a liver transplant. Unlike her mother, however, Jennifer was fortunate enough to receive her transplant. Jennifer intends to make the most of her new life by becoming a nurse—and using her personal transplant story to understand and help others in the transplant community.
Click here to read Jennifer's story.

Septima Hardy, kidney transplant donor from Atlanta, GA
When Septima's brother was in need of a kidney, it was decided that their father would serve as the living donor, so that surgery and recovery time would not disrupt Septima's training to become a nurse. In the years that followed, however, Septima never truly found her calling in the medical field until she became an organ procurement coordinator at LifeLink of Georgia. There Septima found purpose in helping patients get off the transplant list and attain their second chance at life. And by serving as her brother's second living donor later in life, she had the opportunity to personally give someone this second chance. Septima currently works as a transplant outreach coordinator and as a nurse at various transplant clinics. In the future, she hopes to do even more for the transplant community by pursuing an advanced nursing degree in transplantation.
Click here to read Septima's story.

Daniel Harris, kidney transplant recipient from Glen Ridge, NJ
In his first semester of college, working towards a degree in elementary education, Daniel learned that he would require a kidney transplant. Thanks to a family donor, Daniel quickly received his lifesaving transplant. Upon full recovery, Daniel will return to school, where he hopes to apply what he has learned from his transplant experience towards becoming a more empathetic special education teacher.
Click here to read Daniel's story.

Ted Hodges, heart transplant recipient from Salina, KS
Ted Hodges was a two-time fencing champion completing his junior year of college when he suddenly fell ill to viral myocarditis. After an emergency heart transplant, he made it through a long and difficult recovery—thanks in large part to the inspiration and support of the transplant recipients he met during his rehabilitation. Their remarkable generosity of time and empathy inspired Ted to also give back to the transplant community. Today, he assists with fundraising and donor awareness initiatives and plans to develop his education towards a degree in English.
Click here to read Ted's story.

Ginger Ireland, liver transplant donor from Kansas City, MO
Ginger donated a portion of her liver to her father in 2002, and he has since been strong and healthy. Her family's story of success has demonstrated what is possible with a lifesaving transplant, and the impact it has on the recipient, as well as the recipient's loved ones. With this in mind, Ginger has become an advocate for organ donation and has, time and again, shared her story with others. Ginger is now completing her nurse's training, after which she plans on becoming a transplant coordinator with the Midwest Transplant Network.
Click here to read Ginger's story.

Odunola Ojewumi, heart and kidney transplant recipient from Beltsville, MD
For Odunola, receiving a heart and kidney transplant was more than a lifesaving experience; it was a call to action. Through grassroots efforts, Odunola lobbied for the protection of human rights in Darfur and pushed for healthcare reform at both the state and international levels. Odunola has also made profound contributions to the transplant community. By founding Sacred Hearts Children's Transplant Organization, a charity that works to help increase hope for children awaiting transplant, Odunola works to promote the gift of organ donation—and, by doing so, use her transplant story to make her voice heard. These experiences have become part of Odunola's desire to pursue a higher education, so that she may learn more about public health issues and the actions she can take to address them.
Click here to read Odunola's story.

Alexandria Schultz, liver transplant recipient from Toledo, OH
Alexandria has been battling life-threatening illnesses since she was a child. Alexandria's numerous treatment medications eventually damaged her liver, leaving her in need of a transplant. Fortunately, a donor was located for Alexandria, giving her a renewed dedication to enjoying every moment life has to offer. To give back to the transplant community, she volunteers with various organizations to promote organ donation awareness. And thanks to the generosity of her donor, she is now in her freshman year in college and living on her own—learning about independence and the importance of continuing education, regardless of the circumstances.
Click here to read Alexandria's story.

Kayleigh Sechi, liver transplant recipient from South Hadley, MA
Kayleigh received an emergency liver transplant in December 2009. Moved by the profound kindness of those who brought her back to health, Kayleigh has since found renewed purpose in her life goals. She has worked with Donate Life to become an advocate of donor awareness and has returned to her premedical studies, in hopes that, with a career in medicine, she may one day pay this kindness forward.
Click here to read Kayleigh's story.

Rachael Wong, kidney transplant recipient from Honolulu, HI
Since receiving her new kidney in 2002, Rachael has sought to make an impact on the medical community. Rachael has been inspired to work in hospice care, integrative medicine, and national transplant organizations—all of which have helped her better understand the transplant process. But nowhere has her transplant shaped her life more profoundly than in her educational goals. Driven by her experiences with transplantation, Rachael is currently working towards her PhD in complementary and alternative medicine for transplant recipients, wherein she hopes to improve transplant patient care through public policy and healthcare reform.
Click here to read Rachael's story.

Kyla-Tana Aquino, 31
Kidney recipient
Rancho Cordova, CA

Astellas Transplant Scholars Award Essay

"To know the future, you must invent it," said Ernest James Wilson III, PhD, dean of USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, at a master's program orientation in November 2009. When Dr. Wilson spoke these words, I could have sworn he was speaking directly to me! I knew I had found my future alma mater. When I envision the future, I see a world where no one has to die waiting for a lifesaving organ. When I was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure as a 15-year-old, I didn't realize what a challenge it was. My parents were told that I would spend the rest of my life enduring dialysis treatments unless I received a kidney transplant. Fortunately, I was able to receive a kidney from my father later that year. Six years later I needed another transplant and received a kidney from my mother. Throughout my ordeal with kidney disease, my family has always encouraged me to find inspiration by giving back to the community. As a teenager, I chronicled my experiences of kidney illness into a children's book called Kyla's Kidney Adventure. I could hardly believe that material that had originated from my journal was published and distributed through the National Kidney Foundation. After 15 years of performing public relations tasks, I have realized that I would like to pursue an education in communication studies. I am finally a graduating senior at Sacramento State University. In the spring semester of 2010, I co-led a public relations campaign on my campus for Donate Life California. In four months, 50 public relations students went from being squeamish about the topic of organ donation to becoming "Donate Life Ambassadors." With over 30 various print and broadcast media mentions and numerous events on and off campus, our class registered 554 new people to the California Organ and Tissue Registry. Our campus efforts surpassed other California State Universities in Stanislaus and Fresno. A future where organ transplants are available to all Americans waiting is possible. To make this vision a reality will require the foresight and planning of public relations professionals. With a scholarship from Astellas, I will be able to further my education beyond a bachelor's degree. Obtaining a master's degree from USC Annenberg School will equip me with the knowledge that will allow me to help the public understand the benefits of organ donation and take action to eradicate the organ donation waiting list. This, I believe, is a future worthy of invention.

Tonisha Daniel, 21
Liver recipient
Dolton, IL

Astellas Transplant Scholars Award Essay

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade! February 14, 2003, at Chicago Children's Memorial Hospital, I was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and told that I was in dire need of a transplant. Those were literally the most horrible and terrifying words I had ever heard, which changed my life forever. But, while going through this journey at age 14, I learned that life can really throw you some mean and unexpected curve balls; it's what you do with those curve balls that determines whether or not you win the game. After hearing the doctor deliver the message, I immediately thought about all the things I couldn't do anymore because of my sickness; no more pizza, fries, playing volleyball, singing in the choir, and just being a normal teenager; I thought my life was over. But, as I prayed and trusted in God, I learned that this was my testimony, and I had to somehow make this negative into a positive. I remember my mother saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"; so I grabbed my situation by the boot straps and made the best of what I was given. Because my family and I had never even heard the word transplant until I was diagnosed, I knew that we were not the only people that were unaware. I was determined to share my story and the importance of organ donation. Even before my transplant, I advocated with Illinois Secretary of State Jessie White. I attended several press conferences with him, and was given a chance to tell my story and the importance of donating life through organ transplant. I was also able to meet so many different children who were in the same situation as I, but were filled with such life. Even though they were very sick, they didn't let their situation beat them, so they became my motivation and inspiration to becoming a pediatrician. After my transplant in 2004, I was even more passionate about getting the word out and sharing my story. The first thing I did was write in my school's newspaper, inspiring others to donate life, then my church became involved as we posed for the 2005 Life Goes On calendar. But that wasn't the end of it; I was also featured in the Illinois Life Goes On commercial, did radio ads with my brother, worked for the Illinois Secretary of State organ donor department, and when I went to college, became district administrator in Illinois' Champaign, Urbana district for their organ donor department. I organized health fairs, signed college students, and became the face all over Illinois for the Donate Life brochure at the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles. I am now a senior in college and passionate about going to medical school after my undergraduate career. I one day hope to work at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, saving children's lives. Like I said before, life can really throw you some mean and unexpected curve balls, and when those curve balls are thrown, I hope to one day turn them around with a cure!

Michelle Davis, 44
Kidney recipient
Pensacola, FL

Astellas Transplant Scholars Award Essay

My name is Michelle Davis and early on Christmas morning 2007, I received a telephone call that offered me a life-changing gift that even today keeps on giving. In that one phone call, 18 years of end-stage renal disease and living my entire existence surrounded by the constant desire to be a compliant dialysis patient reached the apex of hope. I literally stopped, as I realized the significance of what the day meant to me in my spiritual belief and reconciled what the day would mean to me for the rest of my life. It was a day that I could actually start my life anew. My transplant experience was so much more than I expected. I had spent the last 18 years in and out of hospitals, being poked, prodded, and examined, but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined a facility and medical staff that made me feel as if my success was their own personal victory and that I had just joined the world's best family. My kidney transplant was performed by the Mayo Clinic Transplant Team in Jacksonville, Florida. From the very beginning, the transplant team cared, supported, encouraged, and facilitated the necessary training in order to ensure the success of my new kidney. Even today, after two years post-transplant, the Mayo Kidney Transplant team continues to work efficiently with my nephrologist here at home. When I was one year post-transplant, I received and accepted an invitation to represent the State of Florida for World Kidney Day 2009 in Washington, DC, as a patient ambassador for Dialysis Patient Citizens. I stood proudly and spoke with 18 years of passion as I advocated for kidney health, the passing of the healthcare reform legislation, and the need to financially assist kidney transplant patients with our immunosuppressant drugs. I have always desired to return to college but my health did not permit me to do so. Now that I have a new lease on life, I have returned to the educational arena at Virginia College-Pensacola in the pursuit of my associate degree in the field of healthcare reimbursement. This discipline concentrates on medical billing and coding and therefore keeps me closely connected with the medical field. I am currently in my second quarter and I expect to achieve the President's List as I did in the first quarter. Even though I am a full-time student, I still participate as a patient ambassador with Dialysis Patient Citizens, and I have recently spoken to a class of 22 about kidney health and having your kidney function tested to prevent chronic kidney failure. With my 18 years of end-stage kidney disease and 2 years of post-kidney transplant experience, I feel it is an honor and a privilege to reach out to as many people as possible. Something I say may help someone who has chronic kidney disease or is waiting for a transplant, or prevent someone from experiencing chronic kidney failure.

Jennifer Eckhoff, 28
Liver recipient
Pensacola, FL

Astellas Transplant Scholars Award Essay

Nine years ago I was an eager 18-year-old college freshman. I was attending the local university and studying to become a social worker. I had a clear future plan. But this was about to drastically change. During my sophomore year, my mother became ill and her doctor gave her some pretty devastating news. She was infected with the hepatitis C virus. She was exposed to it in the 1970s when she received a blood transfusion following a car accident. When her health started to deteriorate, we were told that she needed a liver transplant. I delayed my career plans because caring for my mother became a full-time endeavor. Not knowing much about nursing, I did the best that I could. Indeed, I became my mother's favorite "nurse." Unfortunately, my mother became too ill to receive her liver transplant, and she passed away on May 11, 2001. She was only 45 years old. My world had collapsed. I was lost, confused, and in mourning. When I finally decided to return to school, I realized that even though it was a difficult job, I enjoyed taking care of my mother. That is when I decided that I wanted to be a nurse. I enrolled in the medical assistant program to make sure that this was the career path that I wanted to take. While I was in school, I learned more about the hepatitis C virus. I learned that it could actually be passed from mother to baby, so I decided to get tested. Unfortunately, I too have hepatitis C. There is only a 2% chance that this could have happened. I was scared, but my doctors reassured me that I was young and otherwise healthy, and that people could live many years with the virus without having any symptoms. I obtained my medical assistant degree, and loved my job at a local family practice office, where I had been employed for five years. Everything was fine, until I became ill with what I thought was a stomach virus. Within 48 hours, my stomach was swollen twice the normal size and my skin had a yellowish tint to it. I was admitted to the hospital for several days when my doctors told me that I was in need of a liver transplant in order to survive. Knowing what had happened to my mother, I was terrified. On April 26, 2008, I received my lifesaving liver transplant. I had complications with the transplant and on May 8, 2008, I received my second lifesaving liver transplant. I am extremely grateful to my donors and their families for giving me a second chance at life. With this second chance, I want to continue my education and obtain a nursing degree. I believe that I can offer both patients and caregivers a unique perspective from my humbling experiences. I hope to one day work as a transplant nurse and comfort anyone who is facing the situation that I have been through.

Septima Hardy, 40
Kidney donor
Atlanta, GA

Astellas Transplant Scholars Award Essay

In 1995 while I was in nursing school, my younger brother found out he had kidney failure. He was immediately admitted to the hospital and started on dialysis. My brother knew very early on that he wanted a kidney transplant. My dad and I both went to the local lab to have our blood drawn to be tested as living donors. My dad and I both matched. Since I was in my mid-20s and in nursing school, my dad made the decision to be a living kidney donor. The transplant occurred just 11 months after my brother was diagnosed with ESRD. After the transplant, I finished nursing school and got my first job. However, I was never truly satisfied with any of my nursing positions. I was changing jobs about every two years. By divine intervention I was introduced to LifeLink of Georgia—the organ procurement organization for the state of Georgia—where I was hired as an organ procurement coordinator. As an organ procurement coordinator, I was responsible for maintaining organ donors in the ICU to optimize organs for transplant. I was getting recipients off the transplant waiting list. Organ procurement coordinators have a very high burnout rate due to the nature of the job and the long hours required—often exceeding 24 hours. This ended up being the longest position I had held to date. I left LifeLink and took a position as a full-time ICU nurse. During my time as an ICU nurse, my brother called to let me know that his transplanted kidney was failing and he would soon need another transplant. I had known for many years that eventually my time would come to become a living donor. I started the living donor evaluation process at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, and five months later I followed in my dad's footsteps, and I too became a living kidney donor. About eight months after I became a living kidney donor, a position opened up at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, GA, for a Transplant Outreach Coordinator. Coincidentally, this is the transplant center where my brother had his first kidney transplant. I started this position in January 2009. I have the privilege of working with the same surgeon (Dr. John Whelchel) who performed my brother's first transplant almost 15 years ago. In my position as Transplant Outreach Coordinator, I educate patients about transplant. I also serve as an RN in our satellite transplant clinics. It is in this role that I have discovered that I want to take my nursing and transplant experiences to the next level and pursue an advanced degree in nursing. This will allow me to use my nursing career to further enhance the transplant community by serving as a nurse practitioner in the field of transplant. An advanced nursing degree will allow me to collaborate with the transplant team in treating, assessing, and evaluating pre- and post-transplant patients; therefore, continuing my passion for organ donation and transplantation.

Daniel Harris, 21
Kidney recipient
Glen Ridge, NJ

Astellas Transplant Scholars Award Essay

As I ended my senior year of high school, I was playing varsity baseball and ice hockey. I had always taken my good health for granted and excelled at sports. When I felt sick or fatigued, I attributed it to everyday growing pains and never really thought much of it. What I did not know was that there was much more to my fatigue and bad moods.

During a routine sports physical I was first diagnosed with high blood pressure and again did not think too much of it. A family friend, my doctor, suggested I see a cardiologist. When my heart appeared in great shape, I thought I was done. When the high blood pressure continued, my doctor then suggested I see a renal specialist, "just in case you have a deadly tumor." I was relieved, again, to learn that I did not have a tumor, but the news that came next was nothing I had ever expected. As an 18-year-old senior in high school, I was diagnosed with MPGN Type II, or dense deposit disease. I had never heard of the disease before and did not know what would come next. In one day, it felt as if my whole world had been changed forever. Gone was the carefree healthy athlete and in his place was someone coping with pills and blood pressure cuffs.

Entering my freshman year of college, as an elementary education major at the University of Vermont, I was aware of the possibility that I would require a kidney transplant, but I hoped I could make it through. As the first semester of college came to an end, my kidneys could no longer fight my disease, and it became readily apparent that I had two choices: either begin dialysis or receive a transplant. Luckily, my aunt was a perfect match, a generous donor, and I was able to have my transplant in February of 2008.

The surgery and recovery time, however, did not allow me to return to school for my second semester. As my friends returned to college, I stayed home, becoming good friends with the television. To some this may appear to be the good life, but to me it was horrible. I felt like my dreams of teaching had been put on hold, maybe forever.

My life goal has always been to be an elementary special education teacher. As a transplant recipient, I believe I have greater understanding and empathy for what my students with learning disabilities go through on a daily basis. No, I am not handicapped like the students I work with, but the challenges and triumphs I have faced during the transplant process provide me with a greater understanding of my students. I believe this unique perspective will allow me to be a better educator, providing me with the understanding and patience to help these children every day. I plan to offer my experience as inspiration to other young transplant recipients.

Ted Hodges, 22
Heart recipient
Salina, KS

Astellas Transplant Scholars Award Essay

If you'd asked me last summer, "How has your journey as a transplant recipient affected your life and education plans?," you would have received a blank stare. In June 2009, I'd just completed my junior year at Notre Dame, where I was a two-time letter-winner in fencing. I was sick with the flu; otherwise, my future looked bright. But my flu turned out to be viral myocarditis. From my hometown hospital in rural Kansas, I was flown to St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. My heart stopped within minutes of arriving. For nearly 40 minutes, the staff performed CPR. I don't remember much about the next several weeks: the initial ECMO and therapeutic hypothermia; the surgical implantation of the mechanical assist devices (BiVADs) to sustain my heart; the oscillating ventilator; the CRRT; the tracheotomy; the stroke. As I gradually began to understand what was going on, my goal was to get strong enough to survive a heart transplant. Every therapy session helped me regain skills that I'd lost. Being able to stand, to walk, to use the right side of my body. Being able to speak, to write, to swallow. Being able to dress myself, use the TV remote, complete a puzzle. While the doctors, nurses, and therapists encouraged, supported, and pushed me, it was a group of heart transplant recipients who inspired me. Mike, who teaches scuba diving to fellow transplant patients. Merle, who organizes an annual concert to raise money to support transplant recipient families. Ray, who works for a transplant organization and is a competitive athlete. They visited me faithfully throughout my hospitalization. And on September 15, I received my new heart, joining their transplant family. My new heart has given me hope for living a normal life outside the hospital; hope for returning to college to fence and graduate; hope for resuming my pre-transplant life in many ways. But my post-transplant life will not mirror my pre-transplant life. How could it? This journey has fundamentally changed my perspective. That new perspective acknowledges that my ability to envision the future came at the expense of my donor's life—and I'm humbled by his family's generosity and compassion. That new perspective also embraces the responsibility to support and represent the transplant community. Whether it's a "Teddies for Teddy" day at an elementary school that raised over $300 for the Midwest Transplant Network or the first "Team Ted" blood drive that collected 500 units of blood (twice the projected goal) or a charity scavenger hunt to benefit the Cardiovascular ICU's continuing education fund, these efforts are just the beginning. While I'm fortunate enough to have resources like health insurance and a supportive family, the reality is that balancing transplant and tuition is difficult. The Astellas award would be an enormous help toward completing my English degree at Notre Dame and embarking on a lifetime dedicated to paying my Gift of Life forward.

Ginger Ireland, 38
Liver donor
Kansas City, MO

Astellas Transplant Scholars Award Essay

In early 1998 while finishing up my LPN, my classmates and I watched a video that eventually changed my life and my family's life forever. It was the story of a living donor mom who gave half of her liver to her son. At the time I didn't give it much thought other than "What an amazing gift for another person to give to someone." In October 2002 my father was diagnosed with cirrhosis of unknown origin, which is now called cryptogenic cirrhosis, and was placed on the liver transplant waiting list. At that time, his MELD score was 13. The doctors at the transplant center were predicting he would be on the wait list for a little over a year but were concerned because of the disease's unknown cause and its rapid progression in my father. One day he's healthy and alert; the next he's telling my mom and me that he doesn't know us, that he's a bus driver during the Vietnam War and he's not old enough to have a daughter that's 30. During one of these moments, I thought about the living donor mom video. It was also the moment I knew that if I didn't do something, I was going to lose my dad. I picked up my dad's evaluation paperwork from the University of Nebraska Liver Transplant Center and called the first name on the folder. To this day, I still remember talking to Sue the transplant coordinator and inquiring about the possibility of living donation. Sue asked me a great number of health questions as well as if I had discussed it with my parents. I was honest and told her that if I asked my dad, I knew he would tell me "No." I wasn't even going to approach my mom until I found out if I was a possible match. By Thanksgiving I had been approved as a match for my dad, and we were both finishing up pre-op labs and getting our consents for surgery. The transplant was scheduled for February 28, 2003. The surgery and recovery for me were a breeze. My dad, whose MELD had increased to 26, didn't have it as easy—but 10 surgeries and 51 days later, he came home to Kansas City. Our family's transplant experience has made me an advocate for organ and tissue donation and given me the opportunity to tell our story to coworkers, classmates, and patients, which I hope inspires them to become organ donors and enlightens them on what an impact organ donation can have in their lives and the lives of people in our communities. Every day I say a little prayer for each member of the transplant team that saved my dad's life. It is seven years later and my dad is healthy and happy and I am beginning my senior year at KU School of Nursing, where I hope to become a transplant coordinator and eventually part of the Midwest Organ Transplant Network.

Odunola Ojewumi, 19
Heart and kidney recipient
Beltsville, MD

Astellas Transplant Scholars Award Essay

The greater essence of life is its ability to change our intended paths at a moment's notice. Life is supposed to be a journey we take with fixed expectations of how we imagine our lives should and shall be. As humans, we hold this created notion of which direction our lives will travel on. We make our plans and set our eyes upon this one journey. Sometimes life can take you through unexpected paths that will force you to confront insurmountable obstacles. Through tragedy I found the ability within myself to serve as an inspiration to others. The inevitable lesson of my story is my desire to find strength within my own hardship. I am 19 years old and I have been fighting for my life since the fifth grade. My journey began with my diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and chronic kidney failure. These illnesses internally caused me to need a heart and kidney transplant, both of which I received in 2002. My desire to pursue higher education in college stems from my transplantation. Last year I was forced to surrender my role as a full-time student at the University of Maryland due to complications with my transplants. I developed a form of post-transplant cancer, described as post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder. However, this illness has not deterred my dreams. I was selected from hundreds of students in the United States to serve a one-year term as the sole United States Student Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund. I was chosen by Americans for the UNFPA due to my immense work in public health. I chaired two organizations, the Young Political Leaders of Tomorrow and the Darfur Committee. We worked to raise money to end the genocide in Darfur and urged our political representatives to enact laws in regards to human rights and health care. I lobbied for a bill that would provide health care to the 800,000 uninsured Marylanders. I was thus invited to speak and lobby for House Bill 6. I delivered a thought-provoking speech about how the senators and delegates of our state can create solutions to end the crisis of the uninsured population in Maryland. Soon after my speech and my lobbying, the bill was passed and is now Maryland state law. I recently established my own children's charity, Sacred Hearts Children's Transplant Organization. My organization works tirelessly to inform people about the power in becoming an organ donor. We provided hundreds of stuffed animals to two children's hospitals in Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. My life's path led to creating an organization that provides hope for children sitting in a hospital living the struggles I have now since overcome. My story symbolizes an opportunity to live and propel my impact beyond the borders of my community. I have always had a voice; my ordeal allowed me to activate the power of my voice. Personally, I believe the voice of one person can spark a flame that will eventually change the way people think, act, and compel others to take action.

Alexandria Schultz, 18
Liver recipient
Toledo, OH

Astellas Transplant Scholars Award Essay

I am Alexandria Schultz, and prior to October 18, 2005, my life was anything but that of a normal child. At a young age, I was diagnosed with polyarticular arthritis and hypothyroidism. Both of these diseases were taking a toll on my immune system and making everyday activities a challenge. Later, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, and put on numerous medications. Soon after the diagnosis, I had an emergency colectomy and was forced to live with an ostomy bag. The vicious cycle of autoimmune diseases continued. Despite my limitations, school and extracurricular activities were priorities in my life. Growing up, the pain of arthritis and the constant visits to the doctor were frustrating, and prevented me from doing some activities. Eventually, everyday struggles were diminishing and the remainder of my intestine was reconnected to my rectum. Through all of these struggles, I was becoming a self-advocate and focusing on what was best for me.

Things took a turn for the worse on September 19, 2005, when I became jaundiced. The medications used to try and treat my arthritis and ulcerative colitis affected my liver. I was soon meeting with a transplant team at the University of Michigan, and discussing my need for a liver transplant. I was put on the waiting list for a mere four days before I was transplanted.

All of my medical hardships have made me a stronger person and they have not interfered with my dreams. Receiving a liver transplant made me appreciate the life so many people take for granted. After everything I have been through, my main goal is to raise awareness about donation and continue volunteering for the Arthritis Foundation, Make-A-Wish, and Life Connections of Ohio.

The most exciting thing throughout the transplant process was meeting and continuing to stay in touch with my donor family. We have shared many precious moments together over the years. They are able to see the life they saved with their decision, and have told me they now know they made the right choice. Knowing I am able to provide reassurance for them is an incredible feeling.

A scholarship would not only help me financially to further my college experience, but it would provide me with a stronger sense of accomplishment. I am so proud of myself for continuing my education and never giving up. I am currently a full-time freshman at Bowling Green State University, living on campus. This is the first time I am able to experience being a freshman; when I was transplanted, it was my freshman year of high school and I was home-schooled because being around others posed too much of a risk to my health. I never imagined myself at college, and now that I am, I could never imagine myself not being here. College has taught me independence and how to develop normally while caring for myself. Receiving this scholarship for sharing my experience would remind me that I am an inspiration to many.

Kayleigh Sechi, 23
Liver recipient
South Hadley, MA

Astellas Transplant Scholars Award Essay

I am writing this letter in honor of those who saved me and those still waiting for a transplant. On Thanksgiving 2009, I was at college in Massachusetts, over a thousand miles from my mother, in Florida. I did not go home in order to save money to return for Christmas. I was sick for months and was dismissed by a clinic as "having the flu." I grew severely ill and was rushed to Holyoke Hospital, which determined that I had fulminant liver failure. I was transferred to UMass Memorial-Worcester for an emergency liver transplant and listed as a status 1a, with a MELD score of 39. With help from a friend, my mother arrived to find me entering a hepatic coma. She watched her only child slip away in ICU. I do not remember most of this ... wondering how I had arrived at a hospital ... alarms sounding around my bed ... my heart racing ... brief flashes of kind faces and caring voices ... my mother stroking my hair ... color ... and soon, darkness. The last thought I had was a feverish and repetitive one: "Will I be able to go back to school?" I had 24 hours left when a miracle happened. On December 2nd, a liver became available. I awoke several days after surgery. During the month in the hospital, I worked hard to recover. I was unable to return to Florida, with three readmissions. We remained in Massachusetts. My mother and I had financial difficulty and did not know how we would live. The transplant team accessed a fund to help us, while my college searched for an apartment. The community of South Hadley donated food and a used car. Each person was a step in saving me: my donor's decision to register, the research behind transplant medication, an officer responding to my call, Holyoke Hospital's ER/ICU team, and the transplant team at UMass Memorial, a surgeon taking off in a helicopter to secure my new liver. You will never know, until you have nearly lost your life, that there are heroes everywhere ... in a hospital, at a safety office ... right next door. They are not obvious upon first glance, and are only elevated in their nobility by the unassuming way in which they catch you as you fall. It is as if they have always been there for you and will never expect anything in return, though they deserve the world. Six months after my transplant, I have received full credit for my college work, am working part-time, playing my flute, and pursuing premedical studies including OR observation at a major hospital. Most importantly, I am volunteering with Donate Life, including writing articles and doing interviews for donor awareness. My life has returned with great inspiration. If I were to have the honor of receiving this scholarship, I would apply it to medical school application. My chief surgeon once wrote to me, "May your life always be filled with miracles." Because of him and many people, my life is every day; I only hope I can give that gift to others.

Rachael Wong, 38
Kidney recipient
Honolulu, HI

Astellas Transplant Scholars Award Essay

Have you seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button? In this 2008 movie, Brad Pitt plays Benjamin, who is born as an old man and ages in reverse. It's a story of hope, human connections, and gratitude for life's gifts.

My own transplant story is filled with similar themes and began at age 18 with a diagnosis of lupus nephritis during my first month at Princeton University. This journey included blood disorders, hundreds of blood units, years of chemotherapy, a brain infection, hemodialysis, and peritoneal dialysis. After a dozen years of just trying to stay out of health crises, my life blossomed from illness to wellness upon receiving a kidney from a deceased donor in 2002.

This Gift of Life not only saved me, but it provides the opportunity to make a positive impact in the transplant community and larger world. My professional, volunteer, and education choices consequently stem from my transplant experience. Jobs include leading our state hospice organization and a statewide consortium for integrative health care, which allow me to contribute complementary perspectives to the transplant field. Volunteer work involves championing transplantation, serving on our local organ procurement organization's board, sitting on UNOS and National Kidney Foundation committees, and reviewing transplant-related grants and manuscripts.

I am in the Executive Doctoral Program in Health Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and my dissertation is "The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) by U.S. Solid Organ Transplant Recipients." We are alive because of medicine and immunosuppression advancements, but we also know that patients often seek nonmedical therapies to improve their health. Why are recipients using CAM? How does this affect their health and medical treatment? There has never been a large-scale study of transplant recipients' CAM use, which I will conduct. My research goals are to increase understanding of recipient needs, improve patient care, and ultimately, recommend policies to improve quality of life in our community. A Transplant Scholars Award will allow me to focus on research, complete my dissertation, and share findings with professionals and the public. My doctoral program trains us as health leaders, and I hope to improve the efficacy, quality, and delivery of our nation's healthcare system by highlighting the successes and importance of transplantation.

In the heartwarming movie about Benjamin Button, we witness "the joys of life ... the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond." Transplantation presents us with these same opportunities. Although I am not aging backwards, I am astounded and ever grateful that I am stronger and healthier with each passing year. My life is filled with the blessings of new relationships, experiences, and knowledge because of the generosity of an unknown family during their time of deep grief. Transplantation gave me the chance to experience the beauty of life, honor those who have died, and celebrate the Gift of Life that endures. Further education will allow me to do the most good with this gift.

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