STA Foundation Honors Organ Donation Champions with 2023 Outlive Yourself Awards
Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) Foundation honored individuals and donation partners committed to advancing organ donation and transplantation with its annual Outlive Yourself Awards. Parkland Memorial Hospital, KidneyTexas Inc., and the courageous family of donor hero Jordan Santiago were recognized during a ceremony Thursday evening at STA’s Legacy Center in Dallas.
“The Outlive Yourself Award honorees have shown incredible commitment to supporting the lifesaving mission of organ and tissue donation,” said STA President and CEO, Brad Adams. “Each one has made an impact that will transform the lives of thousands of people across Texas and around the globe.”
Learn more about each honoree’s impact:
Parkland Memorial Hospital staff are champions of the mission and have created a culture of donation within the hospital. They have even established a monthly donor collaborative, which is driven by the hospital to explore ways they to maximize every opportunity for donation. In 2022, Parkland helped STA honor 23 heroic organ donors and their families, making 76 lifesaving transplants possible.
KidneyTexas, Inc. is committed to providing funding to improve the methods of treatment, the search for a cure and prevention of kidney disease. Our missions support one another in the fight against kidney disease, which impacts approximately 20 million people in the United States. Of the more than 100,000 people across the U.S. currently on the transplant waiting list, over 85% are in need of a kidney. Generous support from KidneyTexas Inc., totaling more than $150,000, has allowed STA to fund critical equipment essential to transplanting more kidneys and ending the waitlist.
The Santiago Family shines a light of hope in all they do to continue honoring their son, brother, and friend Jordan - lovingly known as “Santi”. His love, kindness, and generosity are remembered always. Through the gift of donation, Jordan saved five lives and healed many more. Under the iCare Foundation, named in Jordan’s honor, his friends and family share Jordan's story to help the community understand the importance of organ donation.
STA serves a diverse population of more than 10 million Texans across 89 counties. The STA Foundation supports STA’s lifesaving mission by caring for donor and recipient families, inspiring the community to honor the gift of life, and investing in initiatives that advance transplant science.
More than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, and more than 10,000 of them are Texans. Anyone can register their decision to become an organ and tissue donor.
Register your decision:
Online at organ.org/register,
When you renew your driver’s license or state ID through Texas DPS,
On the MedID tab of the Health App on your iPhone or iPad,
Through STA and Donate Life Texas representatives at special events, or
By completing a paper form by mail, available here.
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About Southwest Transplant Alliance
Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) is a nonprofit organization based in Dallas, Texas, that saves lives by fulfilling the gifts of organ and tissue donation. Founded in 1974, STA has facilitated more than 35,000 organs for recovery and enhanced the lives of tens of thousands of people through tissue recovery. STA is among the largest of 56 federally designated, nonprofit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States and is a member of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). Established in 2018, the STA Foundation provides care for families, community education, and research in transplant science. STA serves communities in North Texas, Beaumont, Bryan/College Station, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Galveston, Midland/Odessa, Temple, Tyler, and Wichita Falls. For more information, visit organ.org.
Media Contact
Teddi Cliett
214-635-3025