When Deb joined Mid-America Transplant as the communications coordinator, she didn’t just bring her skills in communications – she brought a personal connection to the mission.
In the fall of 2016, Deb’s sister Melissa was living a normal life for a college student: attending classes, walking across campus daily, and participating in the marching band. A couple weeks after fighting off a virus that had spread around campus, Melissa began to feel short of breath. She was initially told it was residual symptoms from her cold until her symptoms got worse. She went to a local hospital, and a day later her blood pressure dropped dramatically. “The doctors told our parents, ‘If she were my kid, I’d send her to Barnes,’” Deb recalled. “Luckily, they listened.”
A few days after being flown to Barnes, Melissa went into cardiac arrest and was in a coma for three weeks. Melissa’s heart was failing. “The next few weeks were the shortest days of her life and the longest days of ours,” Deb said. Melissa was placed on ECMO and diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. She had likely been developing the condition over the past year and the virus she caught had sent it over the edge. Doctors explained that Melissa would need an LVAD (left ventricular assist device) as a “bridge to transplant.”
While the LVAD helped Melissa survive, she was still very limited in what she could do as an active college student. She couldn’t swim, she couldn’t shower normally, and she was even turned down by a potential employer when they realized she couldn’t take off the bag that housed her device. In December 2017, Melissa was put on the heart transplant waiting list.
In January 2018, Melissa got the call. Her donor, Breanna, was in a terrible car accident and became an organ donor. “Breanna loved helping people in any way she could and even signed up for the donor registry THREE times,” Deb said. “Because of that decision, her gifts saved five people, including my sister.”
Imagine Deb’s surprise when in January 2022, a recruiter with Mid-America Transplant reached out to see if she was interested in applying for a communications coordinator position. “When I realized who the message was from, I sat in my car and cried for a while,” she said. “I thought, how cool would it be to support an organization that has given my family so much?”
Deb’s skillset and unique perspective as a family member of a recipient meant she was tailor-made for the job, and she joined Mid-America Transplant in February 2022.
Deb’s career in communications was always about connecting people, but joining Mid-America Transplant introduced a deeper level of meaning. She works tirelessly behind the scenes on a variety of initiatives, from graphic design to event support. Through managing external communications, Deb serves as a bridge between Mid-America Transplant and the community. One of the most rewarding aspects of her role is connecting with donor families and recipients, sharing their authentic and often challenging stories that inspire hope in those who need it most.
Deb knows how life-changing a transplant can be, both from her sister’s story and the countless testimonials she gathers for Mid-America Transplant. Her personal experience allows her to convey the urgency and significance of each donation, inspiring others to consider the impact of registering as an organ, eye, and tissue donor.
“My sister’s journey changed our entire family,” Deb explains. “It’s one thing to know about donation and quite another to live it. That experience made me more passionate about communicating the importance of this cause.”
For Deb, the culture of Mid-America Transplant plays a key role in her dedication to the organization. The team’s shared commitment to the mission, along with the encouragement to continually grow and innovate, makes her feel supported and motivated. It also makes her a better advocate. “I’m able to educate people more broadly than just relaying that my sister is a recipient and how grateful we are,” she said. “My friends will ask me questions and I’m able to answer them. I can help people understand what it means to be a donor and share more about the things they could donate.”
If you feel a calling toward organ donation, consider joining an organization committed to a lifesaving mission and find a rewarding career with Mid-America Transplant. View our current job openings.
