Stories of Hope
Donor Family
Katy, Texas
Rylen Cowan
Organ & Tissue Donor
April 11, 2016 – June 5, 2017
Kristen and Travis Cowan lived every parent’s worst nightmare.
Kidney Recipient & Mother
Houston, Texas
Anastazja “Ana” Norris was a sick little girl, yet doctors in Chicago couldn’t seem to figure out what was wrong. Ana’s parents, Joe and Sagirah, moved her to Houston, where the doctors quickly determined Ana had vesicoureteral reflux, which was shutting down her kidneys. Within three years, she was on dialysis, and her kidney function fell to just 10 percent. She was placed on the waiting list for a transplant in December 2015 at age 7.
Donated: Liver
About Juan: His wife, Elizabeth, says, "My husband was very loving and giving and always thought about my needs first before himself."
Date of death: Sept. 27, 2017
Donated: Heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, intestine, ribs, skin, pericardium, heart valve
Tammy Ekrut
Living Donor
December 8, 2015, University Hospital
San Antonio, Texas
Michael Pettijohn
Liver Recipient
December 8, 2015, University Hospital
San Antonio, Texas
Kidney Recipient
April 18, 2014, Miami Transplant Institute,
Miami, Florida
Manny Garcia is a DJ, blogger and voiceover actor. He and his wife, Nidia, have a 3-year-old son, Josiah.
None of this was even possible a few years ago.
Registered Organ and Tissue Donor
Houston, Texas
Reginald C. Adams fundamentally believes that everyone deserves access and exposure to the arts. A public artist, “artrepreneur” and community developer, Reginald is known for his award-winning mosaic murals and art installations, strategically located in some of Houston’s most historic and underserved neighborhoods. He says he owes his inspiration to his travels in more than 30 countries across the globe.
Kidney and Liver Recipient
August 31, 2016, Children’s Medical Center
Dallas, Texas
Maddie Smith was born with a rare genetic condition called methylmalonic academia – her liver had a defective enzyme that was unable to break down four amino acids in protein, which led to kidney failure. Maddie would need a new liver and a new kidney.
Liver Recipient
February 17, 2008
Methodist Dallas Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
In February 2008, Gary Fickes, Tarrant County Commissioner for Precinct 3, was too sick to go to his son’s wedding. After suffering from hemochromatosis for 15 years, he was placed on the waiting list for a liver, and given only 6 to 18 months to live.
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