4/26/19 – Friday Today, I went to the James R. Thompson Center once again. The purpose of the day would be to host a presentation about the importance of organ and tissue donation by Secretary White. With him were three White Sox retirees, as well as a special guest whom I will explain about later….
Spring Newsletter (PDF)
This newsletter is particularly special because I am featured in it, presenting to a class at Plainfield Central High School.
Day 6 – Organ Summit in Chicago
4/24/19 On Wednesday, I drove to Chicago and met up with five regional coordinations (Jan Eschen, Daniel Lietz, Margaret Pearson, Angelique Marseille, and Gavin Dillon), as well as Mrs. Connie Boatman and Secretary White. There, an Organ Summit hosted by Gift of Hope was held. The purpose of the summit was to inform the audience…
Day 5 – St. Charles North High School
4/17/19 This was definitely an amazing experience. On Wednesday, I drove over to St. Charles North High School, where I met up with Mrs. Pearson. That day, the school was hosting a health fair, where various companies and organizations came over to present about different causes, such as stopping distracted driving and, in our case,…
An Brief History of Organ Donation in Illinois
As mentioned in an earlier post, increasing organ donation has been one of the focal points for Secretary White. In 1991, Doris Ivy – the sister of the Secretary, had a life-saving kidney transplant that fostered Secretary Whites passionate support for donation in Illinois.Subsequent to this unfortunate event, Secretary White began his almost 2-decade long…
Day 4 – Plainfield Central High School Presentations
2/22/19 Today, I met with Margaret Pearson and Angelique Marseille, two regional coordinators with the Secretary of State’s Organ/Tissue Donor program, at Plainfield Central High School in Plainfield, IL. There, we talked to seven separate Drivers Ed classes throughout the school day about organ donation. During our presentations, Margaret explained the facts and importance of…
Day 3 – Hope Fellowship Church of Rockford
February 18, 2019 – Monday Today, I drove about one and a half hours to Rockford. The destination was the Hope Fellowship Church of Rockford. Check out their website. There, Jan Eschen and I set up a donor table, among other providers such as the National Cancer Society. Like at the Lou Bachrodt AutoMall, the…
Day 2 – Lou Bachrodt AutoMall Blood Drive
February 16, 2019 As the alarm rings, I get up and get ready for the day. It’s 5:40AM, and I take a cold shower, eat breakfast, and drink some coffee. By 6AM I’m out of the house and head over to a local gas station to fill up my car for the long drive to…
My Role: Life Goes On
February 14, 2019 On Thursday, I was scheduled to meet with Connie Boatman-Tate, the director of Life Goes On (the organ donor & tissue program under Secretary White’s administration). There, we discussed what my role would be for the next two and a half months – we decided that the end date would be April…