This week on Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we are honored to welcome Richard Stowe, a devoted husband, loving father, respected high school teacher, and coach whose life changed forever when heart problems first appeared in 2017.

For years, Richard continued to pour his heart into his family, his students, and the athletes he coached, all while quietly fighting a battle that few could truly understand. As his condition gradually worsened, he faced the uncertainty, fear, and emotional roller coaster that so many transplant patients know all too well. Through every setback, Richard remained determined to keep moving forward, supported by the love of his family, his faith, and the hope that one day the call would come.

In 2025, that life-changing phone call finally arrived. Richard received the priceless gift of a new heart—a gift made possible by the incredible generosity of an organ donor and a family who chose hope in the midst of unimaginable loss.

Now beginning a new chapter of life, Richard shares what it was like to wake up with a second chance, the challenges of recovery, and the overwhelming gratitude he carries every single day. He also talks about attending this year’s Transplant Games, where he joined thousands of fellow transplant recipients, living donors, donor families, and supporters in a celebration unlike any other. Richard reflects on the friendships he made, the inspiration he found, and why the Games reminded him just how precious the gift of life truly is.

Richard’s story is one of perseverance, faith, resilience, and the incredible impact that one “yes” to organ donation can have—not only on a recipient but on countless lives that continue because of that selfless decision.

Whether you’re a transplant recipient, donor family member, caregiver, medical professional, or someone simply looking for a story that will inspire your heart, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

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BJ Odom’s Book

More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget — Grab your copy today on Amazon in paperback and eBook.

If this episode touched your heart, please help us spread the message.

Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform.

Share this episode with your family and friends. Together, we are raising awareness, honoring donor heroes, celebrating transplant recipients, and reminding the world that the gift of life is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

Thank you for being part of our Gift of Life family. Your support helps us continue sharing stories that inspire hope, encourage organ donation, and celebrate the miracle of second chances.

This week on Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we welcome Hajnalka Morse, whose remarkable journey begins in Hungary, where she worked as a translator and met a young American soldier. Their love story led to marriage and a life of service as an Army family, moving from military base to military base across the country.

What began as minor health concerns during her college years slowly became something much more serious. As the years passed, each move meant finding a new cardiologist, starting over with new doctors, and facing fresh challenges while searching for answers. Eventually, Hajnalka heard the words no one ever wants to hear:

“You’re going to need a heart transplant.”

Despite the uncertainty, constant moves, and the emotional toll of living with advanced heart disease, Hajnalka never lost hope. Surrounded by the love of her family and strengthened by her faith, she continued moving forward one day at a time.

Then, during one of the most difficult seasons of her life, a book found its way into her hands—a book that would change everything. In this inspiring conversation, Hajnalka shares how hope can arrive when you least expect it, how faith carried her through life’s greatest challenges, and how the gift of organ donation gave her a second chance at life.

It’s a powerful story of resilience, love, family, faith, and the incredible impact of never giving up.

Looking for beautiful, handcrafted gifts with meaning? Visit Hajnalka’s Etsy shop:

Heartfelt Laser Works
https://www.etsy.com/shop/HeartfeltLaserWorks

Email: giftoflifepodcast@gmail.com

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More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget is available now on Amazon in paperback and eBook. It’s a heartfelt story of survival, second chances, and the incredible people who made the journey possible.

If this episode touched your heart, please help us spread the message of hope and organ donation.

• Subscribe to Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast
• Leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform
• Share this episode with your family and friends

Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring organ donors and their families, and celebrating the gift of second chances.

Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

n this inspiring episode of Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we welcome Gina Marisa, whose transplant journey began at a very young age when she learned she would one day need a kidney transplant.

When the time came, her entire family stepped forward to be tested. In a beautiful act of love and sacrifice, Gina’s father became her living kidney donor—giving her the gift of life.

Now, more than 30 years later, Gina continues to honor that gift by giving back to the transplant community in a unique and meaningful way. After publishing her own book, she discovered a passion for helping other transplant recipients, donor families, and caregivers share their personal journeys through writing and publishing their own stories.

Gina's Links:

BJ and Gina discuss:

• Gina’s early diagnosis and kidney transplant journey
• The incredible gift of receiving a kidney from her father
• Life more than three decades after transplant
• The healing power of sharing your story
• How writing can inspire hope and encourage others
• Why every transplant journey deserves to be told

Whether you’re a transplant recipient, donor, caregiver, someone waiting for a transplant, or simply believe in the power of hope and second chances, this conversation will encourage you to embrace your story and inspire others.

Email: giftoflifepodcast@gmail.com

Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

Listen and share on your favorite podcast platform.

More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget — Grab your copy today! Available on Amazon in paperback and eBook.

If this episode touched your heart, please help us spread the message.

Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform.

Share this episode with your family and friends. Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring organ donors, celebrating transplant recipients, and reminding the world that every donor has the power to save lives.

Thank you for being part of our Gift of Life family.

On this episode of Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we meet Brigid Bergan, a woman whose life has been shaped by courage, determination, and hope.

For more than 20 years, Brigid has lived with serious liver disease. Through countless doctor visits, treatments, and challenges, she has continued to push forward with strength and grace. But now, after two decades of fighting, her condition has progressed to the point where she urgently needs a liver transplant.

Today, Brigid is searching for a living liver donor with a blood type of A or O. While the road ahead is uncertain, she remains hopeful that someone will step forward and offer the incredible gift of life.

In this heartfelt conversation, Brigid shares her journey, the realities of living with chronic liver disease, the emotional challenges of waiting for a transplant, and the hope that keeps her moving forward each day. Her story is a powerful reminder of how organ donation changes lives and how one person’s decision can create a future for someone desperately in need.

If you have ever wondered about living donation, or if you’ve been looking for a way to make a life-changing difference, this episode will inspire you and show the profound impact that one act of generosity can have.

If you are blood type A or O and would like to learn more about helping Brigid, we encourage you to explore living donation and see if you might be able to give the gift that could save her life.

Facebook Page: ALIVER4Brigid https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1D1Z512wr9/

Let’s Stay Connected:

Email: giftoflifepodcast@gmail.com

Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

Listen and share on your favorite podcast platform.

More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget – Grab your copy today! Available on Amazon in paperback and eBook.

If this episode touched your heart, please help us spread the message:

• Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform.
• Share this episode with family and friends.
• Help raise awareness about the life-saving power of organ donation.

Together, we honor donors, celebrate recipients, and give hope to those still waiting. Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

You may remember Andrea McConaughy from Episode 109, where she shared her incredible journey and her upcoming celebration of 30 years with her heart transplant.

In Episode 119, we hear the story from a different perspective—that of her husband, Rob McConaughy.

Rob met Andrea after her transplant. What began as a chance meeting turned into a love story built on faith, commitment, resilience, and understanding. As their relationship grew, Rob found himself stepping into a role he never expected: becoming the caregiver of a transplant recipient while learning firsthand about the challenges, uncertainties, and triumphs that come with life after transplant.

This heartfelt conversation explores what it means to love someone whose journey includes major health challenges, and how a strong partnership can thrive through life’s ups and downs. Rob shares the lessons he’s learned, the joys they’ve experienced together, and the unique perspective of loving and supporting a transplant survivor.

This is a touching story of love, resilience, and the power of standing beside someone through every chapter of life. It’s an episode that will leave you inspired and feeling the deep connection Rob and Andrea share.

Let’s Stay Connected:

Email: giftoflifepodcast@gmail.com

Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

Listen and share on your favorite podcast platform.

BJ Odom’s book, More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget, is available now on Amazon in paperback and eBook formats.

If this episode touched your heart, please help us spread the message:

• Subscribe to the podcast and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform.
• Share this episode with family and friends.
• Help us raise awareness, honor organ donors, and celebrate the gift of life.

Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

This week on Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we meet Roxy Staricha, a mother whose world changed forever during a routine 20-week anatomy scan.

What was supposed to be an exciting milestone in pregnancy quickly became the beginning of a journey filled with fear, uncertainty, faith, and unimaginable strength. Roxy shares the emotional story of her son Lennox, an amazing little fighter whose life began with a serious congenital heart condition known as transposition of the great arteries.

Just days after birth, Lennox would undergo life-saving open-heart surgery. But the challenges didn’t stop there. As Roxy and her family tried to navigate the emotional roller coaster of hospital stays, procedures, and endless prayers, they learned Lennox would eventually need something even more rare and complex — a partial heart transplant.

This is a story no mother ever wants to live through, but one every parent should hear. It’s a powerful reminder of the strength of a parent’s love, the miracles of modern medicine, the importance of organ donation, and the resilience children can show even in the toughest battles.

Roxy’s honesty, courage, and faith shine throughout this emotional conversation as she shares the highs, the lows, and the hope that carried her family forward.

Let’s Stay Connected:

Email: giftoflifepodcast@gmail.com

Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

Listen and share on your favorite podcast platform.

BJ Odom’s book
More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget… Grab your copy today: Available on Amazon in paperback & eBook!

If this episode touched your heart, help us spread the message:
Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform.
Share this episode with family and friends. Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings.

Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

This week on Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we meet Al Boykin — an athlete, military man, devoted husband, and family man whose life changed when his body began telling him something wasn’t right. While working overseas, Al noticed symptoms he simply could not ignore. After returning to the United States and seeking medical answers, he received a life-changing diagnosis in 2023: cardiac amyloidosis — a rare and progressive disease often referred to as “stiff heart syndrome,” where abnormal proteins build up in the heart, causing it to become thick and unable to function properly. As his condition worsened, Al traveled to Johns Hopkins for specialized care. What began as appointments and monitoring eventually turned into the moment no patient wants to hear — doctors telling him he could not leave the hospital. Then came the wait. Thirty days later, Al received the gift that would save his life… a heart transplant and a second chance at living. In this emotional and inspiring episode, Al shares his journey through fear, uncertainty, faith, family support, and the gratitude that comes with receiving the ultimate gift of life. His story is a powerful reminder of how quickly life can change and how organ donation gives hope where there once was none. Let’s Stay Connected: Email: giftoflifepodcast@gmail.com 📱 Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast 🎧 Listen and share on your favorite podcast platform. BJ Odom’s book More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget… Grab your copy today: Available on Amazon in paperback & eBook! If this episode touched your heart, help us spread the message: Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platforms. Share this episode with family and friends. Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings. Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

In this unforgettable episode of Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we meet a true “unicorn” in the world of living organ donation. Kristie Sue’s journey began with a husband born with only one kidney, making organ donation a cause already close to her heart. But with love, faith, and encouragement from her family, she made a life-changing decision that few people ever consider.

She donated one of her kidneys… to a complete stranger.

What she experienced afterward was something impossible to describe fully—the overwhelming feeling of purpose, gratitude, and knowing she had helped save someone’s life. That experience impacted her so deeply that years later, she made another incredible decision.

She became a living donor again.

This time, donating a portion of her liver to another stranger in desperate need of hope and a second chance.

Kristie Sue’s story is one of extraordinary compassion, unwavering faith, and the incredible power of giving. It’s a reminder that even in a world filled with challenges, there are still people willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for someone they may never meet.

This episode will inspire you, move you, and remind you what humanity looks like at its very best.

Let’s Stay Connected:

Email: giftoflifepodcast@gmail.com

Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

Listen and share on your favorite podcast platform.

BJ Odom’s book
More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget… Grab your copy today: Available on Amazon in paperback & eBook!

If this episode touched your heart, help us spread the message:

Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform.
Share this episode with family and friends.

Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings.

Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.