By Kim Gilmore Dunn Avery Aniskevich has never needed an organ transplant, nor has anyone in her family, but she’s seen their life-changing impact up close. Her father and stepmother have spent their careers saving lives through organ donation. Now, Avery’s stepping up as an ambassador for LifeQuest and Donate Life Florida to help […]
By Kim Gilmore Dunn Loni Smith is an accomplished artist, author and teacher whose life and career have been profoundly shaped by her battle with vision loss. Despite facing double vision and progressive corneal disease, she continues to find ways to express her creativity and share her ideas with the help of emerging technologies and […]
By Kim Gilmore Dunn Siouxniqua Smith, a former U.S. Marine and rehabilitation disability counselor, dedicated her life to guiding others through hardship by encouraging them to embrace a positive outlook and live life fully. Then in 2009, the tables turned after a routine medical exam. “I got a call from the doctor. He said, ‘Your […]
April 2025 October 12, 2023 marked a life-changing moment for the Jimenez family. It was the day they had long prayed for — the day Elaine, beloved sister and grandmother, became a survivor. This miracle was made possible by Nilda Jimenez, who made the selfless decision to donate one of her healthy kidneys to her […]
April 2025 By Kim Gilmore Dunn If you ask Rob Bellanich about his liver transplant, he will point you to his wife, Lezlee – his caregiver and the unofficial keeper of his story. Lezlee goes to great lengths to preserve the bravery and selflessness that shine through in retelling not only her family’s journey, but […]
Saturday, March 22, 2025 10 a.m.-3 p.m. ET The Rattlers’ Health Den FAMU, 1415 S. MLK Jr. Blvd. Tallahassee, Fla. Florida A&M University will hold a health fair from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 22, 2025 at the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical […]
January 2025 By Kim Gilmore Dunn, senior public education coordinator It started with a simple yes-or-no question. “The lady from LifeQuest asked if I knew how to fold the American flag,” said Pastor Kenneth Frame, a veteran and parking enforcement technician at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. “I told her yes.” Frame witnessed an Honor Walk — […]
December 2024 By Kim Gilmore Dunn, LifeQuest Senior Public Education Coordinator Jackson Bebiak was a softhearted soul who loved making others laugh. He was best known for his capacity to love, his sensible nature and his passion for video games, cars and music. “Jackson really appreciated the way things used to be,” said his father, […]
July 2024 In 2019, Kevin Jacques wanted his proposal to his then-girlfriend Amanda Meyer to be a surprise and thought a spot 1,500 miles away would be less likely to give away his plans. He decided on Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor, Maine. His family owns a lake house nearby, and a summer vacation […]
June 2024 If you are looking for a reason to stay fit, Sid Riley is a motivating force. He refuses to accept the notion that life is for the young. When he fell ill and needed a liver transplant at the age of 75, his personal commitment to staying active tipped the scales in his […]
April 2024 When friends and family of a patient who had passed away gathered at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare to say their goodbyes, 7-year-old Golden Doodle Louie knew exactly what to do to comfort them. “My big 95-pound dog got in bed with the little boy and put his chin on him; it was so touching,” […]
January 2024 Every December in Green Cove Springs, Fla., community members light up Spring Park with the Parade of Trees. This event started in 2004 where a few Christmas trees were decorated and placed in the park. This year, there were 224 Christmas trees illuminating the park. Each tree is decorated by families, organizations, or […]
January 2024 Imagine squeezing a lifetime of living into an 8 by 8-inch quilt square. Now imagine doing it for the families of organ donors while working on deadline. “You feel a sense of responsibility,” said Laura Snook, a member of the Ocean Waves Quilters Guild in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. In a collaboration of […]
Saturday, March 29, 2025 10:30 a.m. ET Springtime Tallahassee Festival & Parade Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Fla. Walkers wanted to help promote National Donate Life Month. Join us on Monroe Street on March 29 at 10:30 a.m. for the Annual Springtime Tallahassee Grand Parade. We will walk the parade route alongside the Nationwide Organ Recovery Transplant […]
October 2023 Glenn Carless wants to recover near the Gulf of Mexico. “To be on the beach and enjoy our warm Gulf waters, that’s my dream now,” said Glenn, 57. “I can’t think of a better way to spend my days than out on the beach and getting therapy from the calm Gulf waters. That, […]
September 2023: Sara Burgess of St. John’s County knew about arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) from a young age. ARVD is a rare form of cardiomyopathy that occurs when the heart muscle of the right ventricle is replaced by fat and/or fibrous tissue. Sara’s father, grandmother and three uncles all passed away before the age […]
September 2023: Steve Binder could not have imagined the unbelievable twists and turns that led him to discover his true calling and arrive at the place of joy he feels today. At 7 months old, he was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease. Since then, he’s endured one medical crisis after another. A stroke, an aneurism, […]
August 2023 Small but mighty, Aimee Sachs had guts. The gifted 4-foot-10 sports journalist made tough decisions decisively. “She was so tiny, but she wasn’t easily intimidated,” said Samantha “Sam” Sachs, Aimee’s older sister. In May of 2023, Aimee’s courage was on full display. After suffering two strokes in two weeks, the 38-year-old was diagnosed […]
July 2023: Second chances don’t come around often. So, when Leander Smoot was given the opportunity to donate one of her kidneys to save the life of a friend, she felt compelled to do the right thing. “When I first read her email, I definitely went back and forth,” said Leander, who lives in Pensacola […]
March 2023: Alex DeFrank had a megawatt smile, a silly sense of humor and an infectious love of life. He danced offbeat, sang off-key and was forever pulling pranks on family and friends. Those closest to Alex, delighted in his tender side too. His generous spirit and reliable nature put others at ease. And who […]
February 2023 When the doorbell jarred Cody and Kathleen Hampton awake at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2018, they felt sick to their stomachs. Kathleen pulled open the front door to find two Leon County sheriff’s deputies standing on her porch. Her heart sank. “We all know what that means,” Kathleen said, solemnly. Over […]
June 2022: On April 5, 2017, Jerry Rosenberg of Jacksonville, Fla., boarded a cruise ship in Ft. Lauderdale with his cousin. Jerry loved to cruise and was headed first to Bermuda, then to Ireland, England and France. Their departure from the port was delayed by five hours due to a bogus bomb threat, but once underway, […]
April 2022 By Kim Gilmore, LifeQuest Public Education Coordinator Selfless love begins and ends with sacrifice. Those of us who work with organ donor families have a front-row seat to the most extraordinary acts of generosity: parents who are so inspired by their only son’s choice to donate his organs that they are willing to […]
January 2022 By Kim Gilmore Dunn When she is asked how to pronounce her name, Casana Fink’s reply is a little fruity. “It’s Casana, rhymes with banana,” she quips. Ask the 23-year-old University of Florida graduate about her passion for promoting organ, eye and tissue donation as the reigning Miss Gainesville 2022, and she gets […]
January 2022: “Zach was the one that if you were on the side of the road, and you looked like you needed help, he would stop,” said his mother, Michelle Trevellick, R.N., a case manager for the Healthy Start Nurse-Family Partnership at UF Health Jacksonville. Zach Rabon was the type of man who walked into a room […]
