LifeCenter Northwest

06/04/2026

We all have the power to be a life-saving organ donor! Happy Pride! 🌈

In the community, love is love. Who you love doesn't change your ability to save lives through organ donation. Register your decision to be a donor at RegisterMe.org and share your decision with your community and friends! 💙💚🏳️‍🌈

06/01/2026

"One person can make a difference, and through organ and tissue donation, that difference can last a lifetime."
—Lt. Governor Nancy Dahlstrom

The Governor's Gift of Life award ceremony began with a simple but powerful idea from a donor family: that organ donors deserve to be publicly recognized for the lives they save.

Thank you again to all the families who came together to honor their loved ones, share stories and show their support for the ultimate gift — the .

Governor Mike Dunleavy

05/31/2026

Some of the most important conversations happen long before they're needed.

Paul Swindler's family talked openly about organ donation when he was growing up, so when Paul became a donor hero at age 34, his loved ones knew they were honoring a decision that reflected exactly who he was: a giver, protector and someone who always put others first.

"As a family, we talked about being tissue and organ donors since my children were little," shared his mother, Suzi. "Every one of Paul's Marine buddies, teachers and friends said the same thing when they learned he was a donor: 'Of course he was.'"

Those conversations can bring clarity and comfort during life's most trying moments.

Have you shared your donation decision with your family?

05/30/2026

Tonight, families joined us in Anchorage for a special ceremony to honor Alaska’s 26 organ donor heroes whose gifts provided 74 life-saving transplants last year, creating lasting legacies across the state and beyond. Their generosity reminds us that even in life’s most difficult moments, hope can endure.

Thank you to Lt. Governor Nancy Dahlstrom and Governor Mike Dunleavy for recognizing every donor’s gift with the Governor’s Gift of Life Award that went home with each of their families, acknowledging the significance of their loved one’s gift.

To every donor family who gathered with us tonight, thank you for turning remembrance into community and for honoring your loved ones alongside others who understand this journey of loss and legacy.

💙💚

05/28/2026

Congratulations to the ICU team at UW Medical Center — Northwest, recipients of our LifeSaver Unit of the Year Award!

Their commitment helped save lives, honor legacies and support families during some of their most difficult moments.

Thank you to the entire UW Medicine ICU team for your partnership in this life-saving work. 💙💚

05/28/2026

An extraordinary year of saving lives, honoring donor heroes and driving innovation across the Northwest. Explore the stories of the people who made it all possible in our 2025 Annual Report.

🔗: Find the link below in the comments

05/27/2026

Corporal Jacob Douglas Robert Brandon served his country for four years in the U.S. Marine Corps. After a fatal motorcycle accident, he committed one final act of service that healed over 130 Americans in need. Through eye and tissue donation, Corporal Brandon’s final act was a lifesaving one.

We are honored to share this story written by Corporal Brandon’s mother, Marie, in honor of Corporal Brandon’s legacy of service. Marie wasn’t surprised to learn her son was a registered organ, eye and tissue donor — his foresight had already surprised her once when, at 17 years old, he presented her and his father with a packet of information to support his decision to join the Marines. His dedication to his country and his fellow Americans never faltered.

Now an ambassador for her local OPO, OneLegacy, Marie tells Brandon’s story of hope and selflessness to encourage families to consider organ, eye and tissue donation so that more lives can be saved by heroes like Brandon. Organizations like OneLegacy and LifeCenter Northwest work each day to make sure that the families of organ donor heroes are never forgotten and always supported.

We thank Corporal Brandon and Marie for all they’ve given our country, in life and beyond. Learn more about Corporal Brandon, his lifetime of service and his mother’s continued mission in Stars and Stripes.

https://www.stripes.com/opinion/2026-05-24/organ-donation-marine-corps-jacob-brandon-21769665.html //

I wasn’t surprised to learn Jacob was a registered organ donor. He was the first to offer help to anyone.

05/25/2026

On Memorial Day, we remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

05/24/2026

After 30 years as a family medicine physician, Dr. Chao-ying Wu, 67, became a living kidney donor with an ambitious goal: help eliminate the Whatcom County kidney transplant waitlist.

"Everyone can help just by talking about donation," Dr. Wu shared. "The voucher program is a force multiplier. When you donate, you'll help at least two people, and maybe more.”

You can make a difference by simply having the conversation. Talk to your loved ones about organ donation.

After 30 years as a family medicine physician, Dr. Chao-ying Wu retired. But his dedication to healing his community didn't stop. At age 67, he became a living kidney donor with an ambitious goal: help eliminate the Whatcom County kidney transplant waitlist.

Whatcom County has fewer than 30 people awaiting a life-saving kidney donation. Dr. Wu saw that statistic as a powerful opportunity to make a difference, one person at a time.

Working with Heather Swonger, living donor coordinator at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, Dr. Wu documented every step of his donation journey to inspire others. He designated a "standard voucher holder" through the National Kidney Registry, ensuring his donation would directly benefit someone in Whatcom County.

"I only get to do this once," Dr. Wu explained. "So we might as well make the most of it."
Living kidney donation offers significant advantages over waiting for a deceased donor organ. Kidneys from living donors typically last 12 to 15 years compared to 8 to 10 for deceased donor organs, and recipients wait months instead of the typical three to five years in Washington state.

Today, several months post-surgery, Dr. Wu is back to his active lifestyle of skiing, swimming, biking, and running. The recipient of his voucher is nearly a month post-transplant and doing very well with strong kidney function.

More than 100 people attended a recent donor event, with several new prospective donors expressing interest. Bellingham and Whatcom County are one step closer to the moonshot goal of eliminating the local kidney transplant waitlist by 2030.

"Everyone can help just by talking about donation," Dr. Wu shared. "The voucher program is a force multiplier. When you donate, you'll help at least two people, and maybe more."

See more: https://ow.ly/h9oW50Z1IxZ

05/23/2026

Some stories stay with you because they show how love continues even through loss. Clidene submitted this photo and won the Donate Life America photo contest, honoring her loved ones.

"Our family experienced a devastating loss of Martin, a vibrant 22-year-old. While we were reeling from our sorrow, we discovered that Martin had already chosen to be an organ donor: when he applied for his driver’s license at age 16, he registered as one. That was simply the kind of person he was — even as a teenager, he had the heart and mind to serve others.

While we knew of his kindness, we hadn't known about this selfless decision until after we were facing his loss. Knowing he had made such a noble choice helped us navigate the pain of losing such a precious young man. Shortly after, we were dealt another devastating blow with the loss of Martin's mother, Vickie. As an RN, she was always helping to serve others through her job. She served and volunteered in many capacities through her profession in her church, schools, and children’s activities. She was proud of the person that her young son had become. When faced with her loss, we knew without a doubt that she wanted to be a donor as well.

Martin and Vickie both loved their family, and the two young girls in the picture know the legacy left by their uncle and granny. Butterflies represent transformation and new life- just like organ donation gives others a second chance to live, grow and thrive. This is why I chose to let the girls be butterflies on the flower petals. Their decision to say 'yes' didn’t take away our grief, but it gave our pain a purpose."

~Clidene, representing a proud donor family