Donor Network of Arizona

Donor Network of Arizona makes the most of life by saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation.

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

We have an update! 💙💚

Our username has changed, but our mission hasn’t.

If you’ve followed us as @DonateLifeAZ, you’ll notice our page name update to @DonorNetworkAZ.

It’s the same team, the same stories and the same commitment to connecting the gift of life to those who need it.

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

In 2022, Luke Pelka and his wife, Alexi Kuska, had to cancel a planned mountain biking trip to Haleakalā Volcano in Hawaii because he felt concerned about his health. Pelka, then diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy and LMNA genetic mutation, faced severe heart and kidney failure and constant anxiety.

Pelka’s heart condition was particularly distressing because he had an ejection fraction of just 12%, meaning its blood flow was very weak. Late one night, Pelka received the call for his lifesaving transplant.

After 20 hours of surgery, he successfully received a new heart and kidney. They later returned to Hawaii.

“I remember asking the guide, ‘If I want to pedal the fastest, where can I go?’” he said. 🌋

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

Every stitch counts. Every story deserves to be told.

Arizona Donor Quilts are tributes to donors and the families who love them. Each handmade quilt square tells a story, stitched with memories and care. 🩵

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

Forever a Champion...

Mario Abraham Torres Jr., known as Abraham to his family and Mario to friends, was a vibrant young man with big dreams of becoming a professional boxer. Strong, kind and deeply protective of his mother and two sisters, Abraham inspired those around him with his determination, love and encouragement.

In October 2023, after a fatal head injury during training, his mother, Brooke Ballesteros, made the courageous decision to authorize organ donation, something she knew her son would have wanted. Abraham went on to save and heal multiple lives.

Brooke finds comfort in knowing “his death was not in vain. He still got to be the hero in his story.” She has connected with several of his recipients, even meeting the men who received her son’s heart and kidney.

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

Spiderman isn't the only one who got a brand new day.

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

Tell us your guesses for our 💙 and 💚 in the comments below!

Hint: They're not the same blue and green as the Donate Life logos.

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

ICYMI: Connor, brother of donor hero Braden, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Donate Life Day at the D-backs this year. July also happened to be the one-year anniversary of his passing. What a way to honor his legacy 💙

Watch more at https://t.co/x4J3c4FccU.

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

Derek never met a stranger, always had a silly joke to share and greeted the world with a smile. His generosity grew tenfold after his passing as a donor.

Read Derek's story and register in his honor at https://t.co/XIvBcEzvGC. 🩵

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

We just saw a new milestone in the world of donation! 📢

Elizabeth Wehrle, a 36-year-old mother from Iowa received the first known quadruple organ transplant in the United States involving liver, kidney and re-transplanted lungs at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

Learn more at https://t.co/hAPFZUDFsE.

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

We partnered with Levi Roy, a Navajo artist, to create this design that reflects the spirit of giving, connection and life. 🩵

This drawing is one of many depictions of the Navajo ancestry story of White Shell Woman, who is a spiritual being that represents change, growth and life. But instead of white shell, opal stone colors are used to amplify a representation of colors of the rainbow.

This is also a depiction of the action of giving and nurturing those around you with your presence, no matter what that looks like. No matter the change of trajectory or direction in our lives like the wind, we can always be there, and it can mean something.

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

Donate Life Day at the Arizona Diamondbacks is more than just a day at the ballpark. This year's game is Saturday, July 18. ⚾

Read more at https://t.co/eIirBOALBZ.

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

Red, white & blue (and sometimes green) 💚 Happy Fourth of July!

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

For transplant recipients: What words of hope would you share with someone who is still waiting?

Tell us in the comments below 🩵

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

Did you know? Following the miracle of life, the placenta can be donated to aid in the healing of various procedures or severe burns. 🩵

Learn more at https://t.co/ZBTXP4WGAJ.

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

Gloria registered as a donor at 18. When she passed away in May 2022, her family supported and honored her decision to support others through multiple avenues of kindness: tissue and cornea donation, hair donation to Locks of Love for the second time, and whole-body donation for research.

“We’re finding our peace knowing that she helped and will help so many," her mother, Melissa, says. 🪽

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

“Barbie was a young, beautiful, caring, intelligent daughter,” Paul says.

Barbie’s life was cut tragically short in May 2005 from trauma to her head in a motorcycle crash. Amid their profound grief, Paul, along with Barbie’s mother, made the decision to authorize the donation of Barbie’s liver and kidneys to help others.

A father's love never ends. We honor dads like Paul who transformed unimaginable loss into a lasting legacy. Their children's legacies live on through the gift of life.

Happy Father's Day 💙

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

Turns out our celebrity crush is also a living kidney donor 😍

Belmont Cameli, also known as Garrett Graham in the series "Off Campus" offered help to a childhood friend in need of a new kidney. Belmont was not a compatible match, but refused to walk away. Through a paired kidney donation chain, he saved seven lives.

"Soon my pain will disappear and my scars will fade away, but the love in my heart from this experience will forever remain," he said to People Magazine.

Read more at https://t.co/9vHUGj4cJH.

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

“Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” — Fannie Lou Hamer

Juneteenth marks the anniversary of Freedom Day when Union General Gordon Granger announced all enslaved people were free.

Today: We celebrate freedom. Always: We work to eliminate disparities in donation and transplantation.❤️

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

All love saves lives. 🌈

Last week, Donor Network of Arizona celebrated Pride Month with Michael Mazzocco, chair of the Phoenix Human Relations Commission, Wild Sip and Phoenix Coqui, LGBTQIA+ owned local businesses, and the Phoenix Gay Men's Chorus!

We observe Pride to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and to battle the misconception that members of this community cannot register as organ and tissue donors. Love is love. Organs are organs. ❤️

[Donor Network of Arizona @DonorNetworkAZ]

We know every "yes" to donation has a story. What's yours? Tell us in the comments below.