Indiana Donor Network

11/07/2025

Three stories. One mission. 💚

Driven to Save Lives, the documentary, is available on Apple TV, Amazon and Google. Visit driven2savelives.org/film to learn more.

11/06/2025

Eight-year-old Alaina Ritter died suddenly on May 9, 2023. Her mother, Nicole, made a powerful decision to say "yes" to organ donation so that Alaina could continue helping others.

“She was always a beautiful little sunshine. She was my rainbow baby. And she was all over the place,” Nicole said. “And knowing she is all over the place and helping people like she wants to is a big deal.”

You can learn more about their story here: https://www.walb.com/2025/10/13/childs-gift-second-chance-how-one-organ-donation-created-lifelong-bond/.

11/05/2025

MOMENT OF SILENCE: We ask you to join us for a moment of silence in honor and recognition of Leroy for his lifesaving gift of organ donation. The magnitude of this decision, to save those most in need, is to be honored and admired. In this moment, we regard Leroy with respect and dignity above all else.
________________________________________________________________________________________

"Today, we pause to remember a man who didn’t just live life, he charged through it at full speed, boots on the blacktop, a cold Murf Lite in hand and laughter rolling from his chest like thunder.

Leroy J. Murphy Jr., or Murf as most of us knew him, wasn’t one to tiptoe through life quietly — he made an entrance, and he always left a lasting impression.

He worked hard, he loved hard and he lived by his own rules. If you were lucky enough to know him, you knew exactly where you stood, and chances are, you stood beside him at a job site, a bar stool, or around the barn, laughing at one of his stories, probably a little too loud… just how he liked it.

He didn’t believe in shortcuts — in life, in work or in love. He showed up, stood his ground, gave the shirt off his back and made sure his presence was felt.

So now, in honor of a man who paved his own roads, let us take a moment of silence to honor his life.

Let this quiet be our way of feeling him in the stillness, of hearing that laugh echo in our mind, and of thanking him for loving us fiercely, loudly and all the way through.

Let us bow our heads now: not to say goodbye, but to honor the legacy of grit, loyalty, and heart he leaves behind."

-Tribute submitted by Leroy's family.

11/03/2025

MOMENT OF SILENCE: We ask you to join us for a moment of silence in honor and recognition of Michael for his lifesaving gift of organ donation. The magnitude of this decision, to save those most in need, is to be honored and admired. In this moment, we regard Michael with respect and dignity above all else.
________________________________________________________________________________________

"Michael had a smile that would light up a room, the best sense of humor, and a deep love and loyalty for his wife, family and his many friends. His laugh was infectious and one-of-a-kind. He enjoyed fishing, working on his car, tattoos and listening to music. He had a cat, Mia Jade, that he loved dearly. But what he enjoyed the most was just spending all the time he could with his loved ones. He was a devoted husband, son, brother and uncle. Family meant everything to him. He had a huge heart for others."

-Tribute submitted by Michael's family.

11/02/2025

Feliz Día de los Mu***os! 💜🧡💚🎊

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the first Día de los Mu***os celebration at Indiana Donor Network. This beautiful tradition honors the lives and memories of those who have died, reminding us that love and legacy live on.

Thank you to our community, families and partners who came together to share stories and remembrance.
____________________________________

¡Feliz Día de los Mu***os! 💜🧡💚🎊

Gracias a todos los que se unieron a nosotros para celebrar el primer Día de los Mu***os en Indiana Donor Network. Esta hermosa tradición honra la vida y la memoria de aquellos que han fallecido, recordándonos que el amor y el legado perduran.

Gracias a nuestra comunidad, familias y socios que se reunieron para compartir historias y recuerdos.

10/31/2025

10/31/2025

Come see us on Saturday, Dec. 6, at A Downtown Christmas in Evansville on Main Street! ❄️🎄

Visit downtownevansville.com/events/a_downtown_christmas.php for more information about the community event.

10/30/2025

MOMENT OF SILENCE: We ask you to join us for a moment of silence in honor and recognition of Michael for his lifesaving gift of organ donation. The magnitude of this decision, to save those most in need, is to be honored and admired. In this moment, we regard Michael with respect and dignity above all else.
________________________________________________________________________________________

"Love you Mikey, and we will miss you beyond measure. We know you’re safe now."

-Tribute submitted by Michael's family.

10/29/2025

Indiana Donor Network had the privilege of welcoming Dr. William Goggins, an accomplished renal transplant surgeon and surgical director of the IU Health kidney transplant program, to our all-staff meeting this week. He shared details about his work with Lafayette-based 34 Lives, using the latest technology to identify and rescue donated kidneys that would otherwise be unused for transplantation. We are proud to partner with others who also strive to think big, serve well and be remarkable in the shared goal of saving lives.

10/25/2025

One decision can change everything. Boiler up! Hammer down! Give the gift of life through organ donation. 💛🖤

Say “YES” to organ donation the next time you visit the BMV.

10/22/2025

Grand Canyon hikers promote organ donation

An IU Health nurse and a business process engineer recently joined 13 other hikers in the “Rim to Rim Challenge.” What these two Indiana hikers had in common is this: They both are living kidney donors. They both want to bring awareness to the need for organ donation.

Cristina Fontana, an oncology nurse navigator at Joe and Shelly Schwarz Cancer Center donated her kidney at IU Health in 2018 to a stranger. Ben Smith donated his kidney for a friend, through the National Kidney Registry voucher program. His donation occurred at IU Health on Dec. 7, 2021.

In a single day, participants hiked from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, to the river and back up the South Rim.

“It was an incredible experience. Ben thought it would be harder than it was, and I thought it would be easier,” said Fontana, who is a former clinical transplant coordinator at IU Health, and worked in ICU at Riley Hospital. “Some completed the trek in 13 hours; others in 14,” she said. Fontana has also completed hikes to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp raising awareness for kidney donation.

“The day before the hike, a stranger offered to take a group photo,” said Fontana. “Only later did we learn she was a kidney recipient, three months post-transplant. Coincidence? I like to think it was serendipity, a reminder of why we do what we do.”

According to Organdonor.gov, there are 103,223 people on the national transplant waiting list. Of those, 89,792 are awaiting a kidney transplant. In 2024, there were more than 48,000 transplants in the United States. As of September, IU Health has performed 166 adult and pediatric kidney transplants.

Fontana was inspired to become a living donor at a young age, having lost her father to renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer.

Smith, a hot air balloon enthusiast learned the son of a local pilot needed a kidney transplant. Through the voucher program, his kidney went to another person in need, and his friend’s son received a match from another donor.

He said he participated in the Rim to Rim Challenge because he doesn’t believe kidney donation ends with surgery. “It’s the beginning of lifelong advocacy,” he said. He hopes to show that kidney donors are not limited by their gift but instead energized by it. Through the Kidney Donor Athletes community, he is proud to inspire others to consider donation and embrace life fully afterward.

-By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

10/22/2025

MOMENT OF SILENCE: We ask you to join us for a moment of silence in honor and recognition of Brian for his lifesaving gift of organ donation. The magnitude of this decision, to save those most in need, is to be honored and admired. In this moment, we regard Brian with respect and dignity above all else.
________________________________________________________________________________________

"Brian Chernish passed away from surgery complications at 44 years old. He was active and fiercely loyal to his family and friends. He left his wife, children, family and friends with broken hearts. He will be missed every day."

-Tribute submitted by Brian’s family.