Tennessee Donor Services

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Tennessee Donor Services! 🦃

Today and every day, we give thanks for all of our donor heroes and their families whose selfless acts of generosity bring hope and new beginnings to others every day. 💙💚

We are honored to carry their legacies forward.

Embrace the season of giving. Register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeTN.org.

11/26/2025

Alert: Meet Dandi Whitson!

Dandi has been a Tissue SOC with Tennessee Donor Services for over 1 year, but she fell in love working with donor families since she switched to the donation profession in 2009.

Fun Fact: Dandi raises a small flock of Dark Brahma chickens!

Let's give a round of applause for Dandi's dedication to saving and improving lives each day! 👏

11/25/2025

We continue to celebrate the work of our Tennessee County Clerks and their efforts to spread awareness about organ and tissue donation during County Clerk Appreciation Month!

Donate Life Ambassador and Donor Mother Julia Henry recently stopped by the Hamilton County Clerk's office with some fall-themed cupcakes for the staff.

Julia's 21 year old son, Mason, became a donor hero in 2021. Julia and Mason had talked about the importance of being a donor and passing on the gift of life. At the time of Mason's death, Julia and her husband discovered that he had registered to be an organ and tissue donor when he went to get his new license at 21. 💙💚

Lives were saved because of Mason's decision, and now Julia is using Mason's story to encourage other to sign up and save lives.

Be a hero like Mason. Register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeTN.org.

11/25/2025

Organ, eye and tissue donation can seem like a complex process, but there are important facts to be aware of when it comes to giving the gift of life:

💙 There is NO COST to the donor or their family for organ, eye or tissue donation.

💚 An open casket funeral is POSSIBLE for organ, eye and tissue donors.

Knowing the reality behind donation helps us focus on what truly matters: saving lives.

Make a lifesaving impact today. Register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeTN.org.

11/24/2025

Mickey Rose reminded us today that our Donate Life Ambassadors are the heartbeat of our mission to save and improve lives!

She recently dropped by her local Tennessee Department of Safety Driver Services Center just to say hello and thank them for their support, like she's done so many times before.

Mickey's young daughter, Justine "Justy" Avendt, became a donor hero in 1998, and for 27 years Mickey has shared Justy's story and become one of our strongest advocates in the Chattanooga area. 💙💚

Thank you, Mickey, and every volunteer who walks beside us to save lives!

Interested in becoming a Donate Life Ambassador? Visit https://www.tfaforms.com/5093484 to sign up!

11/24/2025

In 2010, Dr. Lita Mathews developed cancer in her liver and was quickly added to the national transplant waiting list.

She used the opportunity to educate her Native American community about donation, even inspiring several people to volunteer to consider becoming her living donor.

In just a few months, Lita received the call that her long-time friend Beverly was a match for living donation and underwent her lifesaving liver transplant in May 2010.

Today, she continues to enjoy good music, dancing and helping to run the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow, the largest of its kind in North America.

“If it was not for the generosity of a great and wonderful individual who shared her liver with me, I may not be alive today.” ~Dr. Lita Mathews

Keep the circle of life unbroken. Register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeTN.org.

11/21/2025

Donate Life Ambassador Harry Dillon dropped by the Bradley County Clerk office this week to bring them some deliciousness from Alise Donuts. 🍩

Harry is a liver recipient, and he is especially grateful to the county clerk office in his hometown of Cleveland for supporting organ and tissue donor awareness. 💙💚

Thank you to Bradley County Clerk Donna Simpson and her staff for their advocacy!

Make the lifesaving decision today. Register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeTN.org.

11/21/2025

Birth tissue — membranes and cellular components of the umbilical cord and placenta — are used across many medical disciplines.

11/21/2025

We're wrapping up our series of programs related to cornea donation in honor of Eye Donation Month on Connections!

On our final segment, we'll go behind the scenes of corneal recovery and transplantation with two special guests from Sierra Eye Bank (SDSEB), featuring:

💙 Dr. Jennifer Li, SDSEB Medical Director and Corneal Surgeon
💚 Alyssa Hernandez, SDSEB Director of Marketing and Development

This episode of Connections is also available on your favorite podcast platforms!

11/20/2025

Sean Mercer was only a teenager in high school when he was diagnosed with keratoconus, an eye disease that causes the cornea to become misshapen.

Over the next 30 years, Sean's vision deteriorated, eventually reaching a point to where he could no longer drive.

But that all changed when an anonymous donor hero chose to donate their corneas.

Today, Sean is back to living life to the fullest with his wife, Wendy, and experiencing opportunities he never thought possible — all thanks to the hero who gave him the gift of sight. 💙💚

Be the reason someone gets to see clearly. Register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeTN.org.

11/19/2025

We're wrapping up our series of programs related to cornea donation in honor of Eye Donation Month on Connections!

On our final segment, we'll go behind the scenes of corneal recovery and transplantation with two special guests from Sierra Eye Bank (SDSEB), featuring:

💙 Dr. Jennifer Li, SDSEB Medical Director and Corneal Surgeon
💚 Alyssa Hernandez, SDSEB Director of Marketing and Development

Don't miss this episode of Connections on Thursday, November 20th, at 7 PM ET/6 PM CT on our page and on your favorite podcast platforms!

11/19/2025

Donor Heroes make the selfless decision to be a light of hope and healing to those waiting for lifesaving transplants every day.

We are honored to celebrate their heroic legacies.

Donor Tribute: Dedric Holt

"Dedric 'DT' Holt was 7 years old when he was hurt in a garage gate accident, which ultimately claimed his life. After several weeks in the hospital, we decided to donate Dedric’s organs to save someone else’s life. Dedric was such a great, happy, goofy kid who always kept us on our toes! Dedric loved outdoors, spending time with his family, and just overall being an adventurous kid! He also LOVED motorcycles! Thank you for educating us on donating life during such a hard time. Everyone was so supportive and kind to our family. We are so happy Dedric’s organs saved someone’s life!"

Give the gift of life. Register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeTN.org.

It's Extraordinary:One organ donor can save eight lives. One tissue donor can improve the lives of 75 or more individuals.