Gift of Hope athletes head to 2026 Transplant Games

Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network is sending transplant recipients, donor families and advocates to Denver for the 2026 Donate Life Transplant Games of America, June 18-23. The team will use the Olympic-style event to spotlight organ and tissue donation as more than 109,000 people nationwide wait for transplants.

Why it matters: - The Transplant Games put organ and tissue donation in front of a national audience through athletic competition, remembrance and advocacy. - More than 109,000 people in the U.S., including nearly 5,000 in Illinois, are waiting for a life-saving transplant. - One donor can save up to eight lives and improve many more through tissue donation. - Another person is added to the transplant waiting list every 8 minutes. - Thirteen people die each day while waiting for a transplant.

What happened: - Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network announced its athletes and ambassadors for Team Illinois at the 2026 Donate Life Transplant Games of America. - The event runs June 18-23 in Denver. - Team Illinois includes transplant recipients, donor families and advocates from Illinois communities. - The six-day event is the nation’s largest celebration of life for people touched by organ, eye and tissue donation. - The Games are hosted every two years and draw thousands of participants from across the country.

The details: - Elizabeth (Heaton) Sullivan of Tinley Park is a liver transplant recipient who received a live transplant in July 2024 after years of chronic illness, multiple surgeries and uncertainty. - Tammia McMillen of Lansing is a double-lung transplant recipient who wants to raise awareness in underrepresented communities and encourage donor registration. - Brian Wilham of Williamsville is participating after the death of his son, who became an organ donor. - Melissa Bornder of Creve Coeur is competing in honor of her 17-year-old son Elijah, whose organs gave others a second chance at life. - Julie Goodrich of Joliet is a donor wife and the daughter of a cornea recipient. - Jim Branson of Philo is a transplant recipient who describes himself as living in his “bonus life” and plans to promote donation through community outreach. - Participants compete in athletic events while honoring donors and raising awareness about organ and tissue donation. - Gift of Hope said each ambassador plans to use the Games to educate others, share personal journeys and encourage donor registration. - Gift of Hope is the nonprofit organ procurement organization serving Illinois and northwest Indiana. - The organization partners with 180 hospitals and serves more than 12 million people. - Since 1986, Gift of Hope says its work has saved more than 30,000 organ transplant recipients and improved hundreds of thousands more through tissue donation. - More information is available at Gift of Hope. - Gift of Hope also shared updates on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Between the lines: - The ambassador lineup is built around personal stories of loss, survival and gratitude, which can make donation feel more immediate and relatable. - The focus on underrepresented communities suggests Gift of Hope sees awareness gaps as part of the transplant shortage problem. - The event gives recipients and donor families a public platform to turn private experiences into donor registration outreach.

What's next: - Team Illinois will compete and participate in remembrance activities in Denver during the June 18-23 Games. - Gift of Hope is urging people to learn about organ, eye and tissue donation, register as donors and tell their families their decision. - The ambassadors are expected to continue outreach after the Games through community education and advocacy.