Introducing Our Heroes

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George “Weldon” Swearingen, Jr.

Living Donor

Location: San Antonio, TX
Date of Donation: 03/10/1981
Hospital: Wilford Hall Medical Center

My name is David Swearingen and this is the story of my kidney transplant. I am the youngest of three boys. My life was pretty normal, until the spring of 1979. During a routine physical, at 16 years old, it was determined I had too much protein in my urine. I was sent to Carswell Air Force Base in Ft. Worth, Texas for testing. After a kidney biopsy, I was informed I had a kidney…

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Chase Christopher Swonke

Organ Donor

Age: 23
Location: Houston, TX
Date of Donation: 07/28/2007
Hospital: Memorial Hermann Hospital

Chase Christopher Swonke was born September 19, 1983 and was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. Chase grew up loving the outdoors, and enjoyed camping, hunting, and fishing. He loved to view the stars at night, watch the lightning, and listen to the thunder. Many summers were spent visiting national parks with his family, and fishing with his Opa, grandfather, on Lake Somerville. Chase was a strong, strapping young man and could hoist up…

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Matthew Tamburello

Organ Donor, Tissue Donor

Age: 24
Location: HCA Cypress
Date of Donation: 03/25/2023
Hospital: HCA Cypress

Our sweet Matthew Joseph was born 3/3/1999 and was taken from us just 3 weeks after his 24th birthday on 3/22/2023. Matthew was a kind, loving and handsome young man with so much life ahead of him. He is a graduate of Texas Tech University and a member of ATO fraternity, with a major in Finance and had recently joined the adult world in corporate America. Matthew always made us so proud through his school…

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Garrett Haley Terrell

Organ Donor

Age: 11
Location: Concord, NC
Date of Donation: 09/23/2003

At the time of my son’s death, we lived in Concord, NC, where I am at present. Garrett H Terrell died on 9-22-03 at the age of 11. He died 6 days before his 12th birthday, which became his memorial service date. Garrett was in the 7th grade and a typical boy of the time. He enjoyed playing chess, listening to music, riding his skateboard, and playing video games. His passion was art. He was…

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Kelly Drew Theriot

Organ Donor

Age: 25
Date of Donation: 11/04/2012

His baby blue eyes captivated the hearts of everyone that encountered him. Throughout his childhood, his proved to be quite a handful-100% boy!! As he grew older, his love for sports became apparent. Basketball and football were his favorite! He then developed this amazing sense of humor, and he had an infectious laugh! EVERYONE loved to be around him because he was SO funny. It didn’t matter what kind of mood you were in, when…

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Myron Thirtle

Living Donor

Age: 31
Location: Iowa City, IA
Date of Donation: 08/31/2000
Hospital: University of Iowa Hospital

I was born on November 26th, 1968 to Doris and Eric Thirtle. Growing up, I did not have much of a relationship with my father. Mom was the backbone of the family. In 1992, my father was diagnosed with a kidney disease called IGA Neuropathy which progressed to the point where he needed to start dialysis 3 times a week, in November 1997. After being on dialysis for 3 years, he was told he either…

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Savara Cooley Thom

Organ Donor

Age: 32
Location: Houston, TX
Date of Donation: 09/30/2013
Hospital: University General Hospital

November 12th, 2010 we got the call…they had lungs for Savara. She had just come out of foot surgery when we got the call. Savara had suffered from a condition called dermatomyositis, which caused her to develop pulmonary hypertension. She was so calm as she waited for the lung transplant…after a sleepless night, they told us she had successfully made it through the surgery and we got see our princess with her new lungs. After…

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Luis Tijerina

Organ Donor

Age: 21
Location: Odessa, TX
Date of Donation: 08/25/2009
Hospital: Medical Center

August 25, 2009, Luis “Louie” Tijerina, a 21 year old Odessa man, was lost in an accident in Odessa. His ten day ordeal in ICU at the Medical Center Hospital began on August 16, 2009. Louie was admitted into the hospital as a John Doe as his clothes and wallet had been ripped away after being ejected from the vehicle in which he rode, making it hard to ID him at the time of admittance….

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William Austin Todd

Organ Donor

Age: 13
Location: Leander, TX
Date of Donation: 09/18/2001
Hospital: Brackenridge Hospital

William Austin Todd was born February 17, 1988, in Escondido, CA. Willie grew up in Oceanside, CA, and then moved to Leander, Texas. Our “Willie” is deeply missed by long time friends and family from these areas that he grew up in. He was a brilliant student, and received many honors for excellent grades and achievements. He played football, baseball, and loved to ride his skateboard. When he got really good on his skateboard he…

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Monica Tooth

Living Donor

Age: 39
Location: Chicago
Date of Donation: 10/12/2006
Hospital: Northwestern Memorial

Monica Tooth Studzinski 7.25.24 17 years ago, I received my miracle of life, a kidney from my amazing, beautiful, loving, caring, compassionate, and courageous daughter, Monica! At the time, she was 22 years young! Her selfless love shines so brightly. My champion of life, saved my life by donating one of her kidneys to me! Her amazing gift of life has given me 17 beautiful years of life, which has allowed me to do so…

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