DOVE Transplant - Living Kidney Donation for Veterans

08/20/2026

Please join our community Check In meeting this evening at 7 pm EST. To start off the meeting we will hear from Dr. Amy Waterman - a national leader in Transplantation who has launched the "Living Donor Storytelling Project" which is a collection of thousands of real life stories of transplantation told from donors, recipients, and those waiting for a transplant. Dr. Waterman will invite our community to participate. Stories you contribute can also be used for your own outreach and to heighten awareness about transplant and donation in your networks.
Following this presentation, Lindsay will provide an update on DOVE and upcoming events. and we will be there to answer any questions. We hope to see you this evening!

zoom link embedded in post as well as here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/7753314013?pwd=Gyt42RI8Lb2z91E9uWSyab1xEc2NnP.1&omn=83184649728&jst=1

08/14/2026

When we post "Part 1" for a DOVE Team that means a living kidney donor has participated in a kidney exchange to ultimately help a specific Veteran. Their kidney is donated to an anonymous recipient (in these cases within the National Kidney Registry network ) In return, a Veteran, who they named on their voucher, receives a living kidney donor transplant usually within 6 - 9 months afterwards.

We consider the "team" the living donor and the Veteran/Voucher holder. A team is complete upon the Veteran's "payback" transplant. We would love to know who else is part of this chain of transplants - but that stays anonymous. We celebrate the ripple effect of beneficiaries in addition to the Veteran recipient.

We are thrilled Veterans Don and Mayra received their transplants this Summer. These surgeries take place across the country. Many different transplant centers coordinating together to perform lifesaving transplants.

We are so grateful for the dedication of these transplant teams and organizations weaving together all the elements to save lives. We are so grateful to living organ donors who reflect the best of kindness and humanity - stepping up to help another get a second chance of life and health.

08/07/2026

DOVE Team 92 part 1 yesterday at transplant. Lori Garrison learned about DOVE and our ability to direct her kidney donation to help a in need from last year.
She is a retired flight paramedic and her grandfather was a WWII Veteran and her daughter and son-law are Army Veterans. So DOVE's mission really struck a chord.

Lori traveled to Boston from North Carolina with her partner and support person Mary (thank you Mary!)

We hear Lori is recovering well ( a little nausea ) and didn't want to share any photos yet. We will provide updates - but in meantime, please join us in wishing Lori well as well as the recipient of her kidney. Since this was a "voucher" donation Lori's Veteran recipient will hopefully receive a "payback" living kidney donor within the next few months.
Thank you Lori and all lifesaving organ donors!

08/07/2026

Joe Quiles is one of over 350 Veterans registered with us. We have been searching several years - along with Joe and his family for his living donor. Many people have stepped up and been evaluated - including his family. However no one has been medically cleared. Joe lives in New Jersey but works with a transplant center that would enable any potential donor to be evaluated conveniently close to their home - anywhere in the US.
Donor evaluations require comprehensive medical testing to make sure it is safe for someone to undergo the surgery and live a completely normal life with one kidney. All of the testing is covered by the transplant center. Non medical costs such as lost wages, travel, lodging can be covered by DOVE and many other organizations. Please reach out if you are interested in learning more about living donation or DOVE. We are happy to talk to you!
[email protected] or message here.

07/27/2026

Tonight!

Topic: USAFTT DeBrief and Plans for 2028
Time: Jul 27, 2026 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/7753314013?pwd=Gyt42RI8Lb2z91E9uWSyab1xEc2NnP.1&omn=82255501776

Meeting ID: 775 331 4013
Passcode: Military

U.S. Armed Forces Transplant Team

07/21/2026

https://dovetransplant.org/keith-phillips/
Veteran Keith Phillips served as a Green Beret for 20 years with the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) He states " those years taught me resilience, strength, sacrifice and the importance of serving something greater than myself."

Keith's strength and resilience continues to be tested today as he copes with end stage liver disease. Keith has a living liver donor who has been cleared for surgery, However, due to Keith's worsening kidney disease, he has been told he is not eligible for the liver transplant unless he can find a living kidney donor as well. Both the kidney and the liver surgeries must be scheduled close together.

Keith receives care at the Pittsburgh VA. He needs to find a blood type O kidney donor. The VA will cover all of the donors medical testing and travel. DOVE will help cover any nonmedical costs related to travel, lodging and lost wages.

Please contact us: [email protected] or click the "meet with a donor educator link" in Keith's profile. We are glad to speak with anyone confidentially about kidney donation!

Thank you and please share this post if you can!

My name is Keith, and I was fortunate enough to grow up and fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a Green Beret in the United States Army. I proudly served our country for 20 years with the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), deploying to numerous countries around the world in support of our natio...

07/16/2026

DOVE was at the Statewide convention in Ocean City Maryland. We were invited by , Sam Wiley, who is on dialysis and hoping and waiting to find his living kidney donor. Sam is an active member of Post 166 the host city of the convention.

We were encouraged by the enthusiastic feedback from the attendees and we know that we are increasing our reach and more Veterans suffering from kidney disease will know we are here for them.

We hope by the 2027 convention that Sam will be with us again - as a transplant recipient!

07/16/2026

2026 is the 6th year since launching DOVE. We celebrated Team #1 last April and here we are celebrating the 5 YEAR of Team #3 and Team #4.
These early teams are near and dear to us!

Team #3 Jon and Damon are both Detectives in the Seattle area. Damon's living donor search campaign generated over 50 donor inquiries to DOVE. Team #5 (Natalie and KD) happened as a result of Damon's outreach. Damon and Jon kicked off DOVE's connection with

Jon continues to give back to the DOVE community by sending handmade wood boards with the DOVE logo as the first anniversary gift to all DOVE teams.

Valerie Riley (Team #4) donor came forward after reading about Team #1 in Valerie donated to a Navy Veteran moved to North Carolina after his successful transplant to spend more time with his daughter and baby granddaughter.
Valerie continues to stay involved and was advocating for her fellow Veterans and DOVE this [past week at the annual Maryland American Legion Convention.
Happy 5 year Anniversary to you!!! We are grateful to you and wish you the very best!

Love,
Your DOVE family

07/16/2026

Team #91 Part 1 happened this past Tuesday!

Scott Beaman has 4 young kids who are homeschooled and he works at ESPN. Despite this very full load, he was so inspired by his wife Cindy - who was an altruistic kidney donor 3 years ago - that he wanted to step up as a donor. He felt it was a calling from God.

While Scott was a "good" match for his intended recipient, a Marine Corps Veteran, he was asked to do an exchange which would enable his 39 year old recipient a better genetic match in return. The better the match, the longer the kidney may last with the less amount of immunosuppression.

That is why we are saying "Part 1" on this post. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon!

We are so grateful to Scott, his wife Cindy, their children and their support team that flew in to help out.

Wishing Scott a swift recovery and his recipient a successful transplant.

Thank you to the transplant teams, and the National Kidney Registry for all you do to save lives everyday.

If you are inspired by Scott and would like to learn more about kidney donation please reach out to us: [email protected]

07/14/2026

Reminder this Thursday 7pm EST is our monthly virtual meeting. We will share programmatic updates, answer questions and hear from Kevin Fowler a kidney transplant advocate who will be celebrating 22 year kidney transplant anniversary.
Link in post