DOVE Transplant - Living Kidney Donation for Veterans

06/10/2026

As you will observe in this news interview with a local TV station in DelMarva Maryland, the last thing Navy Veteran Sam Wiley felt comfortable doing was asking his community for help. Sam chose to be a Corpsman in the Navy to run to medical emergencies and save lives. As we see over and over those who have lived serving others have tremendous difficulty asking for help in return.

Sam is one of over 300 Veterans registered with DOVE who have been waiting on a very long national list for a kidney donor. The wait take 5 years or more for a deceased donor. Many will not survive that long wait.

Living kidney donation offers a real solution and hope.

Living kidney donors live a completely normal life with one kidney and have saved a life with their other kidney. What a profound way to give back to a Veteran in need - like Sam.

Sam asked for help. His community responded. His local The American Legion, where he served as a General Manager, stepped up with a very generous donation to Sam and DOVE.

Please contact DOVE to learn more about kidney donation and /or ways to help Sam. All contact is confidential and there is Zero pressure to move forward or stay in touch if donation is not for you.

The most important thing we can and will continue to do is remind Sam and our Veteran community that they are not alone in their search and as they wait.

We're spending time with Navy veteran Samuel Wiley and hearing how his medical journey is being supported by The American Legion and DOVE.

06/09/2026

TEAM 88 Today!!!!
We are happy to share that Carissa's donor surgery has been completed and her kidney is enroute from Atlanta to North Carolina to be transplanted into Navy Veteran Conner!

Carissa does not know Conner personally but felt a calling to help a Veteran in need.

Conner is 25 years old and served 6 years in the Navy with 2 deployments until he was medically retired due to kidney disease. Connor is studying electrical engineering and recently celebrated his first year anniversary with his girlfriend, Peighton.

Conner was reliant on daily dialysis which made it hard for him to do many things he loved. Because of the kindness of a stranger, Connor and Peighton can plan many adventures together. We couldn't be happier for him.
Please join us in praying for the best for Carissa and Conner as they recover from surgery. We are grateful to you Carissa and all
as well as the teams and transplant professionals that work hard saving lives everyday!

DOVE's mission is to find, educate, support and match living kidney donors to Veterans in need. DOVE believes in the power of community engagement to help remedy the kidney donor shortage for all.

05/29/2026

We wanted to share this newsletter from Froedtert & MCW Solid Organ Transplant that highlights the successful collaboration between DOVE and their transplant program. We were pleasantly surprised to hear that DOVE accounts for 10% of their That is quite remarkable for a program that just launched ~ 5 years ago. We are grateful to Froedtert and the entire team for embracing DOVE's mission and helping to accommodate many donors from across the country and treat them so well!

The Froedtert & MCW Kidney Transplant Program has received INTERLINK’s 2026 Chairman’s Award for Transplant Excellence, recognizing it as the nation’s top-performing kidney transplant program. The program also earned INTERLINK’s ELITE Status Award, a rare honor reserved for transplant center...

05/26/2026

This will be our last one until the games so your attendance is highly encouraged! We will be going over a lot of important information, so please bring all your questions so we can get them answered for you.
• Meeting time is 6:00 PM CST / 7:00 PM EST
• Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84719890183?pwd=kFapBfPO7kWJYzs5qkWwLHbsQ8pRHC.1
• Meeting ID: 847 1989 0183
• Passcode: Military
U.S. Armed Forces Transplant Team

05/26/2026

It is hard to believe, but last month we celebrated the FIVE year anniversary of the first to receive a transplant matched by DOVE.

In the midst of a pandemic, Jon Wayne Taylor donated out of Texas as part of the NKR Voucher program. Shortly thereafter, USAF Veteran, Chief Phil Bennie underwent his transplant at Walter Reed Medical Center.

We are happy to report both Jon and Chief are feeling great. Chief was away on a fishing trip this Memorial Day weekend and living life to the fullest - thanks to the generosity of Jon.

5 years later - we are nearing Team 100. We couldn't have gotten here without Jon and Chief's trust and continuous efforts to raise awareness about DOVE and our mission.

05/23/2026

Throughout this weekend, we will share some of the 350 profiles of the men and women Veterans who are registered with DOVE and hoping to find their lifesaving . Many contact DOVE after exhausting their family and community networks. We hope by elevating their profiles and expanding reach with help each as well as raise the overall level awareness about living organ donation in the public. Kidney donation is that rare and generous gift that gives just as much to the person who donates as to the person who receives. Living donors thrive after donation - living normal lives with one kidney but saving another life with their other. It is hard to find a greater act of kindness than this.

Please share Willie's story and we can end the wait for all in need

05/23/2026

This Memorial Day we reflect on the life of Cpl. Benjamin S. Kopp. An Army Ranger deployed multiple times in support of the War on Terror. He saved lives on the battlefield. He then saved lives upon his death as an organ donor. His legacy inspires us. We honor Cpl. Kopp by celebrating Freedom and The Gift of Life and by keeping the memory of all Fallen Heroes alive.

05/22/2026

William is one of over 300 Veterans registered with DOVE and hoping to find their heroes. Please reach out to learn more about living donation and DOVE's mission.

05/20/2026

US Armed Forces Transplant Team at the upcoming Transplant Games of America
June 18 - June 23rd 2026
Denver

Email from DOVE Transplant WE NEED YOUR HELP! PLEASE SUPPORT OUR TEAM       From June 18th through the 23rd 2026 the US Armed Forces Transplant Team will gather and compete in the Transplant Games of

05/20/2026

Thank you The San Diego Union-Tribune for shining a light on one of our very special DOVE , Dana Harwood. We definitely agree she is someone Sand Diego should know. While initially reserved about sharing her donation story - Dana is now on a mission to raise awareness about DOVE and kidney donation in San Diego and beyond. There is no better ambassador for organ donation and we are grateful to Dana for fighting for all who still wait for their life saving transplant.

Mission Hills resident donated a kidney to a stranger because people need help.