Placenta donation offers super-healing powers
to patients in need Moms and babies are helping heal painful open wounds with generous gifts of “miracle tissue”
“Many other families only have the opportunity to donate organs and tissue when they’re grieving,” Dorrie said. “Placenta donation happens at a joyful time.” The program began with 14 placentas donated at Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital. Gift of Life has occasionally worked with physicians at other hospitals with special requests only. This year is expected to be a breakthrough year for the program, said Tissue Recovery Manager Shannon Renaud, who launched placenta donation at Gift of Life after working with a similar program in another state. The number of partnerships with Michigan hospitals is growing quickly, including the addition of UP Health System – Marquette in February. “We’re so excited. Trinity hospitals in Grand Rapids, Livonia and Pontiac would like to work with us,” Shannon said. “Trinity hospitals at Oakland and Livonia recently launched their donation programs, and we have several other hospital groups that are working to build programs as well.”
the moment he was born in Ann Arbor 3½ years ago. They were the first to give the tissue with super- healing powers as part of Gift of Life’s placenta donation program, which launched in 2019. “When my doctor presented the idea of placenta donation, we thought that would be a cool thing to do,” Alyssa said. “We’re excited to know Coleton was part of something bigger when he was born.” The placenta is tissue that connects a mother’s uterus to the umbilical cord. It delivers nutrients and oxygen to the fetus. Unless donated, placentas are typically discarded after the baby is born. The placenta technically belongs to the baby, making him or her the donor. Gift of Life’s President and CEO Dorrie Dils is proud to offer placenta donation to parents because it gives them a chance to talk about donation without the stress and trauma of loss.
Coleton Voss was born a hero. He’s now going on 4 years old.
Little Coleton Voss has no idea how many people he’s already helped in his young life. But with the gift of his nutrient-rich placenta, he has already made a difference for up to 20 patients.
The Fenton-area toddler and his mom, Alyssa, donated his placenta
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Gift of Life Michigan | golm.org
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