Rachel Kuntzsch at home in Lansing for the video shoot telling the story of her heart transplant. She received a new heart at the University of Michigan Transplant Center in 2018.
Storytelling to inspire She also has worked tirelessly with Gift of Life to educate legislators in Washington, D.C., and recruit ambassadors and workplace partners in Michigan. Rachel attended hearings at the state Capitol to support the Check Your Heart Act as it worked its way through the House and Senate before reaching Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk. Her contributions helped pass the law allowing Michigan tax filers to join the Donor Registry on their state income tax forms next year.
Just as Rachel was in the fight of her life, a 33-year-old man was losing his. The next news for Rachel and her family came just 24 hours after her name appeared on the national waiting list. That generous man’s heart was a match for Rachel, and it was on its way to the Ann Arbor transplant center on Thanksgiving Day. New heart and new life After a six-hour surgery, Rachel woke up immensely grateful, feeling better – and with the will to work hard to rebuild her strength and the life she once knew.
That donor’s gift saved Rachel. “He allowed me to watch my boys grow up, celebrate birthdays, and see the moon rise,” she said. “I appreciate all of these things because I almost didn’t get them. “I have an awareness that anything can happen at any time. I was almost an organ donor. Instead, I was a recipient.” Rachel has spent hours since then using her community and statewide platform to talk about her experience in hopes of motivating Michigan residents to join the Michigan Organ Donor Registry.
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Gift of Life Michigan | golm.org
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