Gift of Life

This week on Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we meet Al Boykin — an athlete, military man, devoted husband, and family man whose life changed when his body began telling him something wasn’t right. While working overseas, Al noticed symptoms he simply could not ignore. After returning to the United States and seeking medical answers, he received a life-changing diagnosis in 2023: cardiac amyloidosis — a rare and progressive disease often referred to as “stiff heart syndrome,” where abnormal proteins build up in the heart, causing it to become thick and unable to function properly. As his condition worsened, Al traveled to Johns Hopkins for specialized care. What began as appointments and monitoring eventually turned into the moment no patient wants to hear — doctors telling him he could not leave the hospital. Then came the wait. Thirty days later, Al received the gift that would save his life… a heart transplant and a second chance at living. In this emotional and inspiring episode, Al shares his journey through fear, uncertainty, faith, family support, and the gratitude that comes with receiving the ultimate gift of life. His story is a powerful reminder of how quickly life can change and how organ donation gives hope where there once was none. Let’s Stay Connected: Email: giftoflifepodcast@gmail.com 📱 Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast 🎧 Listen and share on your favorite podcast platform. BJ Odom’s book More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget… Grab your copy today: Available on Amazon in paperback & eBook! If this episode touched your heart, help us spread the message: Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platforms. Share this episode with family and friends. Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings. Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

In this unforgettable episode of Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we meet a true “unicorn” in the world of living organ donation. Kristie Sue’s journey began with a husband born with only one kidney, making organ donation a cause already close to her heart. But with love, faith, and encouragement from her family, she made a life-changing decision that few people ever consider.



She donated one of her kidneys… to a complete stranger.



What she experienced afterward was something impossible to describe fully—the overwhelming feeling of purpose, gratitude, and knowing she had helped save someone’s life. That experience impacted her so deeply that years later, she made another incredible decision.



She became a living donor again.



This time, donating a portion of her liver to another stranger in desperate need of hope and a second chance.



Kristie Sue’s story is one of extraordinary compassion, unwavering faith, and the incredible power of giving. It’s a reminder that even in a world filled with challenges, there are still people willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for someone they may never meet.



This episode will inspire you, move you, and remind you what humanity looks like at its very best.



Let’s Stay Connected:



Email: giftoflifepodcast@gmail.com



Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast



Listen and share on your favorite podcast platform.



BJ Odom’s book
More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget… Grab your copy today: Available on Amazon in paperback & eBook!



If this episode touched your heart, help us spread the message:



Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform.
Share this episode with family and friends.



Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings.



Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

This week on Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we meet Kathy Snead. In 2009, Kathy was diagnosed with HCM, a diagnosis that would slowly change the course of her life. Year after year, her health challenges continued to grow more serious. Doctors warned her that one day she may need a liver transplant, but nothing could prepare her or her family for how quickly that day would come.



In 2024, Kathy’s journey took a dramatic turn when she suddenly needed an emergency liver transplant.



Through fear, uncertainty, setbacks, and emotional moments, Kathy leaned on faith, love, and the unwavering support of her husband who stood beside her every step of the way. Together they faced the unknown while holding onto hope and believing that God still had a purpose for Kathy’s life.



In this powerful and emotional episode, Kathy shares the reality of living with chronic illness, the terrifying moments leading up to transplant, the miracle of organ donation, and the gratitude she now carries every single day.



Her story is one of perseverance, faith, second chances, and a reminder that miracles still happen.



Let’s Stay Connected:



Email: giftoflifepodcast@gmail.com



Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast



Listen and share on your favorite podcast platform.



BJ Odom’s book
More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget… Grab your copy today: Available on Amazon in paperback & eBook!



If this episode touched your heart, help us spread the message:



Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform.
Share this episode with family and friends. Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings.



Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

This week on Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we meet Steven Gregory, a musician whose life was built around faith, family, and music alongside his wife. Like so many transplant journeys, Steven’s story began with what seemed like a normal life… until everything suddenly changed.

In his mid-50s, Steven learned he was suffering from cardiomyopathy, a diagnosis that would turn his world upside down. What followed was a difficult and emotional battle that led to a hospital stay lasting four and a half months. During that time, Steven spent nearly 100 days connected to a balloon pump while waiting and praying for the gift that could save his life.

Through every setback, every uncertain day, and every difficult moment, Steven says his faith carried him through.

Then came the call that changed everything — a life-saving heart transplant.

In this powerful and emotional episode, Steven shares:
• His life before heart failure changed everything
• The shocking diagnosis of cardiomyopathy
• What it was like spending months hospitalized waiting for hope
• The physical and emotional challenges of living on a balloon pump
• How faith, prayer, and family helped him keep going
• The moment he received the call for his new heart
• His gratitude for organ donation and the second chance he’s been given

Today, Steven is slowly getting back to normal life, returning to the music he loves, and embracing each day with gratitude and renewed purpose.

This episode is a reminder that even during life’s darkest moments, hope, faith, and the gift of organ donation can bring healing and new beginnings.

Let’s Stay Connected:

Email: giftoflifepodcast@gmail.com

Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

Listen and share on your favorite podcast platform.

BJ Odom’s book
More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget… Grab your copy today: Available on Amazon in paperback & eBook!

If this episode touched your heart, help us spread the message:
Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platforms.
Share this episode with family and friends. Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings. Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

This week on Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we meet Sonja Dalbey, whose journey began the day she was born.



Diagnosed as a “blue baby,” Sonja faced serious heart challenges from the very beginning of her life. But as she grew older, doctors discovered her condition was far more complicated than anyone first realized. During a heart catheterization in third grade, her family learned that her heart problems went much deeper than expected.



What followed was a lifetime filled with uncertainty, surgeries, setbacks, resilience, and hope.



Through every up and down, Sonja continued fighting forward with courage and faith. Years later, after enduring a lifetime of heart complications, she reached the point where a heart transplant became her only option for survival.



In this emotional and inspiring episode, Sonja shares:



• What it was like growing up as a child with congenital heart disease
• Discovering the seriousness of her condition at a young age
• The surgeries and medical challenges she faced throughout life
• The difficult road that eventually led to heart transplant
• The gratitude she carries for her donor and second chance at life
• The overwhelming blessing of living long enough to see her grandchild born



Sonja’s story is a powerful reminder of perseverance, faith, and the incredible gift of organ donation. Her journey shows how hope can carry us through even the hardest seasons of life.



Let’s Stay Connected:



Email: giftoflifepodcast@gmail.com



Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast



Listen and share on your favorite podcast platform.



BJ Odom’s book
More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget… Grab your copy today: Available on Amazon in paperback & eBook!



If this episode touched your heart, help us spread the message:



Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platforms. Share this episode with family and friends. Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, and celebrating new beginnings.



Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.