The Gift of Life

Join us for an inspiring panel discussion in honor of Donate Life Month, where we explore the profound impact of organ donation. This event brings together a transplant surgeon, a donor’s family member, and a living organ donor to share their unique perspectives on the life-changing power of donation.

Through heartfelt stories and expert insights, we will highlight the journey from loss to hope, the medical miracles behind transplantation, and the lasting legacy of those who give the gift of life.

Featured Speakers

Yolanda Becker MD, FACS, FAST, is an abdominal Transplant Surgeon and LifeGift Chief Medical Officer. She has been President of the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network (OPTN) Board and contributed to the National Academy of Sciences Report on equity in organ transplantation. Dr. Becker has served on many Boards, including the United Way, Temple Beth El, and the American Society of Transplantation. She received her MD at Johns Hopkins and then trained in General Surgery at Vanderbilt, followed by Transplant Surgery training at the University of Wisconsin. She was the Director of the Adult Kidney and Pancreas and Pediatric Kidney transplant programs at the University of Chicago. 

Shannon Lenox, a devoted mother of five and grandmother of ten, has been married to Charlie for 30 years. After her son Roy became an organ donor in 2010, she founded It’s a “Heck” of a Blanket Ministry, supporting organ donor families. Shannon serves as a LifeGift Family Support Coordinator, providing ongoing support and communication to families following donations. She is on the NYU Langone Health Organ Donor Family Research Advisory Council, working to improve experiences for donor families. Through her ministry and advocacy, Shannon honors Roy’s legacy and supports organ, eye, and tissue donation.

Jay Schroller and his wife are both from Yorktown, Texas. He retired from Wells Fargo Bank as the Vice President of Commercial Real Estate. They moved to Houston in 1981 and have 2 sons, Wes (40) and Curtis (33), along with Curtis’s wife Amber and their granddaughter, Lily. While in college, their son Wes was diagnosed with FSGS, a disease characterized by scarring in some of the kidney’s filtering units (glomeruli). The family knew Wes would need a kidney transplant. In 2006, Jay was tested and matched as Wes’s donor. During Wes’s Christmas break from Texas A&M, the father and son underwent the surgeries at St. Luke’s Hospital in Houston. Jay’s recovery was a little longer than Wes’s because Jay required an open procedure, but he was grateful for the match and remained healthy without negative side effects. He would recommend it to anyone considering being an organ donor.

This event is FREE to attend during the museum’s Free Family Thursday hours. Please reserve your spot here. Museum admission is included in the event reservation.

We look forward to welcoming you to this special event, where we honor the gift of life and those who make it possible.

Event Partners

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