Family of 2-year-old Tissue Donor to Meet 1-year-old Heart Valve Recipient
June 27, 2018
LAFAYETTE, IN – On July 6, 2018, a special meeting will take place between the family of a 2-year-old tissue donor and the recipient of his aortic heart valve, a 1-year-old girl from Missouri named Lillian Wilson.
2-year-old Logan Vanderkleed, who tragically died last August after his neck became stuck in a car window, saved Lillian Wilson’s life through the donation of his heart valve. Because of Logan’s donation, Lillian celebrated her first birthday last month. Lillian had been diagnosed with a heart condition at birth that necessitated several open-heart surgeries beginning when she was only five days old.
These families are inviting members of the media to their first meeting to help raise awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation so that more lives, like Lillian’s, can be saved. Lillian’s mother, Sarah Wilson, wrote to the Vanderkleeds through Indiana Donor Network saying, “Because of your loss, my 7-month-old daughter gets to live. That’s really hard to put into words…my daughter’s heart is repaired because of a donor. Thank you just doesn’t say enough.”
Nationwide, there are currently over 360 patients under five years old awaiting a lifesaving heart valve transplant. Kellie Hanner, Indiana Donor Network president and chief executive officer, stated, “Tissue donation is sometimes overshadowed by organ donation, but this is an important example of how tissue donation saves lives. Lillian is here today because the Vanderkleed family said yes to donation.”
Media are asked to RSVP for this event to Mark Back at mback@INDonorNetwork.org.
Who: Drew and Lisa Vanderkleed with their daughter Kendra; Jeramy and Sarah Wilson with their daughters Preslee and Lillian
What: Donor family/recipient first meeting
When: July 6, 2018 at 1:00 pm
Agenda:
12:30 pm – Media arrival, Vanderkleed family available for comment
1:00 pm – Vanderkleeds and Wilsons meet for the first time
1:30 pm – Wilsons and Vanderkleeds available for comment
Lillian Wilson
Logan Vanderkleed
About Indiana Donor Network
As a leading organ recovery organization, Indiana Donor Network is committed to saving lives through
organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. Our team of over 150 dedicated professionals is
a vital link between donors and their families and the 115,000 men, women and children currently
awaiting a life-saving organ transplant. We champion the cause through education, support donor
families in their time of need and work closely with Indiana hospitals, coroners and funeral directors to
coordinate the donation process. For more information or to register your decision to donate, please
visit IndianaDonorNetwork.org.
