Hundreds to join Indiana Donor Network Foundation to honor organ donors, celebrate their lifesaving gifts Saturday at annual Walk to Save Lives
October 2, 2025
Mother of young Hoosier donor will meet recipient of son’s gifts for first time
INDIANAPOLIS – Last year, just two weeks shy of his 19th birthday, Vishal Soni died from injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident.
Known as “Teddy,” the Mishawaka native and Ball State University freshman donated his heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and pancreas, saving five people. His donated bone marrow has also helped heal many others. Soni made his personal decision to be an organ and tissue donor at 16 when he received his driver’s license.
After donation, his mother, Pam, wrote letters to the recipients of her son’s gifts and has heard back from nearly all, including a 47-year-old mother of two and grandmother who received one of Soni’s kidneys and his pancreas. Theresa Frehlich, a former preschool teacher from Oak Creek, Wisconsin, was on dialysis for five years before receiving her lifesaving transplants.
FRIDAY: Pam Soni will meet Theresa Frehlich for the first time at 1 pm at the new Indiana Donor Network Donor Memorial, located at 3750 Guion Road in Indianapolis. SATURDAY: The two will share their stories with more than 500 expected to participate in Indiana Donor Network’s annual Walk to Save Lives Saturday (Oct. 11) along the canal in downtown Indianapolis.
Walk to Save Lives celebrates life – life made possible through organ and tissue donation. The walk will highlight donor and transplant recipient stories and provide space for participants to reflect on the gift of life. Walk to Save Lives will also feature family-friendly activities, food, music and more.
Registration for the walk begins at 9 am. A ceremony honoring organ donors, their legacies and transplant recipients will begin at 9:45 am and the walk will start at 10 am at Fairbanks Hall, located at 340 W. 10th St.
Cost for participants is $30 for adults and $15 for children age 2-12. Parking is free for participants. For more about the event and to register, click here.
All proceeds from Walk to Save Lives benefit Indiana Donor Network Foundation. Since 2021, the event has raised nearly $160,000 to provide financial and support services to families of organ donors and transplant recipients through the Foundation. Last year, nearly 600 walkers raised more than $40,000.
More than 1,400 Hoosiers are among more than 104,000 Americans waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. In the U.S. A person is added to the transplant waiting list every eight minutes. Each day, 17 people die because a donated organ wasn’t available in time.
Despite age or medical history, anyone can sign up to be a donor at DonateLifeIndiana.org. Learn more about Indiana Donor Network.
Indiana Donor Network’s mission is to save and enhance the quality of life through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Its vision is to be a leader in organ and tissue recovery. Founded in 1987, the organization coordinates donation in 85 of the state’s 92 counties and serves transplant hospitals throughout the U.S.
About Indiana Donor Network
The decision to become an organ, tissue and cornea donor is a decision to give the gift of life. Indiana Donor Network serves as the vital link between donors and patients waiting for lifesaving organ transplants, healing tissue and corneas to restore sight. The organization is a federally designated organ recovery organization and accredited tissue bank serving 85 of Indiana’s 92 counties. Its team of nearly 400 dedicated professionals is committed to saving and healing lives through donation and transplantation, championing the cause through education and outreach and supporting donor families in their time of need. For more or to sign up as a donor, visit Indiana Donor Network online.
About Indiana Donor Network Foundation
As a subsidiary of Indiana Donor Network founded in 1997, Indiana Donor Network Foundation enhances the lives of those touched by donation through education, innovation, caring and support. The foundation raises funds through individual contributions, special events and sponsorships to support transplant recipients and the families of donor heroes. For more, visit Indiana Donor Network Foundation online.
Indiana Donor Network® and the Indiana Donor Network Foundation® are federally registered trademarks.
About Donate Life Indiana
Since 1998, Donate Life Indiana has been the state-authorized nonprofit organization responsible for managing the Indiana donor registry. Its mission is to save lives by creating opportunities for all Indiana citizens to sign up on the organization’s official state registry while striving to raise awareness for organ, tissue and cornea donation and transplantation through public education. For more, visit Donate Life Indiana online.
