Greetings to all transplant candidates, recipients, recipient family members, living donors and donor family members!
New Hearts 2024
What Is New Hearts?
Officially formed in May of 1988, New Hearts Transplant Support Group is a 501(c)3 non-profit, all volunteer organization, incorporated in Nebraska. Our members include transplant recipients and their families, transplant candidates or potential candidates, donor families, medical personnel, social workers, clergy and others interested in transplantation and promoting donor awareness.
Although our name is New Hearts, this group serves people with all types of organ and tissue transplants—heart, lung, liver, pancreas, kidney, small bowel and cornea. As one liver recipient said, “Anyone who receives the chance of a transplant receives, in a sense, a New Heart, regardless of organ or tissue—a new outlook, a new opportunity, a new life.”
We offer the opportunity to meet and share with other transplant families, to learn important transplant-related information from our guest speakers, to honor donors and their families, and to promote donor awareness in the community. And, we’re a fun group, grateful for the Gift of Life!
Who Can Belong to New Hearts Transplant Support Group?
Membership in New Hearts Transplant Support Group is open to any person interested in furthering the goals of the organization. That includes people who have just found out they may need a transplant, people on the waiting list, transplant recipients (all organs and tissues, not just hearts!), recipient and donor family members, healthcare professionals and others interested in promoting donor awareness.
Meetings or activities are usually conducted monthly (except June and July), and we communicate regularly through emails.
There are no membership dues or fees.
Operating funds for the group come from the sales of T-shirts and other items with a variety of designs and “Donate Life Nebraska” or New Hearts logo. Proceeds from the sale of these items and any donations or memorials are used to sponsor donor awareness activities, provide information and handouts at our booths and events, honor donor families, provide small patient grants and cover miscellaneous operating expenses. For ordering information, contact Mary Kay Thieman at 402-598-6766 or by email at NebraskaNewHearts@gmail.com.
Our Support Services
New Hearts primary function as a transplant support group is to provide a support service for patients who are both in the pre- and post- transplant process. New Hearts support services include:
- Responding immediately and sensitively when called by a doctor or hospital staff member (or other referral) to talk with a family which has just been told about the need for a transplant. Getting to see and talk with someone who has “been there” can make a significant difference in the attitude of the patient and family to the possibility of a transplant.
- Hosting monthly transplant support and educational meeting providing a forum for recipients, caregivers, and those waiting for a transplant to share their concerns about the transplant process.
- Providing information about the transplant process and resources to family members.
- Offering emotional support and friendship to families from out of town who are in the Omaha area for a transplant.
- Communicating with families throughout the various phases of the transplant process through visits, cards, phone calls, regular support group meetings and activities, social media, mailings and emails.
- Providing small financial grants to transplant families to assist with emergency medical or living expenses. For more information, please contact NebraskaNewHearts@gmail.com.
Our Educational Services
New Hearts is engaged in the local community and provides education services:
- Offers free speakers for schools, community organizations, and church groups
- Staff donor awareness booths at health fairs, businesses and community events
- Provide a volunteer base for community donor awareness events and activities
- Monthly meetings with interesting and qualified transplant-related speakers
- Provide qualified people for media interviews
- Send email and social media “media alerts” about transplant issues
- Staying abreast of legislative issues affecting transplant concerns
- Maintaining a social media presence to inform, inspire and encourage the transplant community.
Our Mission
To provide moral support and information to pre- and post-transplant families;
To promote public awareness of the success of transplants and the growing need for organ and tissue donors; and
To honor donor families.
Let Us Hear From You!
If you or your family member has had a transplant, we’d love to have you join us! If we can help support a family you know that may be facing a transplant, or if you would like more information on organ donation from the very positive perspective of a recipient, please call any of our officers listed below. We will be very happy to help you in any way possible.
New Hearts Officers
President:
Missy McCool (heart recipient)
402-206-5708
Vice President/Program Chair:
Tanner Zeilinger
402-367-7779
Secretary:
Lisa Carmichael (heart recipient)
402-905-8077
Treasurer:
Mary Kay Thieman (recipient family)
402-598-6766
Past President:
Vicki Showell (Manager, Team Nebraska)
402-676-8757
If you would like to be added to our email newsgroup, send your email address to Lisa Carmichael at NebraskaNewHearts@gmail.com.
For general questions or information, email us at NebraskaNewHearts@gmail.com.
Gift of Life
Transplant Mentors
Nebraska Medicine is working with an organization from Kansas called the Gift of Life. The purpose of this organization is to match organ recipients with those who are waiting on the list. It's pretty neat because they have a detailed database that helps them match patient characteristics beyond organ. They do their best to match Mentor/Mentee with similar experiences, such as same organ, and then maybe they both are a parent with young children, or they both drank before. Whatever it may be, it helps people connect on another level. When you have a moment, please check out the Gift of Life website https://giftdonor.org/programs/transplant-mentors/.
The mentor/mentee are not necessarily in the same geographic region. It is a one-on-one relationship. This is meant to supplement what we do with our transplant group locally, but not replace it. The more connection we have, the better it helps our mental health in the healing process. The #1 thing that patients asked for from the patient advisory group was patient support groups so it is wonderful to have this as a resource.
If you are interested in mentoring, please contact the Gift of Life and fill out the form. They will not accept people as mentors until they are at least one year out from transplant. This is so that they are past the period when they themselves are past the emotional ups and downs from steroids.
Help Our Cause
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals of providing a support service for patients who are both in the pre- and post- transplant process.
