I never imagined that my life after military service would lead me to saving lives and climbing mountains. From 2011 to 2016, I proudly served in the United States Air Force, deploying across the Middle East and Africa. In 2014, during a deployment, I survived a vehicle accident that left me with an undiagnosed traumatic brain injury. It took years after separating from the military to receive a diagnosis, and through that struggle, I realized how many veterans suffer in silence, especially those battling invisible wounds. That personal journey fueled my commitment to advocacy, focusing on mental health, healthcare equity, and now, organ donation.

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In early 2022, I came across an article in Military Times that changed my life. While reading about living donation, I noticed an ad for Donor Outreach for Veterans. I learned about the overwhelming number of veterans on the transplant waiting list and the life-saving potential of living donation. I knew I couldn’t ignore it. On May 25, 2022, I donated my left kidney to a fellow veteran, becoming part of the solution to a national crisis in transplant care.

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In March 2023, just ten months after my kidney donation, I embarked on a life-changing trip to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, summiting on World Kidney Day. That experience was transformative, not only because I pushed my body to new heights but because I met other dual-living organ donors during the climb. Their stories inspired me to continue my own donor journey. By April 30, 2024, I became a dual living organ donor, donating 40% of my liver to an anonymous recipient, becoming one of the few Americans to give both a kidney and part of their liver while alive.

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My body healed, my liver regenerated, and my purpose became even clearer. Through my advocacy work and my ambassadorship with Pin-Ups for Vets, I now have a platform to raise awareness not only for mental health but also for the thousands of veterans living with chronic kidney and liver disease. I use every opportunity to advocate for those on the transplant waiting list, to push for stronger donor protections, and to promote legislation like the End Kidney Deaths Act.

Living donation taught me that service doesn’t end with the uniform; it evolves. I am living proof that you can save lives, climb mountains, and inspire others to do the same. 

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My mission is simple: to serve beyond the uniform - saving lives, breaking stigmas, and standing up for veterans fighting battles we can’t always see. No one should be forgotten on a waitlist, left behind in their recovery, or silenced by their struggles. I’m here to change that—one life, one story, and one donation at a time.