An Interview with Anna Morgan from the Chris Klug Foundation
In March, Lyfebulb was honored to be a part of the Chris Klug Foundation’s Women in Transplant Webinar. The Chris Klug foundation was created to inspire, educate and increase donor registration. In addition to hosting webinars to educate patients and hosting events designed to increase awareness of the need for organ donors, they also bring patient stories of empowerment to fellow patients when they need it most. Their Bounce Back Give Back Awards are given to patients who have not only bounced back from their transplant, but are also giving back to their communities. Furthermore, their Donor Dudes program reaches high-school and college-aged individuals with an intent to inspire them to register to become organ donors.
After attending the women in transplant webinar, a cause near and dear to my own heart, I knew I needed to reach out and get involved, so I sent an email to Anna Morgan.
Anna is the Program and Communications Manager at the Chris Klug Foundation, and she plans events for the organization, including some of the ones I mentioned above. She was born in Wales in the United Kingdom and made the move to Colorado as an adult. Anna’s connection to transplant isn’t just a business one, though. During the Covid pandemic, her brother-in-law was admitted to the hospital with heart failure and required a transplant. The experience opened Anna’s eyes to the world of transplant. When she discovered an opening at the Chris Klug foundation shortly after, she knew it was her next move. In her words, “I feel there are very few jobs where you get to meet this many strong and inspiring individuals and get to learn from each one.” She speaks fondly of the experiences she’s had with donors, recipients, families, and healthcare professionals, as well as the pride she feels at seeing so many people come together. Connecting people in different stages of the journey, meeting people right where they are, and creating more opportunities for everyone to thrive are Anna’s on-the-job highlights.
One of the keys to how the foundation works is their emphasis on diversity. Anyone can be affected by transplant, regardless of their gender orientation, race, sex or social status. This means it is also incredibly important to bring unbiased education to all communities. Looking at transplant, there are conditions more prevalent in different racial backgrounds or genders, something that isn’t commonly addressed when we are discussing transplant healthcare. Our unique situations in healthcare are created from who we are and where we come from. We all have different goals and passions, different diagnoses, and different dreams. And yet, transplant has often been viewed or portrayed as one size fits all. The Chris Klug foundation wants to fix that.
The foundation saw a need and decided to do something about it. With recent ventures, such as their Women in Transplant webinar, the desire is to meet every patient where they are and to note individual uniqueness, bridging the gap that currently exists.
The foundation is hosting more events for organ-donor education and patient inspiration, and they are always looking for more volunteers to get involved. You can email info@chrisklugfoundation.org or check out their website www.chrisklugfoundation.org for more information and to find out how you can get involved.