Hannah Fleming, a nurse on the organ surgery team at Cleveland Clinic Akron General, has shared her emotional journey as a liver transplant recipient in the hopes of spreading awareness about organ donation. Fleming was diagnosed with biliary atresia as a baby and received a life-saving liver transplant in October 1998. Now 25 years old, she recounted her story during a recent presentation at Lifebanc and in her first television interview. She emphasized the importance of organ donation and its ability to give someone a second chance at life.
Fleming’s family raised about $70,000 through fundraisers, including spaghetti dinners and car washes, to cover the cost of the surgery when she was a baby. She recalled the anxious wait for an organ donor and the relief her family felt when they received a call notifying them that a liver was available. Today, as a member of the organ surgery team at Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Fleming is grateful to be able to give back and help others through the organ procurement process. Despite experiencing a setback in 2022 and returning to the same Cincinnati hospital where she received her liver transplant, Fleming is now healthy and clear of rejection.
Through her journey from organ recipient to nurse to organ donor advocate, Fleming hopes to inspire others and demonstrate the transformative power of organ donation. She believes that the gift of life can provide individuals with a second chance and the opportunity to make a positive impact on the world. As National Organ Donor Day approaches on February 14th, Fleming raises awareness about the life-saving potential of organ donation.
