TOLEDO, OHIO, USA: In a heartwarming testament to the power of organ donation, Cara Steel shares an emotional narrative that ties family legacy to a profound professional mission. Inspired by her father, the late Harvey Steel—a renowned voice on K-100 radio—Cara actively champions for organ donation as the Director of Community Services at Life Connection of Ohio.
The Steel family’s transformative journey began when Harvey, once stricken with end-stage liver disease, was given a mere week to live. Against all odds, a liver transplant not only granted him an incredible twenty more years of life but also reshaped the lives of everyone he touched. Harvey’s gratitude manifested in his unwavering commitment to the donation community, where he found himself often speechless amid donor families, humbled by the life-saving gift he had received.
Cara Steel channels her father’s voice and influence through her dedication at Life Connection of Ohio, emphasizing how simple yet profound the decision to become an organ donor can be. Her father’s life extension, thanks to another’s selfless act, underscored for Cara the priceless value of “yes.” As Cara illustrates, one donor can save up to eight lives and enrich up to 125 more through tissue and cornea donation—a legacy she fiercely promotes through public advocacy.
Cara educates on the ease of becoming a donor—either during a driver’s license renewal or online at Life Connection of Ohio’s website. By highlighting her father’s story, she captures the essence of impact that organ donation can have on families, communities, and beyond. Harvey Steel’s life was more than a recipient story; it was a call to action for others to join in shaping a legacy of life-giving generosity.
