Transplant Alliance Foundation – Mary Jo Lovely Memorial Fund

Transplant Alliance Foundation
– Mary Jo Lovely Memorial Fund

During our personal transplant journey, we met numerous others that were on their own transplant journey. The common discussions were always about being listed, the call when a donor was found, the amount of medication and how life is progressing. Sadly, too many people have another story; The financial toll the surgery and post care are taking. It is always the same complaint, the co-pay and out of pocket expenses including living expenses.

We have been on our own transplant journey since 1998. That is the year when our founder and president, Mary Jo Lovely received a phone call that her husband died. Minutes later she received a call from the Gift of Life asking if she wanted to fulfill her husband’s wishes in being an organ donor.

A few years after becoming a donor family, Mary got sick herself and was put on oxygen so she could breathe. She was told she would not survive without a lung transplant. Finally, a few years later, she received the phone call telling her “we have a donor”. This life saving phone call on was the start of Transplant Alliance; July 1, 2007. Mary knew what it meant to be a transplant recipient as well as having to endure her husband’s death that made her and her kids a donor family. She knew deep inside the gift she was given was one to be cherished and this gift needed to be shared.

To make a long story short, 2 years after that transplant she went into rejection. After 5 long years she had a second lung transplant on June 5, 2015. Some of the first words out of her mouth were; it is time to take Transplant Alliance to the next level. That year we became an official nonprofit (Transplant Alliance Foundation). Since then, we have helped numerous people with fundraising, grants and donations. With Mary at the helm of our charity we are constantly reminded of importance of helping others as well as the importance of organ donation.

In early 2021, we lost Mary. Her love for her family and her life, her strength and her ability to help others while fighting to breathe lives on in our foundation.

The Mary Jo Lovely Memorial Fund was designed to help you and your family with your own transplant journey. Talk with your HHL Client Service Coordinator for more information.