Travis Walker has been volunteering with Smith Valley Fire Protection District as a firefighter for 12 years. His wife, Summer Walker, has been volunteering for six years as the administrative assistant. They both are blessed to serve their community alongside an extremely dedicated and compassionate team of volunteer responders. Beyond their immediate community, Summer and Travis proudly support their surrounding EMS and fire districts, most recently offering their administrative efforts to obtain EMS CEU approval for a seminar attended by first responders across all Northern Nevada. Summer and Travis are in the business of saving lives, but sadly, despite their best efforts, sometimes tragedy strikes. Being part of such a small community, a population of approximately 1,700 people, means almost every patient interaction is with someone they know and love. Summer and Travis are privileged to partner with Nevada Donor Network to help honor their patients' lives and final wishes by extending the opportunity to save and improve other lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation.
Summer & Travis Walker Smith Valley Fire Protection District
Lieutenant Ortiz has seen his fair share of loss both in his professional career and personal life. For him, many of those could have and should have been a part of organ donation. Knowing one day a family member, a friend, a coworker, or even his own life will need saving and he did nothing to use his position to influence a positive change, would be a disservice to all. He contributes hearing stories of the way organ donors change multiple lives, interaction with donor families, and strangely, watching movies such as Seven Pounds has made an incredible impact on his outlook for the necessity to promote organ, eye, and tissue donation. Lieutenant Ortiz acknowledges that Lyon County, as the 4th largest county by population in the state, has an opportunity to help others and make that positive change. Being the Dayton Substation Lieutenant, he prefers not to take all the credit from the deputies he works with, who he proclaims does the real work as Deputy Coroners. It is their work which makes Lyon County's organ donation possible. Lieutenant Ortiz pushed them to make that simple call to Nevada Donor Network. Knowing he is part of something bigger is always why he, in law enforcement, wakes up each day!
Lieutenant Abel Ortiz Lyon County Sheriff's Office
Karina McNeil, MSW, has been with A Plus Hospice care for the last six years. She is an avid advocate and supporter of organ, eye, and tissue donation. For Karina, it is important to her to continue the partnership with NDN because honoring her patients’ wishes to enhance someone else’s life who depends on their generosity is an incredible and unique opportunity. She has welcomed NDN as family at A Plus Hospice. Because of her generosity and support, dozens have received healing tissues and received the gift of sight.
Karina McNeil A Plus Hospice
