Thirty-six-year-old Arthur Joven “AJ” Reyes is a caring and dedicated nurse at Stanford Medical Center. AJ has a unique perspective as a nurse, knowing exactly how it feels to be in a hospital bed for weeks to even months on end. Every day he is grateful to be alive, to work at Stanford Medical Center as a registered nurse, and to work with the nurses and doctors who saved his life in 2010.

Both Akeem and LaShonda are forever changed by this experience; Akeem, a firefighter, has saved lives but has also seen them “end for so many in the blink of an eye.” Yet, his donation uncovered another way one can act selflessly for another “whose whole world is counting on you.” LaShonda considers herself “a warrior and a conqueror,” and feels she is still conquering battles every day.

Dr. Clark Beck was born in Marion, Indiana and there was nothing to indicate this man from humble beginnings would soar through life to become a legend in the transplant community and the professional world in which he excelled. As an African American growing up in the 1930’s and 1940’s, there was no path to success. In fact, there were significant obstacles for Clark and other people of color.