This groundbreaking team is managed by Sharyn Kreitzer, Executive Director of DOVE (Donor Outreach for Veterans, Corp.), an organization dedicated to connecting living kidney donors to veterans in need. She is joined by co-manager Chad Carroll, an Army Veteran and Director of Donate Life Texas, a longtime transplant advocate and leader in donor registration initiatives. Together, Sharyn and Chad bring decades of experience in transplant advocacy, service member support, and community building to this inspiring endeavor.

“The HonorLife Initiative is about more than recognizing service. It is about uniting the transplant and military communities in a shared mission of resilience, healing, and hope. Through the United States Armed Forces Transplant Team, we are honoring the lives saved, the lives given, and the unbreakable bond of those who serve,” said Beth Ann Hart, Military Spouse and HonorLife Initiative Lead with the Transplant Life Foundation.

Who Can Join?

The U.S. Armed Forces Transplant Team proudly welcomes participants from all branches of the military. To be eligible, individuals must be one of the following:

• A transplant recipient, living donor, or donor family member who has served or is currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, or who has donated to a service member
• A family member or caregiver with an affiliation to the U.S. military

This inclusive structure ensures that every person touched by the Armed Forces and the transplant journey can find a place on the team, whether stepping onto the competition floor, cheering from the sidelines, or advocating for donation awareness across the country.

A Legacy of Resilience

Transplant recipients and donors in the military community exemplify the values that define both service and recovery: sacrifice, strength, and perseverance. This team creates a national platform where those stories can be seen, heard, and celebrated.

The 2026 Transplant Games will be a moment of pride as the U.S. Armed Forces Transplant Team marches forward under one flag, representing the lives saved, the gifts given, and the power of service beyond the battlefield.

The Transplant Life Foundation and the Games

The Transplant Life Foundation is the driving force behind the Transplant Games of America, the largest celebration of life through organ, eye, and tissue donation. Every two years, thousands of transplant recipients, living donors, donor families, and supporters come together to compete, remember, and inspire. In 2026, the Games will be held in Denver, Colorado, bringing athletes and advocates from across the globe to highlight the power of second chances. The inclusion of the United States Armed Forces Transplant Team will shine a spotlight on the extraordinary connection between military service and the gift of life, creating an inspiring chapter in this international celebration.

Get Involved

Interested in joining the team or supporting its mission?

Facebook page: US ARMED FORCES TRANSPLANT FACEBOOK

Intake form: US ARMED FORCES TRANSPLANT INTAKE

Financial Donations: USARMEDFORCESTRANSPLANTTEAMDONATIONS

Whether you are a veteran, a donor family, or an ally committed to honoring this unique community, the United States Armed Forces Transplant Team offers a place to connect, compete, and carry the message of donation and recovery to new heights.

Together, we honor the gift of life and the lives dedicated to service.

Out of the 380 Veterans currently registered with Donor Outreach for Veterans (DOVE) www.dovetransplant.org, who are waiting for a kidney transplant, 15% have served during the Vietnam Era. In most instance, their kidney disease was deemed to be directly related to their military service. Most of these Veterans had been exposed to Agent Orange in which there is overwhelming evidence of a nexus between their disability and their military service history.

While they are now in their 70′s and older, these Veterans have cleared the rigorous medical assessments in order to be eligible for transplantation. Transplantation is optimal to dialysis as it extends life and improves quality of life. However, without a living kidney donor, the window to obtain a transplant is very small for this group of older Veterans. In fact, many transplant centers will not offer candidates age 65 + a transplant UNLESS they have a living kidney donor. The wait for a kidney from a deceased donor is 5- 8 years and most of these Veterans will not survive the wait, or may be disqualified by the time they receive an offer.

The ask for a donated organ is hard for anyone – but especially for proud Veterans who are used to serving others. But DOVE has been granted their permission (and honor) to ask on their behalf.

A little bit about kidney donation: Most of us have two kidneys, but we only need one to live a normal life. We have a “spare”.

A healthy person (up into their 70′s) can be evaluated to be a living kidney donor. The medical evaluation is extensive and completely covered by the transplant center. DOVE helps cover travel, lost wages and other non-medical expenses.

For those who are medically cleared, kidney donation surgery is safe and donors live normal and healthy lives with one kidney. They can save a Veteran’s life with their other kidney.

Will you Step Up for Veteran in need?

Please contact DOVE to learn more: 551-449-8319 OR Info@DOVETransplant.org OR dovetransplant.org. Donor Intake Link https://dovetransplant.org/new-donor/

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/DoveTransplant

There are ~ 2000 Veterans awaiting a lifesaving kidney transplant in the United States. The average wait for a kidney from a deceased donor is 5 years long. Many Veterans will not survive that wait.

Living Kidney donation enables Veterans to avoid this long wait. Living kidney donor surgery is safe; those who donate can live a long, normal life with one kidney and can save a Veteran’s life with their other.

All prospective kidney donors undergo extensive testing by a specialized medical team to ensure donation is safe. All testing and medical care is covered by the transplant center. Costs related to travel, lost wages, childcare are also eligible to be reimbursed through DOVE’s donor fund.

In February 2025, DOVE booked our 53rd Veteran transplant operation. Half of the donors are from military backgrounds or families. The other half are from were motivated as a way to thank a veteran for their service.

The MOAA Magazine, highlighted a DOVE Donor/Recipient pair, Lt. Colonel David Hardaway and Amanda Houlton and spoke about the impact of the DOVE program as well as other initiatives available for Veterans battling kidney disease:

by Hope Hodge Seck from MOAA Magazine, Feb 2025 issue:

https://www.qgdigitalpublishing.com/publication/?i=837978&article_id=4910194&view=articleBrowser

or

https://www.qgdigitalpublishing.com/publication/?i=837978&p=60&view=issueViewer