Liz Hager is the one who started it all.  Liz is our Regional Coordinator with Life Goes On, the organ donor registry program through the State of Illinois Secretary of State’s office.  When Casey passed away, Liz was with us from the beginning.  She brought us green bracelets, stickers, key chains, and a purpose.  Liz grieved with us and helped us understand the organ donation process, and how we could help others through our loss.  Liz inspires us, keeps us motivated, and works circles around us!

Liz is a great grandmother, she has five children, 11 grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren.  She loves to cook and read.  Liz has plenty to keep her busy, but she has no plans to retire.  She says she feels like she won the job lottery!  In a recent interview, Liz told me “Each day is a new beginning as a Regional Coordinator.  I get to meet new people, help those who are grieving and celebrate life with those who have been fortunate enough to receive transplants.  Recipients are always so willing to “pay it forward”.  Donor families want to continue to honor their loved ones.  As a result, I am able to draw on the strength of those people and share their stories so that others may live.”

Liz started her journey with the Secretary of State in 1985, and a few years later she became the Manager of Program Development and Implementation.  Not knowing the numbers of people who actually signed the back of their drivers licenses, she helped to develop a computerized registry which would enable the Secretary of State’s office to not only register people as potential donors, but to track the registrants geographically.  In 1999, Liz helped to establish Life Goes On Committees, the concept of city wide committees was to saturate each city with information about the critical need for donated organs and tissue.  The following year the Life Goes On Program expanded from the pilot program in Peoria, to Bloomington/Normal, Carbondale, Decatur, and LaSalle/Peru.  Today, many cities still have very active committees, in fact, the Casey Williams Foundation works closely with the Macon County Life Goes On Committee in Decatur.

Liz shared that she was very excited when Secretary White proposed legislation to create a “first person consent” registry.  The legislation was signed in June 2005 and became effective January 1, 2006.  Prior to that time Illinois had an “intent” registry where a person registered their intent to become a possible donor.  Family consent was required at the time of death, and oftentimes families would not honor their loved ones wishes.  With the passage of First Person Consent, family consent was no longer required.  This legislation made it possible to save approximately 100 more lives per year.

Throughout her career, Liz has been able to be a part of programs and legislation that has greatly increased the amount of people who are registered as donors.  Public Awareness and Education is a very important part of the organ/tissue donor program.  Since education is key to the success of any program, Life Goes On staff provides speakers, works at health fairs, works with driver services facilities.  The field staff are very important to the program since they are the “front line” people who actually greet possible registrants.  The CWF helps Life Goes On by providing sponsoring events and providing volunteers to host donor drives and other activities.

This past winter, Liz was invited to attend the Rose Bowl parade as a representative of Life Goes On.  She was given the magnificent experience of watching the Donate Life parade float being built and attending the parade.  She brought her CW wings with her on her trip so that a part of Casey could be in attendance, too!  When I asked Liz what she loved about her job she replied, “perhaps the best part of my job is knowing that each day, in some small way I am able to help others.  Meeting donor families and recipients is very rewarding.  Over the past 27 years, I have come to know so many wonderful people and those friendships remain today.  Seeing donor families helped through the grieving process because of their loved ones decision to donate and seeing the recipients whose lives have been saved because of donation makes my long hours worth it.  I am very proud to say that today there are more than 6.2 million people in the registry.”

One of the reasons we do what we do is that Liz inspires us to keep going.  Liz gives so much of her time and energy to this cause.  She tirelessly works donor drives, attends events, and provides us with resource upon resource that helps us do our job.  Liz takes time away from her family and friends, during a time of life that she should be able to do whatever she pleases, to show up for the Casey Williams Foundation and Life Goes On.  There is no doubt that without Liz Hager, the Casey Williams Foundation would not be what it is today.

Thank you, Liz, from the bottom of my heart, for all that you do.  You have given more to our family than you can ever know.

Visit http://www.lifegoeson.com to learn more about the happenings through Life Goes On, or better yet, to register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor.