More moments together: AdventHealth transplant reunion celebrates hope and new life

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  • Tom Johnson
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Patients, families and caregivers gather for the 2026 transplant reunion picnic
ORLANDO, Fla. — Patients, families, and caregivers enjoy the 2026 transplant reunion picnic at AdventHealth Orlando

Nearly 300 transplant patients and their families came together Sunday for AdventHealth’s 2026 transplant reunion. The annual picnic brings together organ donors, recipients, and the doctors, nurses and other caregivers who supported them throughout their transplant journeys.

Nearly 110,000 people are waiting for a lifesaving transplant in the U.S., according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Right now, teams at the AdventHealth Transplant Institute are caring for more than 700 of them.

Double-lung transplant recipient, Susan Ann Harwick (left) hugs an organ donor during the 2026 transplant reunion picnic at AdventHealth Orlando
Double-lung transplant recipient Susan Ann Harwick (left) hugs an organ donor during the 2026 transplant reunion picnic at AdventHealth Orlando.

For many of these patients and families, access to advanced transplant care can mean more time, more options, and more moments together. AdventHealth recently reached two important milestones that expand access. Care teams performed the institute’s first living donor liver transplants through a new program that helps patients receive a transplant sooner and gives loved ones — and even strangers — the opportunity to donate.

The team also completed its first heart after liver transplant (HALT), a rare and complex procedure only offered at a few centers nationwide, creating new hope for patients who previously had limited options.

The Transplant Institute team works closely with OurLegacy, the federally designated organ procurement organization for 10 counties in east Central Florida. OurLegacy partners with hospitals and donor families to coordinate the organ donation process. Florida residents can sign up to be an organ donor at www.donatelifeflorida.org.

Many of the innovations and programs at the AdventHealth Transplant Institute are funded through philanthropy. Among them is the Bartch Transplant House — a home-away-from-home that provides housing, support, and amenities at an affordable cost for patients and families. Those amenities are funded through donations to the Patient Assistance Fund.

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