As a global leader in regenerative medicine and transplantation, Virginia Beach-based LifeNet Health transforms tragedy into triumph for thousands
Joey’s Journey
When Joey’s military career was abruptly cut short in 2019 by kidney issues, he had no idea his greatest challenge was yet to come.
By January 2021, he was diagnosed with end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy: his heart function plummeted to a mere 5%, its size doubled, leaving him dependent on medical devices and hope.
Through it all, Joey found strength in love, marrying his fiancée Caroline at his hospital bedside. Miraculously, just 12 days later, he received the heart transplant that gave him a new lease on life.
“I extend my deepest thanks to my heart donor and their family,” Joey shares. “Your bravery saved my life. I’m alive to say this because of you.”
Joey’s remarkable comeback is just one of countless “Stories of Hope” made possible by LifeNet Health, a locally based nonprofit focused on “saving lives, restoring health,” and “giving hope.”
Quiet Miracles
At the entrance to LifeNet Health’s Virginia Beach headquarters, a simple inscription exemplifies the mission and spirit of the organization: “In honor of those who give unselfishly and courageously so that others may live.”
This spirit radiates through every pristine corridor, where tribute quilts, heartfelt letters, and photographs celebrate the generosity of donors and the gratitude of recipients.
For donors’ families, the space offers solace and the knowledge that their loved one’s gift lives on. For recipients, it is a place to voice their thanks and to celebrate new beginnings. For staff and volunteers, the walls are daily reminders of the profound impact of their work.
For more than 40 years, LifeNet Health has quietly shaped destinies of people around the world as a global leader in regenerative medicine and transplantation. With six locations in Virginia Beach and 1,500 employees worldwide, the nonprofit organization powers innovative solutions for healthcare providers and researchers, always honoring the heroes behind every donation.
While their name may not be instantly recognized by the broader community, the local, national and international impact of their work is woven into the fabric of innumerable families. LifeNet Health is much more than an organ and tissue bank or a medical supplier; it serves as an invaluable bridge—between loss and renewal, between tragedy and hope.
Meaningful Impact
Founded in 1982, LifeNet Health was born from a simple mission: to save lives, restore health and give hope through organ and tissue donation. Today, its reach spans the United States and 38 countries and includes a focus on innovative solutions in life sciences, a testament to the universal power of generosity and scientific advancement.
The numbers speak volumes. In 2024 alone, 299 donors provided 857 organs for transplant, a 25% increase over the previous year. In addition, more than one million allographs— tissue graphs derived from human donors—were delivered worldwide. Celebrating 30 years and 12 million Allowash XG-processed allografts distributed without a single case of disease transmission, this technology has improved outcomes for patients needing dental, spine, trauma, orthopedic, cardiovascular and regenerative wound surgical solutions.
In 2024, LifeNet Health’s innovation, passion and partnerships continued to fuel groundbreaking research and therapies including advancements in neurodegenerative diseases and traumatic brain injury.
From employing portable cryostat technology to enhance biopsy efficiency and improve transplant outcomes to participating in nearly 400 community events across Virginia, the organization remains dedicated to optimizing the life-saving potential of every donation.
The organization’s 30-month bereavement program, offered through their Donor Family Services division, provided compassionate support to 2,948 families in Virginia and 5,360 families across the country.
At its core, LifeNet Health is about people: those who give, those who receive and those who make the difficult decisions that ripple outward in waves of healing.
“We’re a health care organization committed to honoring the gift of donation while improving outcomes for those who receive it,” explains Executive Vice President Douglas B. Wilson. “That includes serving families who go through the unbearable pain of losing someone, usually suddenly.”
Wilson notes that when an individual, along with their family, has made the selfless decision to be a donor of organs and tissues, that generous decision can impact countess lives.
“Just one donor can improve the lives of 200 recipients,” he says, “with the impact of donated tissue and organs reaching far beyond the donor and recipient and into the lives of their families, friends, and coworkers.”
As the federally designated Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) for most of Virginia, LifeNet Health is one of 55 OPOs in the United States. All OPOs are regulated by multiple government agencies with the goal of adhering to the highest medical and ethical standards.
“Organs and tissues are in high demand,” says Wilson. “Last year alone there were some 3,000 people on the donor waitlist for organs in Virginia and over 100,000 on a waitlist nationwide. Donated organs and tissue are used in nearly every hospital in the United States; they’re an integral part of many different surgical solutions. We play a vital role as an organization dedicated to helping people through biotechnology and regenerative medicine.”
Healing Advantage
In order to “give healing every advantage,” LifeNet Health’s operations require a carefully orchestrated symphony of coordination and care. The staff, including scientists, surgeons, technicians, counselors, and logistics experts, work with diligent dedication. Their days can begin early and end late, dictated by the unpredictable rhythms of need and opportunity. When a call comes in—a potential donor, a family in mourning—the gears whirr into action.
Trained coordinators approach grieving families with compassion and sensitivity, explaining the gift their loved one can give. These conversations are never easy, requiring a depth of empathy that honors both the donor and recipient. For many families, knowing that their loss can become a lifeline for someone else offers a measure of solace amid sorrow.
Once consent is given, the process is rigorous and respectful. Medical teams move swiftly, meticulously recovering tissues and organs, mindful of the dignity of each donor. Every step—matching, processing, transporting—unfolds with equal measures of precision and humanity. Through state-of-the-art technology and rigorous ethical standards, LifeNet Health ensures that each gift is maximized for healing potential.
Pioneering Innovation
The reach of LifeNet Health extends far beyond operating rooms. While organ and tissue transplants are their most visible work, the organization also pioneers advances in regenerative medicine. Through their LifeSciences division, they cultivate new therapies, engineer bio-implants and drive innovations that change the face of medicine.
In 2014, The Institute for Regenerative Medicine opened on LifeNet Health’s Princess Anne campus. The LifeSciences research facilities, brimming with curious minds, are an incubator for the next generation of medical breakthroughs.
From pioneering stem cell therapies to developing advanced wound-healing products, their work constantly pushes the boundaries of what’s possible. The organization also invests heavily in education, training medical professionals and the public alike about the importance and process of donation.
Personal Stories
Perhaps the most compelling testament to LifeNet Health’s mission comes in the form of personal stories like Joey’s. For donor recipients, “it’s like being handed tomorrow.” For every statistic, there is a face: a mother embracing her child after a life-saving transplant, a father finally able to rejoin family activities and return to work thanks to a donated tendon, a grandmother who regains her sight and sees her grandchildren for the first time.
It’s these moments—intimate, joyful and deeply human—that fuel the organization’s work. Donor Family Services hosts remembrance ceremonies and numerous engaging community-building events, connecting donor families with recipients in moving tributes. These gatherings are filled with tears, laughter, and the poignant reminder that behind every act of giving is a shared humanity.
Changing Perceptions
Despite the advances in medicine and technology, myths and fears about donation persist. LifeNet Health works tirelessly to dispel misconceptions, advocating for transparency and education. They partner with schools, faith communities and civic organizations to encourage people to become donors, addressing concerns and answering questions with honesty and care.
By cultivating a culture of openness and respect, LifeNet Health amplifies the reach of every gift. Their campaigns, fostered by the LifeNet Health Foundation, highlight the beauty of donation—not as a loss, but as a legacy of love.
Forward Focus
The legacy of LifeNet Health is not written in isolated acts, but in the ongoing ripple effect of every donation. One tissue graft can enable a surgeon to save a limb. One organ can breathe new life into a failing body. Each family’s choice sets off a chain reaction, empowering recipients to return to their families, their passions, their lives.
As medicine evolves, so too does LifeNet Health’s commitment to the future. The organization invests in sustainability, green practices in their labs and offices and digital technologies that streamline donation and distribution. Their vision is expansive: a world where no gift is wasted and every life is cherished.
Join the Mission
The story of LifeNet Health is, at its heart, about ordinary people making extraordinary choices. Becoming a registered donor or supporting their mission in any form—through volunteering, advocacy or simply spreading the word—extends the arc of their impact.
“We need donors and the support of our community to continue to meet the critical needs of so many,” says Wilson. “Reaching out to Donor Family Services or our Foundation is a great way to learn more about the organization and support our efforts.”
In a world hungry for connection and meaning, LifeNet Health is a beacon of hope: living proof that in the face of loss, humanity can choose to give, to heal and to build a future where miracles become everyday reality.
In the quiet corridors of their headquarters, and in the beating hearts of those they’ve helped, the legacy of LifeNet Health endures—a symphony of compassion, innovation, and, above all, life.
Learn more about LifeNet Health at lifenethealth.org.
Sign up for the Oct. 11, 2025 Race for Hope: www.lifenethealth.org/race-hope.
Register to become an organ, eye and tissue donor at donatelifevirginia.org.
Photos courtesy of LifeNet Health.
Laynee Herron Timlin
Laynee Timlin is a seasoned communications professional in Coastal Virginia with extensive experience in education; particularly community engagement, organization development, and speech/language pathology. She currently works in marketing and communications at Virginia Wesleyan University.
