Grateful Transplant Recipient, Dr. Brittany Clayborne, Receives Prestigious Lisa Schaffner Community Advocate Award
Dallas – June 27, 2023 – Southwest Transplant Alliance proudly announces that heart transplant recipient, cancer survivor, and donation champion Brittany Clayborne, PsyD, has won The Lisa Schaffner Community Advocate Award. This award, developed by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), is given each year to an unsung hero in the donation community who acts as a catalyst for donation, inspires, and educates others on the importance of donation.
In 2010, days after giving birth to her son, Brittany was diagnosed with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy, a sudden weakening of the heart muscle. She was eventually told her heart was failing and that she would need a heart transplant. In 2015, five years after her diagnosis, Brittany was in complete heart failure, placed on the transplant waiting list, and in the ICU for the better part of the year.
During her time in the ICU, she wrote letters to her son for every birthday and holiday, just in case she wouldn’t be there. Despite the bleak outlook, Brittany’s force of nature shone through – she founded Brittany Speaks, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the emotional and psychological health of anyone who is going through a difficult situation. Even from her hospital bed, Brittany still fulfilled her passion of caring for others by completing a Master of Science in Organizational and Industrial Psychology. Thanks to an LVAD, Brittany was able to go home to her family and walk the stages at her commencement ceremony.
In January 2018, Brittany received her life-changing call; there was a match for her. Brittany’s life was changed thanks to the generous gift from her donor hero Gary. Still, only months later, she was diagnosed with Stage IV Lymphoma and began to undo chemotherapy to combat the cancer. Even through this hurdle, Brittany remained strong and continued educating and advocating. In 2020 Brittany was declared cancer free.
Brittany’s journey is far from over; she has continued to champion the cause of donation and come alongside those experiencing similar journeys. In 2021, she received her Doctor of Psychology and is now a critical illness psychosynthesis psychologist.
Gary’s gift has allowed Brittany a second chance at life, and she has not wasted a moment of it. Brittany has partnered with STA to raise awareness for donation and reach those from all walks of life. She is real, emotional, and vulnerable when she speaks in a way that brings the audience in and resonates with them. She shares the ups and downs of her journey while still drawing a hopeful and resolute spirit that there is hope even in the darkest moments. No one is more deserving of The Lisa Schaffner Community Advocate Award than Brittany.
About Southwest Transplant Alliance
Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) is a nonprofit organization based in Dallas, Texas that saves lives by fulfilling the gifts of organ and tissue donation. Founded in 1974, STA has facilitated more than 35,000 organs for recovery and enhanced the lives of tens of thousands of people through tissue recovery. STA is among the largest of 56 federally designated nonprofit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States and is a member of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). Established in 2018, the STA Foundation provides care for families, community education, and research in transplant science. STA serves communities in North Texas, Beaumont, Bryan/College Station, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Galveston, Midland/Odessa, Temple, Tyler, and Wichita Falls. For more information, visit ORGAN.ORG.
