Stories of Hope



Joshua Avery

Tissue Recipient


Severely injuring his wrist after a fall, Joshua had limited movement. He was in constant pain, and normal daily tasks became a struggle for him to complete. A failed surgery to prepare his ligament using his own stem cells led to a second surgery where doctors planned to fuse the bones in his wrist together. That procedure would have taken away all joint mobility permanently and, worst of all, taken away his musical expression as a cello player.

Thanks to the gift of a tissue transplant, Joshua’s surgeon was able to rebuild his wrist, and he has now regained 50 percent function.

“For almost a year, I thought I would never again be able to create music,” says Joshua, “But my donor has given me a second chance and the ability to play music once again.”

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