April isn’t just the beginning of spring; it’s a beginning for second chances. This month is officially known as National Donate Life Month, a dedicated time to raise awareness for the need for organ donors and acknowledge the people who have undergone these surgeries. Several active members in the ArkLaTex have had a transplant of some sort, granting them a second chance at life.
Dirk McLelland, a teacher at Arkansas High School and youth minister at Richmond Road Baptist Church, had a liver transplant 25 years ago. As he approaches the anniversary this June, he reflects on how it changed him as a person.
McLelland began to fall sick around Christmas of 1999, finding out his liver was failing in May of the following year. He wouldn’t have his surgery until June 2001, though he doesn’t remember most of the waiting process. “When your liver starts to go bad, it produces ammonia and affects your memory,” Dirk said. However, he does remember the support he was given by friends and family throughout his treatment, along with the stress of waiting.
On the morning of June 23, 2001, Dirk received a call on his home phone from Baylor Hospital, telling him to arrive soon if he wanted this surgery. His family quickly packed their bags and, within the next few hours, traveled from Dangerfield to Dallas in preparation for surgery.
The day of the surgery, “there were probably close to 40 people in my hospital room,” Dirk explained, “My uncle from El Paso flew straight in.” On top of the family there for him, he received a phone call from Brother Scott Darby– a local preacher and family friend– who prayed over him during service that Sunday morning. At the time, McLelland didn’t have a relationship with God, but explained that that day planted a seed inside of him.
“Once I was by myself, I started crying,” Dirk said. “And I remember this nurse walked by, saw me crying, grabbed my hand, and she prayed with me.” He says that her small act of ministry calmed his nerves as he went in, and the next he knew, it was Tuesday, and he had a new liver.
He had his surgery on June 24, 2001, at Baylor Hospital, and was back home recovering the following September, much to the warm embrace of his family. If not for the man who signed up to be a donor after passing, McLelland would never have gotten his second chance, which let him meet his wife, have his two kids, become a teacher, and have his faith as a Christian.
Another Texarkana local is Tim Elam, a trap coach and former nurse, who was diagnosed with heart failure in 2005. Tim began coaching the Arkansas High trap team in 2011, “toting around an IV bag 24 hours a day, trying to keep my heart pumping.” He was put on the transplant list later that year, around Christmas, six years after his diagnosis. Though he didn’t wait long, having his heart transplant on April 22 the following year.
The four-month wait may seem long, but compared to the modern wait of several months, if not years, for that callback, it’s a miracle.
Typically, a heart transplant surgery lasts somewhere around twelve hours, but Tim was lucky enough to have it finished after three hours with no complications. He was out of the hospital and back home after a short eight-day recovery, with a warm welcome just like McLelland.
This second chance at life has also given Elam the opportunity to reflect. “I wasn’t the best person before my transplant,” Elam said. “Looking back, probably because I felt so bad, I just didn’t want to acknowledge it.” Since his surgery, though, Elam has worked on his character and his relationships, creating a family with his trap team and bringing that community together, with his own kids being a part of it during their time in high school. This Wednesday marks the 13th anniversary of his surgery.
These stories of transplant recipients wouldn’t be possible without their donors. A single donor can save up to eight different people, and there’s a need for as many to sign up as possible, since nearly 50,000 organ transplants were performed across the United States in 2025 alone, with more than 100,000 people currently on a wait list. Living donors, however, are even more difficult to find, a challenge faced by Antonio Givan.
Antonio Givan was diagnosed with kidney failure two years ago and currently undergoes dialysis three times a week. Before his diagnosis, he worked as a baseball umpire and a referee for local football and basketball games. His wife, Dr. Taryn Givan, has been there for him as a testament to her vows. On the ride home from their anniversary party on New Year’s Eve, Dr. Givan decided it was “time to lead with ‘in sickness and in health,’ because it comes from that union, and just knowing that none of us know what tomorrow holds,” she explained. The two decided to go public with their search for a living donor, beginning an online campaign in early January.
What they never expected, however, was the attention their post received. That initial post is currently at over 1,100 shares on Facebook and has gotten them attention from local news outlets like KTBS. However, they have not been able to find a proper donor yet, as a living donor has to be a perfect match to Givan. Givan is still hopeful, though, and thankful for the support from everyone around him, from everyone who’s shared, to his church, his family, and of course, Dr. Givan. “We’re just trying to stay diligent and listen to God,” he explained. “The post has done so much, so we don’t want to block our own blessings.”
Though each had family, friends, and faith to guide them, McLelland and Elum’s second chances wouldn’t be possible without someone who simply said “Yes” when asked to be a donor. Registering to become an organ donor takes a few seconds, and doing so can change so many people’s lives. Many people don’t realize that they can sign up regardless of age or medical history; it only depends on whether you’re willing to give someone that second chance.