2026 Webinar Series: Donate Life Month Feature: Small Valves, Big Impact: Pediatric Transplant and Research Perspectives (Group)

Description: This webinar will highlight the ongoing need for pediatric heart valves and examine key developments over the past decade. Speakers will provide an overview of available graft types, discuss unique challenges in recovery and processing, and explore current research initiatives shaping the future of pediatric transplantation.

Target Audience: This activity is designed for tissue banking professionals involved in cardiovascular recovery, processing, quality, and distribution, including medical directors, recovery staff, processing technicians, quality and regulatory professionals, clinical services personnel, and researchers supporting pediatric cardiovascular graft development and transplantation.

Allison Townsend

Allison Townsend, RN, BSN. Allison Lives in Michigan where she and her husband Nick have been involved with Gift of Life Michigan during the births of both of their children for both tissue and research opportunities. Allison is a fierce advocate for both donation and parents experiencing difficult decisions. She shares her story and that of her daughter, Jade, to expand awareness across boundaries and for medical providers.

Veronica Winget, MD, MS, FACOG

After receiving her medical degree at Tulane, Dr. Veronica Winget completed her training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Arizona. She is currently a second year Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellow at the same institution. After a sentinel case of fetal anencephaly, she began conceptualizing the role of neonatal organ donation counseling in holistic perinatal palliative care. In her practice, she is passionate about offering families all their options after a life-limiting fetal diagnosis, including neonatal organ and tissue donation. Her fellowship thesis is aimed at characterizing the current state of neonatal donation, identifying barriers to the process and creating opportunities to promote donation.

Gina Dunne Smith

Executive Director

International Institute for the Advancement of Medicine

Gina Dunne Smith has 38 years working in the field of organ and tissue donation for transplant and research. Beginning her career with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) in 1988, Gina has spent the last 33 years with the International Institute for the Advancement of Medicine (IIAM) building a network of partners within the organ and tissue recovery arena and medical researchers worldwide, currently in the role of Executive Director. [Gina is committed to the mission of promoting awareness of lifesaving and life-enhancing benefits derived from non-transplanted organs placed with medical research, further honoring the donor gift.]

Gina has remained integrated with relevant industry organizations and associations, including The National Leadership and Innovation Council for The Alliance, the AATB Quality Council, AATB Education Committee, the American Society of Transplantation Advisory Committee and the Recovery and Preservation Community of Practice.