An Arizona native, Leslie Brown played softball for Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale. The prevailing spirit of teamwork she enjoyed so thoroughly as a teenage athlete ultimately led her to a career in health care.

Today, Brown is a mother of two and an RN in the emergency department at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson. She also sits on the Donor Collaborative Committee as a liaison between the emergency department and Donor Network of Arizona (DNA).

Brown provides notice to all staff in her department to make sure the entire unit is aware and prepared to make a referral call if all lifesaving efforts fail for a patient in their care. She even created a board in the breakroom to display donor outcomes with hospital staff.

Last year, in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped preserve an opportunity for an unstable patient whose family was passionate about donation and insisted he be able to donate should he not survive. This ended up being a rapid donation after circulatory death (DCD) case. Brown kept DNA updated by phone until our clinical staff could arrived. This donor saved the lives of two others through kidney donation.

On behalf of donor families, donors and recipients, thank you, Leslie! Your collaboration and commitment to making the most of life through organ, eye and tissue donation is an inspiration to all of us at DNA.