Centennial, Colo. — April 25, 2019 — AlloSource®, an organization dedicated to advancing the science and use of transplantable allogeneic cells and tissue, today celebrates 25 years of honoring donors and helping patients heal with an event featuring Columbine survivor and tissue recipient Kacey Ruegsegger Johnson.
On April 20, 1999, Kacey Ruegsegger Johnson was in the library during the Columbine High School shooting. Johnson spent nearly two decades coming to terms with her experience. She recently released a memoir, Over My Shoulder: A Columbine Survivor’s Story of Resilience, Hope, and a Life Reclaimed.
“Surviving the tragedy at Columbine was just the beginning,” said Kacey Ruegsegger Johnson. “The gift of tissue donation, through allografts from AlloSource, saved my arm and gave me a renewed belief in life, love, and hope. I am incredibly grateful for where I am today, and the fact that I can hug everyone in my family with both arms.”
AlloSource processes and distributes life-saving and life-enhancing human cellular and tissue allografts to help patients like Kacey heal. After 25 years, the business has expanded to over 460 employees in Colorado and more than 50 positions in satellite offices around the country. The company continues to grow and improve patient care through the development and implementation of innovative regenerative therapies.
“Tissue recipients like Kacey continue to inspire us to maximize the sacred gift of human tissue donation,” said Thomas Cycyota, AlloSource President and CEO. “Kacey’s story especially resonated because of the incredible tragedy that happened at Columbine 20 years ago and the part we played in helping restore her life. In the past 25 years, the allografts we have created from tissue donors have helped millions of patients heal from orthopedic, spine, burn and wound procedures. Each one has a story and hearing these stories deeply touches our employees, our partners and our communities.”
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About AlloSource
AlloSource is dedicated to advancing the science and use of transplantable allogeneic cells and tissue through pioneering research in regenerative therapies. The organization offers life-saving and life-enhancing solutions in orthopedic, spine, burn and wound procedures to help restore patient health and mobility. As a world leader in cell-based products, fresh cartilage tissue for joint repair and skin allografts to help heal severe burns, AlloSource’s products bridge the proven science of allografts with the advanced technology of cells. The company is accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks and is headquartered in Centennial, CO. For more information, please visit allosource.org.
