Rotary Voices – “Organ Donation: The Gift of Life”

Release Date: October 27, 2025
Host: Rotary magazine
Featured Voices: Anil Srivatsa, Sylvia Perez, Dr. Michael Fels, Brian Barry, and narrator JP Swenson

Episode Overview

This compelling episode of the Rotary Voices podcast centers on the life-saving and life-changing power of organ donation. Through three powerful personal stories, listeners gain insight into the emotional journey of organ donors, recipients, and their families. In-depth interviews with global advocate Anil Srivatsa, author and partner-advocate Dr. Michael Fels, and double-transplant recipient Brian Barry vividly highlight the challenges, advocacy work, and profound impact created by organ donation worldwide.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Anil Srivatsa: Tireless Advocate & Personal Journey

[00:01–17:10] Interview with Sylvia Perez

Anil’s Story: Donating to His Brother

• Anil was a regular Rotary member until a family crisis changed everything. His brother Arjun, a fellow Rotarian and neurosurgeon, needed a kidney transplant due to kidney disease caused by high blood pressure.
• The family decision was fraught: “I realized that fear comes from unanswered questions.” (Anil Srivatsa, 05:53)
• Gaining consent required his wife’s approval, which she initially refused, leading Anil to retreat to the Himalayas for clarity. His teenage children convinced their mother by reframing the question empathetically.

Turning Advocacy into a Movement

• Post-donation, Anil realized there was little public storytelling from donors: “Most people, you know, they give [a kidney] and they stay quiet ... so I said, okay, I gotta use my skills to go out there and tell people what it’s really like so they don’t be scared.” (05:53)
• He started the "Gift of Life Adventure" Foundation and documented his travels in his SUV, “Gulfie,” decorated with bold organ donation messaging, addressing Rotary clubs and groups in over 73 countries.
• Notable impact: Assisted a poor family in Gujarat by educating them about live liver donation and crowd-funded surgery costs, leading to Rotary’s first global grant for free transplants, now providing surgeries for those in need. (07:08–08:23)

Tackling Cultural Barriers & Expanding Rotary’s Role

• India faces a kidney disease “pandemic,” with 17–18% affected. Lifestyle choices drive these numbers, and prevention is as key as treatment.
• Explains cultural fears, especially beliefs about the afterlife and body integrity (in both India and Africa), and how he tailors messages: “If I didn’t do what my mother said to do, then she will come back as an angry ghost. So now tell your family you want to do it. Let that be your last dying wish.” (11:41)
• Rotary’s advocacy spans philanthropy, awareness, and prevention, with efforts like supporting the World Transplant Games, legislative changes, and building capacity in Africa for dialysis and transplants.

Policy and Legal Reforms

• Has worked on model transplant laws (e.g., aiding Angola) and spearheaded legal action in India to allow older patients and residents from any state to join waiting lists. Prime Minister of India recognized and pledged to expand these changes. (15:19–16:53)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On fear: “Fear comes from unanswered questions.” (05:53)
• On advocacy impact: “Three Rotarians changed this law in India. We won the case ... now anyone in India can go anywhere and be on the [transplant] list.” (16:30)
• On rotary: “Rotarians are everywhere, aren’t they? In the least expected places.” (15:01, Sylvia Perez)

2. Dr. Michael Fels & Wee Simla: Navigating the System

[17:17–33:01] Interview with JP Swenson

The Personal Connection

• Dr. Fels authored a US version of “A Rotarian’s Guide to Organ Donation” after his partner, Wee Simla, was diagnosed with a genetic kidney disease—a condition that had affected Fels’ own family.
• Wee endured years of waiting and peritoneal dialysis, highlighting how chronic kidney disease reshapes daily life and restricts freedom.

The Search for a Donor

• Family in Thailand underwent compatibility testing; all were unable to donate due to undiagnosed health issues.
• Wee’s nephew appeared eligible but faced US visa hurdles. Congressional intervention secured his visit, but final medical tests in California revealed he, too, could not donate—a heartbreaking setback. (21:52–24:42)

Expanding the Search and the Role of Community

• Fels took over as an advocate, following UC Davis advice: “Write to everybody you know ... don’t be afraid to ask.” (24:46–25:37)
• After a “needle in a haystack” outreach to friends and Rotarians, a close friend, Cynthia McReynolds, volunteered and proved to be a match, despite concerns about donor age.
• The night before surgery was filled with anxiety: “I don’t think I slept at all ... There was a lot of feeling of, God, I really hope this works and I hope we’re doing the right thing.” (29:18)
• Surgery was successful, eliciting overwhelming relief and emotion: “Everything’s perfectly normal, everything’s fine. And that’s when I really lost it.” (29:50)

Takeaways on Organ Donation

• “Everybody has two kidneys and you only need one ... It’s no longer a new experimental procedure ... The risks involved are minimal ... People recover quickly.” (31:09–31:40)
• “Invisible ailments”: Organ failure isn’t visible; many more people could benefit than most realize.

Notable Quote

• On advocacy and action: “If you can’t do it yourself, then you can help look for somebody to do it.” (Dr. Michael Fels, 32:35)

3. Brian Barry: Life on the Brink, Life Restored

[33:54–42:49] Interview with Sylvia Perez

Facing Death, Denial, and Diagnosis

• Brian Barry—double transplant recipient—describes a normal 2018 until sudden drastic edema, exhaustion, and denial caused him to delay seeking care.
• Eventually diagnosed simultaneously with end-stage liver and kidney failure; told bluntly he had “about 60 days unless we keep you alive long enough to get you a new liver.” (35:05–38:13)

The Ordeal and the Call

• Suffered a coma and relentless uncertainty, then, on the eve of Thanksgiving, received a call: donor organs had become available.
• “It was shocking ... We got wheeled in between 5 and 5:30 Thursday morning. Not lost on me that it was Thanksgiving Day ... But ... somebody had lost a family member. That’s a heavy thing.” (40:47–41:07)
• Underwent successful liver and kidney transplants on successive days. His will to survive and small goals—like watching college football—became symbols of determination and normalcy.

Gratitude and Reflection

• Barry’s story emphasizes both the tragedy for donor families and the profound gift passed on: “Not only that, we had two transplant teams give up their day for Thanksgiving to come in and start doing these surgeries. Even as I’m being wheeled in, I’m thanking everyone I see.” (41:07–41:30)

Notable Moment

• The small victories: Waking from surgery just in time for the football game he had hoped to see: “I think they need to do a commercial with that. Here’s a man who was so determined to watch his sports he made sure he was going to be able to do that.” (42:11, Sylvia Perez)

Highlighted Memorable Quotes

• Anil Srivatsa on overcoming family hesitation:
  "My two kids, who were 15 and 17 at the time, sat her [my wife] down and convinced her ... 'Ma, if my brother needed a kidney, would you stop me?' And that changed her mind completely." (04:57)

• Sylvia Perez on the difficulty of the donor’s choice:
  "It just goes to show that it's not a simple decision." (05:49)

• Dr. Michael Fels, on the moment after surgery:
  "Everything's perfectly normal, everything's fine. And that's when I really lost it." (29:50)

• Brian Barry reflecting on being a recipient:
  "Somebody had lost a family member. That's a heavy thing. But ... we had two transplant teams give up their day for Thanksgiving to come in and start doing these surgeries." (41:07)

Important Timestamps by Segment

• 00:01–02:17 — Introduction to Anil’s mission and background
• 02:17–16:53 — Anil’s interview: donation story, advocacy, prevention, global impact, legal reforms
• 17:17–33:01 — Dr. Michael Fels & Wee Simla: search for a donor, community mobilization, transplant experience
• 33:54–42:49 — Brian Barry: critical illness, waiting, transplant, gratitude
• 42:49–End — Reflections from JP Swenson, personal connection to the topic

Conclusion

This episode of Rotary Voices is a moving collection of first-hand stories exposing the complexities, fears, advocacy needs, and hope surrounding organ donation. It highlights how one committed advocate like Anil can change laws and lives, how communal support and “asking everyone you know” can find a donor, and how being a recipient means living—and giving thanks—every day. As the host remarks in the closing, organ donation is not a miracle; it is a gift, one built on the convergence of tragedy and hope, advocacy and generosity.

To learn more, get involved, or seek support on organ donation, visit: https://rotary.org