The Recipient Project

Grateful Patient Dan Koch Puts Gratitude into Action

After a life-saving liver transplant, Dan Koch’s new lease on life led him to start “The Recipient Project” to raise awareness and support for other patients. We are grateful to partner with Dan on a new initiative that will provide psychiatry support for transplant patients at Virtua Health.

Dan shares, “At 44 years old, I received a liver transplant at Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden, NJ. Being critically ill, I wasn’t on the transplant list long before a donor was found in South Carolina. Her name was Magie, 15 years my senior. Her selfless gift meant my 10 and 12-year-old daughters would continue to have their father in their lives.

Following this precious gift, I committed to volunteering with various organizations and connecting with fellow transplant recipients. Through these meetings, I discovered that many others share similar emotions to mine, including feelings of guilt and wondering why we were fortunate enough to receive transplants while others remain waiting. Some find the prospect of lifelong medication and self-care overwhelming. Yet despite our varied experiences, we all agree on one thing: we are incredibly fortunate!

As medical professionals increasingly recognize how mental health impacts physical recovery, there is great opportunity for us to expand the services that support transplant patients. I’m dedicated to raising awareness about comprehensive treatment for the nearly 55,000 annual transplant recipients in the United States. My goal is to highlight the importance of addressing the emotional journey alongside the physical one. That is why I’m helping to champion the Psychiatry Support for Transplant Care initiative at Virtua, which will bring much-needed psychiatry services to care for the emotional well-being of patients before, during, and after their transplant.”