Gift of Hope honors UChicago Medicine transplant surgeon with Jesse White award

Gift of Hope Community Foundation will present its 2026 Jesse White Leadership Achievement Award to UChicago Medicine transplant surgeon Dr. Ashley Suah on Sept. 13 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The honor recognizes her work in organ donation, transplantation and equitable access to care, including outreach to Black and underserved communities.

Why it matters: - The award spotlights efforts to expand organ donation and transplant access in communities that have faced persistent care gaps. - Dr. Ashley Suah’s recognition adds visibility to Black representation in transplant surgery, where Black women remain rare in the field. - The honor also ties community outreach to a broader effort to increase donor awareness and save more lives through transplantation.

What happened: - Gift of Hope Community Foundation will present the 2026 Jesse White Leadership Achievement Award to Dr. Ashley Suah, a transplant surgeon at UChicago Medicine. - The presentation will take place during the foundation’s 3rd Annual Celebration of Donation 5K Run, Walk & Roll on Sept. 13 at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. - The award recognizes Suah’s dedication to organ donation, transplantation and equitable access to life-saving care.

The details: - Gift of Hope Community Foundation was established in 2018 to raise funds for Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network’s mission to save and enhance lives through organ and tissue donation. - The Jesse White Leadership Achievement Award honors Jesse White, Illinois’ 37th Secretary of State, for long-standing advocacy that helped raise awareness and donor registrations across the state. - Dr. Suah was selected for leadership in organ donation and transplantation and for work to expand equitable access for Black patients and underserved communities. - Suah is described as one of only 13 Black female transplant surgeons in the United States and one of just two in Illinois. - Audrena Spence, executive director of the Gift of Hope Community Foundation, said Suah reflects the compassion, service, health equity advocacy and community engagement tied to the award. - At UChicago Medicine, Suah helps patients and families understand diagnoses, treatment options and post-transplant care so they can make informed decisions. - Patrick McDermott, a kidney transplant recipient and Gift of Hope ambassador, is among the patients Suah has treated. - Suah also mentors medical students and residents to help strengthen and diversify the transplant workforce. - She regularly visits churches and community centers on Chicago’s South Side to educate residents about kidney and liver health, disease prevention, organ donation and transplantation. - The Celebration of Donation 5K Run, Walk & Roll honors donor families and celebrates transplant recipients whose lives were saved through donor gifts. - About 1,250 participants are expected to take part in the event this year. - Gift of Hope is partnering with Fleet Feet, College of DuPage, WGN-TV and Omni Channel Radio for the race. - Additional sponsors include Donate Life Illinois and its partners: the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State, Eversight, Mid-America Transplant, Transplant Life Illinois and the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois, plus Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern Medicine and Rush University Medical Center. - More information is available in the foundation’s donation page.

Between the lines: - The award links a high-profile community event with a broader message about health equity, especially for Black patients who may face barriers to transplant care. - Suah’s visibility as both a surgeon and educator suggests Gift of Hope is elevating clinicians who combine medical expertise with public outreach. - The South Side outreach points to a strategy of building trust outside hospitals, where education can influence donor registration and earlier treatment.

What’s next: - The award will be presented immediately after the races on Sept. 13. - Gift of Hope will use the event to raise awareness and funds for donation and transplantation programs. - The organization is likely to continue pairing public events with education, donor recognition and community engagement as part of its mission.

The bottom line: - Gift of Hope is using its annual donation event to recognize a surgeon whose work spans the operating room, mentorship and community health outreach.