Andy Trosper is the Vice President of Sales for Weiman Products in Gurnee, IL. With a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska and an MBA from Northern Illinois University, Andy has made a successful career for himself in sales and marketing. He is married and a father of two daughters. Since his transplant he has celebrated his 35th wedding anniversary and walked his daughters down the aisle at their weddings. He says that he would like every husband/father to have these same celebrations. His interests include cycling, skiing, golfing, and of course, philanthropy.
Andy is a volunteer and regular speaker for Gift of Hope, an organization that facilitates organ and tissue donations throughout Illinois and the northwest Indiana regions. He is also a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and a former member and chairman of his local school board. During this tenure he was first exposed to fund raising and philanthropy. His goal is to live life every day as fully as possible, and he encourages others to do the same.
Andy received a liver transplant at the Northwestern Kovler Transplant Center in March, 2010. Before receiving his transplant, Andy had struggled with Hepatitis C for a number of years. The transplant that he received had a major impact upon his life, allowing him to live normally and productively without the encumbrance of pain and regular medical treatments. His transplant was a truly life-changing experience, and Andy now hopes to help build a future in which everyone who needs an organ transplant can receive one.
Andy is an avid supporter of the work being done by NMTAC to improve access to transplants and to improve medical care for donors and recipients. Beyond that, Andy also sees great promise in the organization’s goals of, on one side, increasing the number of potential organ donors, and on the other, researching the potential for scientifically-engineered organs to do away with the need for organ donation altogether. A future in which organ donation is no longer necessary may not be far off if the researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and similar transplant centers receive the funding that they need to complete their invaluable research.
Through his service on NMTAC, Andy hopes that as many people as possible will be able to receive this gift and have the chance to give back to their own communities.
The gift of organ donation and transplantation is not one that can be measured or easily explained. Being able to live a healthy, normal life — to participate in family events and day-to-day activities — it’s a blessing that can’t be explained. Organ donation affects so many more people than the individual recipient. The impact is also felt by the recipient’s family, coworkers, friends, and community.