Thomas Cycyota, the president and CEO of AlloSource, has been honored with the LAS Alumni Humanitarian Award from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. According to the November 4, 2015 news release, “The LAS Alumni Humanitarian Award honors a graduate of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences who, through outstanding leadership or service, significantly improves or enhances the lives of others. Cycyota graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Liberal Arts & Sciences with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. He has been the president and CEO of AlloSource since 2000, leading the organization in its commitment to developing and distributing life-saving and life-enhancing allografts.”
“Receiving this award from my alma mater is a remarkable honor and speaks to the amazing possibilities of donated human tissue, ” said Cycyota in the news release. “I truly believe this award belongs to our AlloSource staff and organ procurement organization partners because they do the hard work that helps all of us maximize the sacred gift we are entrusted with.” Under Cycyota’s leadership, AlloSource has grown into one of the largest providers of allografts for use in medical procedures. The company offers a variety of products for use in spine, sports medicine, foot and ankle, orthopedic, reconstructive, trauma and wound care applications and is committed to developing innovations to advance the potential of tissue donation.
Asked about a memorable moment during his career, Cycyota told OTW, “One of the most impactful moments of my career was when my wife and I went to Pasadena because AlloSource sponsored a tissue recipient to ride on the Donate Life Rose Parade float. While we were there, we met a donor family, the Chanas. They lived in the same suburban town in Chicago my wife and I had lived in and the son they lost, Cameron, was the same age as our oldest son. Meeting the Chanas after they gave the incredible gift of Cameron’s tissue and knowing that AlloSource honored Cameron’s donation put everything in perspective for me. Every day we have the opportunity to play a role in a grieving family’s healing process and help provide life-saving and life-enhancing possibilities for recipients, which is absolutely amazing. Cameron and his family are my touchstone on what I do every day—I keep a picture of Cameron in my wallet to remind me of the remarkable outcome tissue donation can have for both the donor family and the recipients who receive this gift.”
