Business With a Personal Impact
Not only has AlloSource had a positive impact on the lives of its organ and tissue recipients—it has also impacted the lives of the people who work there.
Tom Cycyota described the impact that AlloSource has had on his own life. “It’s difficult to simply articulate the most rewarding aspect of working at AlloSource since serving as President and CEO is an incredible job, but it always comes back to our sacred responsibility of honoring a tissue donor’s wishes by helping surgeons heal their patients. There is healing for a donor family, there is healing for a patient and we help make that possible. The impact is overwhelming.”
“I am tremendously blessed,” he says.
Dr. Wilkins explained that his career has allowed him to participate in multiple levels of AlloSource’s process, from family involvement to tissue procurement and processing to clinical work. The concrete outcomes in improved quality of life, for example seeing a child who may have required an amputation not receive one, or seeing allografts provided for the victims of horrible burns, continue to move him personally. “To be able to have traveled that whole journey from the beginning to the end and to understand what a precious gift we’ve been given by the donation of this tissue…it’s very impactful.”
Tom Cycyota echoes this sentiment, stating, “I can say after all this time I remain in awe of the important work our employees do.”
Mission-Driven Vision for the Future
AlloSource’s work is both mission-driven and humanitarian in nature. Its vision is to “lead[]ing the way in cellular and tissue therapies” and its mission is to “responsibly provide innovative cellular and tissue allografts to advance patient healing.”
Describing its work, AlloSource tells the story of one of its donors, Garrett. “We have a sacred responsibility to carry on the stories of thousands of donors. Each one is unique, just like Garrett’s. Following the devastating loss of 10-year-old Garrett, his family made the generous decision to donate his organs, eyes and tissue. Through the gift of this donation: Garrett changed the lives of 125 tissue recipients throughout the U.S. and Canada.”
AlloSource’s leadership repeatedly uses words like, “gift,” “sacred,” and “honoring the donor” when explaining the organization’s scope of work. The feeling of reverence for both donors and recipients of tissues is palpable.
CEO Cycyota states, “AlloSource’s mission is two-fold—honor the sacred gift tissue donors have entrusted to us and do this by creating products surgeons need to heal their patients. Our work allows a tissue donor family some solace at one of the toughest moments of their lives, while also providing an opportunity for a patient in need of physical healing to regain their quality of life. I can’t say enough how seriously everyone at AlloSource takes the responsibility of our mission.”
The organization’s accomplishments and innovative, research-based approach to their mission has produced many striking milestones over the years. The story of AlloSource reflects the evolution of biologic technology over the past 25 years.
