Madelyn Flickinger

Madelyn is an organ donation advocate and biology student at George Mason University. She is the founder and current president of the University’s SODA chapter.

At 12 years old, Madelyn was diagnosed with acute liver failure as a result of a complication from a rare chronic blood cancer. After undergoing a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, also known as a TIPS procedure, her condition stabilized and allowed her to wait for a new liver. Five years later, she got the life-saving call that a liver was available and received the gift of a second chance.

Exactly one year after her transplant, Madelyn graduated high school and was looking for a way to bring organ donation awareness to George Mason University. She was introduced to SODA on social media and knew she wanted to get involved. In January 2022, she and two friends founded SODA at GMU. They’ve been working on growing their impact on campus ever since!

Madelyn does advocacy work with other organizations. She serves on the American Transplant Society Transplant Community Advisory Council and volunteers with her local OPO, Infinite Legacy. She enjoys collaborating with the broader transplant community to improve the lives of donors, recipients, and all those impacted by organ donation and transplantation.

Madelyn hopes to complete her bachelor's degree in biology and continue to work toward a career in medicine. She is inspired by her medical team and hopes to give back to the medical community that has helped support her. She also hopes to serve patients like herself and provide a unique perspective on patient care in and around transplantation.