A Story of Impact
On September 11 attacks, Brian Birdwell was inside the Pentagon when the attack occurred. Moments before impact, he had stepped away to use the restroom—a decision he later credits with saving his life.
Despite surviving the blast, Lt. Col. Birdwell suffered devastating injuries, including burns over 60% of his body. His recovery required 39 surgeries, numerous skin grafts, and months of intensive healing.
In the aftermath of the attacks, Transplant Services Center received an urgent call from a burn center in Washington, D.C., requesting as much donated skin as possible. While many victims in New York had suffered fatal injuries, there were numerous burn survivors in Washington who needed immediate treatment.
Our team quickly mobilized, with all hands-on deck to process donor skin and ensure each graft met the highest quality and safety standards. However, with flights grounded across the country, shipping was impossible.
Within hours, approximately 70 square feet of donated skin grafts were carefully packed into a vehicle. Two of our technicians drove through the night from Texas to Washington, D.C., delivering the life-saving grafts directly to the burn center.
Lt. Col. Birdwell later shared that he was deeply moved to learn that the skin grafts that helped save his life came from Texas. Today, as a Texas State Senator, he continues to speak about the power of donation and transplantation and the profound impact it has on saving and improving lives.