About Us
Sharing Miracles was established to provide a supportive program for mothers to donate their birth tissue.
We are committed to providing the information needed to make an informed decision about donating your placenta and umbilical cord.
We are grateful for the priceless gift that mothers make and recognize the magnitude of their generosity.
The highly qualified and experienced team at Sharing Miracles will ensure an optimal and safe experience for our donors.
We are committed to honoring the gift of donation through professional, caring interactions and high-quality procurement of your birth tissue.
The Team
Julie R. Caldro, BS, CTBS, CEBT
Senior Director, Tissue Procurement
An Ohio native with nearly 30 years of experience working in organ and tissue donation. Her career began in eye banking to support surgical and research needs and expanded into managing donor referrals, conducting informed consent, tissue procurement, quality and aftercare. Julie is passionate about helping others and the mission of saving and healing lives through donation, transplantation and research. She has a personal connection to the cause as a tissue donor family, a living donor, and recipient of birth tissue. She is the mother to four children and resides in Naples, Florida.
Sinead Gallagher, CTBS, ST
Manager, Donor Eligibility and Logistics
Born and raised in New Jersey, Sinead began a career in Surgical Technology before being introduced to organ, eye, and tissue donation. With nearly a decade of experience in tissue banking, Sinead is passionate about stewarding the gift of life, and is a grateful bone graft recipient. Sinead is a mother to one little girl and two rescue dogs.
Martha Zarraga, CTBS, ST
Manager, Acquisition Operations
Martha is a Miami native and is proud of her Hispanic heritage. She is a mother to three teenagers. Over the past 15 years of her career in the donation industry, Martha believes “Donation in all forms should be accessible to all. I am passionate about being an advocate in our community, to educate, and bring awareness to the benefits of birth tissue donation and regenerative medicine.”
Brenda King, CTBS, CEBT
Manager, Donor Development and Communication
Born and raised on St Simons Island, Georgia, Brenda has devoted 25 years of her career to promoting and supporting organ, eye, and tissue donation services in South Carolina. Brenda is passionate about inspiring others to donate. “My commitment to donation services comes naturally as I believe to give of oneself for the good of others is the greatest gift. Dedicating my career to donation services is a gift to me.”
Mercedes Nouchet, CTBS
Senior Donation Coordinator
Born in Cuba and raised in Miami, Mercedes has 16 years of Birth Tissue and Tissue Banking experience. Her mission is to introduce and educate the local Hispanic community to the importance of saving lives through donation and transplantation.
Sharon Fernandez, CTBS
Donation Coordinator II
Born and raised in Colombia, Sharon is a mother of three, who graduated from Keiser University with a bachelor’s in health science. She joined the BioTissue family six years ago as part of the production department and has recently joined the Sharing Miracles team. Sharon is passionate about tissue donation with the purpose of healing and saving lives.
Yvette Alvarez
Donation Coordinator I
Yvette was born in New York, and is of Puerto Rican descent. She has lived in South Florida most of her adult life. As a proud mother of two adult children, she is happy to say that all three of them are registered organ donors. Yvette joined the BioTissue Team three years ago, and is devoted and eager to continue learning the mission of saving lives through donation and transplant.
Ramon Negrete
Lead, Logistics & Inventory Control
With over 14 years of adventures in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, I’ve worn many hats. I spent 8 years in pharmaceuticals sharpening my skills in operations and quality management before deciding it was time for a new challenge (and a change of scenery). That’s when I found my home at Biotissue, where I’ve thrived for the past six years. From facilities to quality control, I’ve explored it all, but it’s in tissue procurement that I finally found my calling—a place where my expertise and enthusiasm make a real impact (and where every day is anything but boring).
Merlin Gonzalez, ST
Donation Coordinator II
Merlin Gonzalez is a certified surgical technologist with extensive experience in surgical procedures and organ procurement. Known for a meticulous and dedicated approach to the field, Merlin has contributed significantly to numerous successful surgeries. Beyond the professional realm, Merlin is passionate about deep sea diving, outdoor activities, and gardening. She lives in Weston, Florida with her husband five year old son her min pin Bruce and Great Dane Bailey. She is thrilled to be part of an exceptional group of colleagues, Merlin continually strives to enhance both personal and professional growth within the company.
Kelly Cover, RN, EMT-P, CTBS
Manager, Partner and Community Education
Kelly lives in the suburbs of Cleveland. She has worked in the medical field all her adult life. In 2005, she began her journey in donation by supporting organ, tissue and eye donation. In 2024 she joined the Sharing Miracles team. “I believe every mother is a superhero and should be given the opportunity to donate. This simple act can heal so many.”
Licenses & Certifications
BioTissue Holdings Inc., Sharing Miracles parent company, is accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) to ensure the highest standards of tissue banking leadership, education, service, and research. All donations are conducted under informed consent in compliance with all U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Current Good Tissue Practice (CGTP) requirements.
FDA Registration
New York State Department of Health
Compliance
Sharing Miracles maintains stringent criteria to ensure the highest levels of compliance and integrity throughout the donation process. The review of your medical records is strictly confidential. Information and documents are accessed only by trained, authorized personnel working in a secure environment. To ensure the safety of the tissue for recipients, your blood will be tested for infectious diseases. Abnormal results will be reported to you and your physician. Once all the required information is obtained, one of our Medical Directors will review to determine final suitability of your tissue for transplant.
Partnerships
DONATE LIFE AMERICA
Through our parent company, BioTissue Holdings Inc., Sharing Miracles partners with Donate Life America (DLA) to increase tissue donor registration. Both organizations share a common goal of supporting the nation’s donation and transplantation recipients and those who provide tissue to heal and save lives.
AATB
The American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) is a professional, non-profit, scientific, and educational organization. AATB is the premier standard-setting body promoting the safety and use of donated human tissue. The vast majority of human tissue distributed for transplant comes from AATB-accredited tissue banks.
HOSPITALS, BIRTH CENTERS, & HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS
Sharing Miracles builds relationships with hospitals, birth centers, and healthcare providers to educate about the value birth tissue donation has on the community and the important role it plays in healing and saving lives. Hospitals, birth centers, and healthcare providers are vital to achieving optimal clinical outcomes for the donated tissue and awaiting recipients.
For more information, contact us by calling 800-439-0522, or by completing the form on this page.