Our guests today are Rodney DeBaun from Grand Prairie, Texas, and Rebecca Nicklas-Kelley. Their story begins with Rodney DeBaun, a real estate developer and athlete in perfect health. When Rodney noticed his stamina was diminishing, he thought he had the flu, but when he went to a doctor in June 1993, he was told his heart was severely and permanently damaged, and he only had a short time to live without a transplant. So, in August of that year, Rodney was placed on the transplant list. Thankfully, in October 1993, Rodney, who was 36, received a lifesaving heart transplant from 22-year-old Air Force Second Lieutenant David Nicklas, who was in a tragic motorcycle accident. Two years later, Rodney and his wife, Isibelle, created the David Nicklas Organ Donor Awareness Foundation in memory of David. A year later, David's sister, Rebecca Nicklas-Kelley, began working with the foundation. This makes the David Nicklas Organ Donor Awareness Foundation a unique foundation operated by both the recipient and donor families.
Our second guest today is Michael Letts, President, Founder, and CEO of InVest USA. Today he will discuss why NY Mayor Eric Adams has instituted a new policy that would allow emergency responders to transport people to hospitals for mental illness evaluations, even if it’s against their will. However, two problems have emerged due to this new policy. The first is that the number of complaints from this policy has risen, according to a report from the Civilian Complaint Review Board. Yet, the second is even more severe, as the New York Police Department now faces even more opposition when it’s already at very low morale. Thousands of police officers have retired or quit the force over the last couple of years. Coupled with the continuous implementation of such policies, things won’t likely get any better anytime soon. Michael is here to shed some light on this subject is a law enforcement veteran with over 30 years of experience. Currently, Letts serves as president, founder, and CEO of InVest USA, which provides bulletproof vests to police officers through various charitable groups and sponsorships. His expertise should prove helpful in this matter. For more information, visit the Invest website.