Jeff Moyer and Julie Stinson following his living kidney donation June 24th, 2010:
In 2009, I learned that Julie Stinson, daughter of my close friend and colleague, Ward Bond, needed a kidney due to her advanced Lupus. I was told that she needed a living donor’s kidney in order to save her life. While a cadaver’s kidney would proved her 10 year’s extended lifespan, a living kidney would give her a total of 20 additional years, (Lupus not withstanding). I spent an hour in meditation and prayer and decided that I would volunteer.
I assumed that there would be many volunteers since she was a speech pathologist in a school district, her husband was a college professor, they were members of a Catholic church, and it seemed to me that many good souls would volunteer. However, only two others did step up, and they both quickly learned that they were unable to donate because of health issues. I was the only one in line. The following day I began the process. We decided that it would be best to schedule the surgery following the end of the school year, so that Julie would have the summer to heal. As a school district employee she had summer’s off. The surgery was scheduled for June 24, 2010, a Thursday. Since her medical coverage was provided by the State of Michigan, the transplant surgery was to be performed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, 175 miles from my home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
During that period, I was deeply engaged with Julie’s father, Ward Bond, with whom we were promoting the idea of an amendment to the Highway Bill of 2010, a $25,000,000 amendment which would have provided funding to make Washington D.C. the first fully accessible city in the world for people with visual and reading disabilities, thanks to installation of Remote Infrared Audible Signs on all buses, trains, transit stations and 1,000 intersections within our nation’s capital. R.I.A.S. provides orientation and information access through infrared beacons read with hand-held receivers, telling the user both what and where broadcasting signs are located. Although we were successful in having the amendment funded and written into the proposed Highway Bill, because of Republican opposition to the Highway Bill, the law was not passed and our efforts came to nothing.
“Selected” copyright words and music Jeff Moyer 2010
SELECTED You called to me – I heard you in the night, You spoke my name. My soul was summoned I woke and knew I’d never be the same. Selected To accept donation’s price. We are expected To ease each other’s strife. Time will fade All of the careworn days They’ll pass as smoke. Come morning’s light, With strength again you’ll gladly lift your yoke. Selected To accept donation’s price We are expected To save each other’s life. As I was meant to do, I will say yes to you As I was meant to do. I’ll lay me down for you.
Check out Jeff on the ADALive! podcast talking about how his music helped fuel the protestors during the 1977 504 Demonstration and how his song, “The ADA Anthem”, was performed the day of the ADA’s signing in 1990 at the US Senate.
Performance at Santee CA Rally At Congressional Office:
Diana Pastora Carson, speaker, author, podcaster, educator, and founder of Beyond Awareness said, “Not only was Jeff Moyer and his apropos lyrical genius and music an asset to our strategic planning for our event, but his original song perfectly encapsulated the message we needed to convey to the media and his powerful presence captivated, educated, and united everyone in attendance.”
Music From the Heart Announces Release of Listening with my Heart
[Chula Vista, CA, April 8th, 2025] — Music from the Heart announces the release of Listening with my Heart, an EP of six original Easter songs by internationally regarded blind songwriter, recording artist and publisher, Jeff Moyer, founder and leader of the Jeff Moyer Trio. Listening contains the following songs: “Listening with my Heart,” “Song for Palm Sunday”, “Elder Brother”, “Song to Guidance”, “City of Peace”, and “Come to Me”. The album, recorded at Yocom Memorial Studio in Chula Vista, introduces The Jeff Moyer Trio; which includes Jeff Moyer singing lead vocals and playing harmonicas, ukuleles and guitar, Luis Mireles singing back-up vocals and playing electric guitar, electric bass, and 12-string guitar, and Willa Lucille singing harmonies and playing 12-string guitar. All songs are available on Spotify and Apple Music. The songs were written by Jeff Moyer between 1986 and 2005. Moyer was Music Director at Unity Church of Christianity in Chesterland, Ohio during that period. The songs were used in Sunday worship services and during Moyer’s guest performances at churches across the United States, including in Tucson, Arizona, Palm Springs, California, Palo Alto, California, and Unity Village, Missouri. Some songs were published previously in Unity music collections. Moyer earned the moniker, “The Troubadour of the Disability Rights Movement”, but his songs have universally drawn communities together through their unifying emotional themes. John McCutcheon, 6-time Grammy nominee, wrote, “Jeff Moyer’s music, mission, and message make us all whole.”
Luis Mireles is a producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist living in Chula Vista, California. Mireles instructs guitar, electric bass, keys, and vocals at the School of Rock San Diego. Under his moniker Lee Wires, Mireles writes music and lyrics for his band and gigs throughout Southern California. Mireles has two songs on Spotify which have been streamed over a million times.
Originally from Nebraska, Willa Lucille has been writing music since she could play an E minor chord. She writes indie-folk music that features her angelic voice, thought-provoking lyricism, and stylized guitar playing. Willa is currently traveling full time and playing music out of a converted school bus, strengthening her understanding of humanity, and consequently herself. Willa reflected, “I feel incredibly grateful to have stumbled into Jeff’s path this year, and enjoyed working on these songs as part of the Jeff Moyer Trio.”
From left to right: Luis Mireles, Jeff Moyer, and Willa Lucille
