4 Days of Giving: LOPA allows Kennedy brothers the gift of family

WWLTV


This summer Sally-Ann had a story about Johnny Kennedy who had deteriorating kidney disease, and Justin Kennedy volunteered to donate one of his kidneys to his brother.

The kidney transplant was performed in July, and for Thanksgiving, Sally-Ann returned to their well known Mid-City restaurant to see what they're thankful for - the gift of life.
VIDEO Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

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Most Courageous Child - Edie Wilson and Xavier Delcambre

Hearts and Essex Observer


25/11/13 Herts and Essex Community Awards25/11/13.Herts and Essex Community Awards. .Cllr Bren Perryman Presenting winner of Most Courageous child Xavier Delcambre..Pictures By Amelia Bullett

BRAVE Xavier Delcambre, 6, from Cheshunt, was also recognised for his incredible courage, having suffered from kidney failure since he was born.

In January 2011 he received a kidney transplant, but the following year his body rejected the organ and it had to be removed.

Now he has to undergo three hours of dialysis at home four times a week – thanks to mum Tracy who has undergone special training to be able to perform the procedure – as well as having to spend long stints in hospital.

The youngster has also been diagnosed with mild liver failure, and due to a series of infections he has not been able to be placed back on the transplant list for a new kidney.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

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Rehtaeh Lives On Through Organ Donation

Huffington Post Canada | Glen Canning


The first organ recipient letter came a few months ago. It was from a man in his 30s who, thanks to Rehtaeh's gift, will be able to watch his two year old daughter grow up. Rehtaeh's mother has actually been in touch with him and they are hoping to meet someday. It was a beautifully written letter and it came at a good time. It picks you up for a moment and I hold on to that feeling as long as I can. He promised he is going to be as good as a father as he can be.

Rehtaeh Parsons will live on in the lives of others thanks to the organ donations made after her death. It makes us sad but knowing her "gift of life" has touched the lives of people and families of others is something we cherish.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Emerson celebrates 11th anniversary of kidney transplant

Murray Ledger Times and News | John Wright


Photo: David Emerson is shown with his wife, Margie, Tuesday inside their home near Kirksey. The couple met about a year after Emerson underwent a kidney transplant in Lexington.

David Emerson is alive today because someone chose to become an organ and tissue donor.

In his case, it was a 38-year-old man from Ohio, who died in an automobile accident. In death, he was able to supply, among other things, a healthy kidney - an organ that Emerson, now 58, has been able to use for 11 years.

“I really would like to meet his family someday, because I would like to let them know where I was at,” Emerson said Monday, one day after his 11th anniversary of receiving the kidney, helping end a two-year stint on dialysis, which has left him with scars on most of his left arm. “I corresponded with the family one time; I wrote a letter, and I found out that the man was killed by a drunk driver from Louisville.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Snohomish father saves son's life with his kidney

KIRO TV, Seattle | David Ham


Photo: Isaac Buurstra after his kidney transplant
Twenty-one-month-old Isaac Buurstra is recovering at Children's Hospital in Seattle after undergoing a kidney transplant.

Over the course of more than 10 hours in the operating room, Isaac received his father's kidney.

"We're thankful that Tim’s got a good kidney to give to our son," said Paige Buurstra, Isaac's mother.

The Snohomish toddler suffered from end-stage renal disease and needed a new kidney to save his life.
VIDEO, continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Bucks County Mom Feeds Those Waiting For Organ Transplants On Thanksgiving

CBS Philly| Brad Segall


Photo of Ryan Viola, who helped save five lives through organ donation. (Credit: Brad Segall)

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – This was a special Thanksgiving for patients and families at Philadelphia’s Gift of Life Family House. A Bucks County mom helped prepare dinner as a tribute to her son, who was tragically killed last year in Bensalem, Pa., but helped save the lives of others.

It was one year ago that Ryan Viola was struck and killed by a car (see related story). He was a high school senior who planned to enter the Army.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Transplant woman meets Great Ormond Street surgeons again

BBC UK


Photo: Tineke Dixon with consultant transplant cardiologist Phil Rees at Great Ormond Street Hospital in 1988
A woman who described herself as a "congenital disaster zone" has been reunited with medical staff who performed a heart and lung transplant on her 25 years ago.
Tineke Dixon had two holes in her heart and Eisenmenger syndrome, which caused her lungs to start failing.

She was not expected to live beyond her teenage years but is now a 41-year-old married doctor living in Exeter, Devon.

Her "rare" transplant was carried out at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Family thankful for successful transplant

ABC LOCAL San Francisco | Lyanne Melendez


One Richmond family is especially thankful this holiday season. Taiwan Walker, 41, desperately needed a kidney. His aunt, who was a perfect match, stepped in and donated one of hers, to him. Now, both have a new mission in life.

Dewanda Joseph and her nephew, Taiwan Walker, are recovering from a kidney transplant operation. She was the donor and he, the recipient.

"We've been close since he was born," Joseph said. "He's my baby, the child that I didn't birth myself. This is my son."

The procedure was done at California Pacific Medical Center the day before thanksgiving.
"My original color came back," Walker said. "I just feel better, just like that."
VIDEO, continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Kelly: She's 82, and still fine with kidney that's just 70

Omaha World Herald | Michael Kelly


Family and friends recently celebrated a happy milestone in Omaha: a kidney transplant from 40 years ago.

Darlene Miller, 82, of Hartington, Neb., was surprised at a party by 40 friends and relatives.

Though 40 years isn't a national record — one kidney is still functioning after 48 years — she is the longest-surviving patient who has been transplanted at the Nebraska Medical Center. The first kidney transplant was done there in 1970.

“Darlene was transplanted in the infancy of transplant, and she is exceptional,” said Sue Miller, director of the Solid Organ Transplant Unit at the medical center. “Not only the fact that her kidney is still going strong after 40 years but also that she has reached her 80s as a transplant recipient.”
VIDEO, Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Road to Rose Parade

My Daily Register| Beth Sergent


POINT PLEASANT — The road to the Rose Parade has as many stories as it does rose petals.

On Thursday, Dec. 5, Pleasant Valley Hospital (PVH) will prepare to participate in the historic parade by honoring organ and tissue donors with dedicated roses to be placed on the Donate Life Float in the 2014 Rose Parade.

PVH, in collaboration with the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE), will host a floragraph decorating event at 10 a.m., Dec. 5 at the hospital. The family of the late Kevin Ellis Boyles, a 22-year old tissue and cornea donor from Point Pleasant, will create a likeness of his face out of flowers. The resulting floragraph will adorn CORE’s float to commemorate Boyles’ life-saving gifts.

The event on Dec. 5 will include remarks from Susan Stuart, president and CEO of CORE, Larry Unroe, CEO of PVH, Annette Boyles, mother of Kevin Boyles. Kevin Boyles’ floragraph will also be on display.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________

"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

UNOS to oversee face, hand transplants

Richmond Times Dispatch | Tammy Smith


Photo: Lindsay Ess at a United for UNOS event in October.
Richmond nonprofit’s network will expand under new guidelines
When you check the organ donor box on your driver’s license application, you’re probably thinking your heart, kidney or liver might go to save someone’s life in the event of your untimely death.

You’re probably not thinking that your face, hands or arms could also be removed and used to help someone who is seriously disfigured by burns, bomb blasts or disease.

Under new federal transplant policy, faces and hands and other body parts classified as vascularized composite allografts — VCAs for short — will fall under the National Organ Transplant Act.

That means face and hand transplant programs will have to meet the same strict regulations and standards as heart and liver programs, for instance — which could have been the case before but there wasn’t the formal oversight from the United Network for Organ Sharing, the Richmond-based organization that has a federal contract to oversee and manage the nation’s transplant system.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Second life: Organ donation brings peace to family

Sheboygan Press | Shereen Stewart


Alan Zinda, 23, of Rosholt is pictured just prior to his December 2010 death in a car crash. / Contributed photos

ROSHOLT, WIS. — Bev Zinda couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

The soft, steady beats she heard in the chest of the man standing before her was so familiar yet so foreign. Familiar because it was a sound she had heard so many times before, in fact had heard when it still was inside her. It was the heart of her son, Alan.

Foreign, though, because Alan died three years ago in a car crash at the age of 23.

“When I heard that heartbeat, for me, my son had come home,” Bev Zinda said. “He was standing right there in my living room.”

How the heart came to be in her living room, ticking away in the chest of an Israeli man named Yitzahk Wolf, is a long and at times heart-wrenching story for Bev Zinda to tell. It begins on the night she and her husband, John, watched their son die on the side of a road.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Transplant recipient glad to give back

Putnam Sentinel |Becky Leader


One of the most important aspects of organ donation is the support the donors, the recipients and their families receive from extended family and friends. Pictured are heart transplant recipient Katrina Riepenhoff (second row, third from right) and her parents, Joe and Becky (back row, fifth and sixth from right), with some of their support persons. Katrina has been relating the story of her transplant and encouraging others to become organ donors. (Putnam Sentinel/Becky Leader)

There were plenty of smiles and tears as Katrina shared the events that lead to her transplant. Katrina stressed that giving back is important to her.

She told the audience, "Every day, I am thankful that another family's teenager donated a heart. One thing I learned from this experience is that if anything ever happens to you, you should always give back, and let everyone know how much you appreciated him or her. Without a donor I would never have had this opportunity to be here and speaking in front of you today."
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Beaumont organ donors save 27 lives

Beaumont Enterprise | Brooke Crum


Hector Cantu received a kidney transplant at the University of Texas medical Branch at Galveston on June, 10 2003 after seventh months of waiting. Michael Rivera

Hector Cantu still has the two vertical, white scars on his left forearm from the year he spent on dialysis before he received a kidney transplant in 2003.

They are a reminder to the Beaumont resident of the fresh start he got on June 10, 2003, thanks to an organ donor.

"I've had a second chance," Cantu, 53, said, "and I'm taking it seriously."

Last year, Beaumont organ donors bestowed second chances on 27 people.

That number could be higher if more people registered as organ donors through the driver's license system, said Pam Silvestri, public affairs director at Donate Life Texas, the state's organ donation program.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________

"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

'I see new hands': Mexican father Gabriel Granados recovers movement in new limbs after rare double arm transplant

The Independent


The 53-year-old father of two regained movement in his two new limbs two years after his double arm transplant

Gabriel Granados had both his arms amputated below the elbow after he suffered an electrical accident last year.

Almost two years later, following a double arm transplant, he has made a successful recovery. Following physiotherapy, Mr Granados has achieved 70 per cent of his movements and is "very independent" when completing his daily activities.

He became the first patient in Latin America to receive a double arm transplant when the 53-year-old father of two received the arms of a 34-year-old shooting victim.

After a 17-hour operation, Mr Granados was able to have both arms again and feel his hands.

"This is wonderful that after being without hands for some time, all of a sudden I see new hands," said Mr Granados, an agent in the financial unit of Mexico City's prosecutors' office.
VIDEO, continue reading
______________________________________________________

"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Surgeon uses social media to encourage organ donation

13 WHAM


Rochester, N.Y. - New York State ranks the 49th worst state in the country when it comes to organ donation registration.

One local doctor is trying to change that using a younger generation and social media.

Dr. Chris Barry is a transplant surgeon with the University of Rochester Medical Center.

He started the group b-life New York because he says he's tired of seeing patients die while waiting for a donation.
VIDEO, Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Wife's new heart and liver inspire Tulare man

Modesto Bee | Lewis Griswald


Gudelia Bustamante, with husband, Bob, wears her prayer, or healing, blanket, is back home in time for the holidays.
JOHN WALKER — THE FRESNO BEE

Gudelia Bustamante's heart-liver transplant prompted her husband Bob to become an outspoken supporter of organ donation -- and a role model for the Latino community.

"Many Hispanics don't believe in organ donations," the Tulare man said. "All of our family members are registered organ donors now."

He has agreed to be an ambassador for Donate A Life, a support group.

Cultural barriers can impede organ donation registration, experts say.

Many Latinos view planning for death as inviting bad luck, said Elena de la Cruz, spokeswoman for One Legacy, which coordinates organ donations for seven counties in the greater Los Angeles Area and Kern County.

"Open casket funerals are very important, and people think you'll be disfigured," she said.

Yet when Latino families are asked directly at the hospital to donate a loved one's organs after they have died, they are likely to consent, statistics show.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Chaplain: Organ donation education helps save lives

Seguin Gazette | Jessica Limmer


A Little Recognition. Chaplains Tom Jones and John Rabon display an award Guadalupe Regional Medical Center recently received from the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance.

SEGUIN — Locals are realizing death doesn’t have to be the end.

Chaplain Tom Jones, director of pastoral care at Guadalupe Regional Medical Center said that people of many faiths and backgrounds have turned to organ donation as a way to help a loved one live on.

“Without exception, I have seen families who are grieving severely actually find some relief and comfort when they find out that their loved one is eligible for donation,” he said. “In that terrible crisis moment, they often find that decision comforting. Then, months later, when they get a letter that these organs and tissues have been transplanted and utilized to help others, that’s actually a moment of joy.”

GRMC was recently recognized by the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance and also by the Lone Star Lions Eye Bank. However, Jones said that the increased willingness to participate in organ donation doesn’t come from the facility, but rather from a change in the community.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Tulsa transplant patient thankful for brother's kidney donation

Tulsa World | Sharon Muchmore


Mitch Jones (left) talks with his brother Jeffrey Jones, who donated a kidney to him, at St. John Medical Center before his release from the hospital. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World

Mitch Jones doesn't have to think twice about what he's thankful for this Thanksgiving.

He was months away from dialysis when his brother gave him a kidney last week.

"I probably owe him a big hug," Mitch Jones said, smiling. His brother was visiting him at St. John Medical Center on Tuesday, the day he was to be released, five days after surgery.

Mitch Jones, 54, of Broken Arrow, said his brother Jeffrey did an unbelievable act of kindness.

"I can't really put into words what it means to me," he said. "It means time. It's just life-changing."
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Giving A Face To Organ Donation: Whitney's Story

Examiner | Stacy Gibson


How many times, while getting your driver’s license, have you blindly checked that infamous box “be an organ donor” and if so, do you even know what it really means?” It goes without saying that there are 1000’s of issues that plague this world daily, sending constant fear into the hearts of people everywhere and I apologize for bringing light to one more, but knowledge is power. Today, I will be sharing a story and information on a subject that is near and dear to my heart because it greatly affects a family who I hold in high regard and love. I am also sharing this because this subject affects millions of families every year. I don’t have a huge a platform to speak from, but I do have a small one through my articles, my blog, and my readers and to not to, I feel would be irresponsible on my part. My hope is to provide many with knowledge about what organ donation is, some statistics surrounding it, and why it is so very important to me.

For those who are unsure of the overall process of organ donation or even what it really is, we will start with the actual definition and move on to the steps. Organ donation occurs when an organ or a part of an organ is given to another person for the purpose of transplantation and this can be done after the donor has passed away or while they are still living. In order for an organ to be considered viable, blood and oxygen must continuously flow through it until the time of recovery and immediate implantation. When speaking of a deceased donor, this will require that the donor passes away under circumstances resulting in irreparable neurological injury, usually from massive trauma to the brain such as aneurysm, stroke, or automobile accident. Once all human efforts have been made to save the person, tests will then be performed to confirm the absence of all brain or brain stem activity. If official brain death is declared, they will then begin to look into whether or not donation is a possibility. The state donor registry will be searched to determine if the patient has personally consented to donation, but if the potential donor is not found in the data base, the doctors will speak with his or her legally authorized representative (a spouse, relative, or close friend) and offer the opportunity to authorize the donation. If an official donation decision is established, the family is asked to provide a medical and social history so professionals can determine which organs would be suitable or transplant as well as making the decision on how to allocate all viable organs according to who is on the waiting list. Deceased donors have the possibility of providing kidneys, pancreas, liver, lungs, heart, and intestinal organs. For living donors the process is obviously a little different and I have provided a link at the bottom of a webpage on how to do that. Living donors have the potential to provide one of their kidneys or a portion of the liver, lung, intestine, or pancreas.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Organ Donation: Providing Life After Death

WNPR | By CATIE TALARSKI, JOHN DANKOSKY, TUCKER IVES, HEATHER BRANDON AND BETSY KAPLAN


Credit Chion Wolf / WNPR. Caitlyn Bernabucci, LifeChoice Donor Services

Every day, around 80 people receive organ transplants in the U.S. But an average of 18 people die daily due to a shortage of much-needed organs, like kidneys, livers, hearts and lungs, even corneas.

One body donor can impact the lives of more than 50 people.

This hour, a conversation on organ donation and transplantation. Do you have personal experience with organ donation? Are you a donor or recipient? Why did you choose to be a donor?

GUESTS:

Dr. Peter Yoo, Assistant Professor of Transplantation and Immunology and Associate Program Director of General Surgery Residency at the Department of Surgery, Yale Medical School

Kari Mull, Director of the Connecticut Chapter of Donate Life

Caitlyn Bernabucci, Education Specialist at LifeChoice Donor Services

Alonzo Bodden, Comedian

Beth Peters, Blogger, Founder and Producing Artistic Director of The Accessible Theater
LISTEN TO PODCAST
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

The next big thing we need in organ donation? “Honouring decisions”

Crikey | Marie McInerney

Australia’s organ donation rates are not high, but they have nearly doubled since the introduction of the Australian Organ and Tissue Authority (AOTA) in 2009.

However, many people who want to donate have their wishes overturned by family. Given that and the urgent need for organs, Anne Cahill Lambert argues that it’s time to consider introducing ‘First Person Consent’ which grants primacy to the donor’s decision.

Anne Cahill Lambert writes:

I often speak at community events, promoting organ donor awareness. Invariably, the first question goes something like: “Why do my family have the right to veto my decision to donate my organs?”
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Little girl's gravesite vandalized

WLFI | Holly Campbell


LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Jan Early went to visit her granddaughter, Malia Ruiz's gravesite Wednesday afternoon on the seven month anniversary of her death.

"Someone had told us they thought her Christmas tree had fallen over so I came to try and get it set back up right and when I came out here the tree had been stolen and her bench was broken in three places," Early said. "I don't understand how someone could do that to a child's grave."

Plus she found decorations missing and destroyed. Malia's mother Ryan Hall said she couldn't believe what happened.

"It broke my heart to know that anybody could do something like that. I'm still speechless," Hall said.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Oakland Teen Shows Thanks for Organ Donation

NBC NEWS Bay Area


16-year-old Michael Caraway is honoring his donor by feeding the homeless in Oakland once per month

An Oakland teenager is making good on his promise to show thanks for an organ donation.

Sixteen-year old Michael Caraway and his family served Thanksgiving dinner to those less fortunate in West Oakland’s Fitzgerald Park.

Caraway was stricken with liver failure when he was 11-years-old.

He received a transplant from a Los Angeles teenager killed in an accident.

Since then, Caraway and his family feed the needy every Thanksgiving to honor his donor Johnny Hernandez.

"It’s always an honor to honor him, so it’s always good to feed for him since he’s not here, and feed for his family and just have a different impact on people's lives," Caraway said.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More

Life stories rewritten with organ donation

Durham Region

It might not be often you’d find two organ donor recipients in one family, and even less likely they’d be teenagers and brother and sister. But that’s Kailyn and Ayden Bredin’s story. The Ajax teenagers both received heart transplants when they were babies, having been born with a genetic abnormality in which the left ventricles of their hearts didn’t develop.

The Bredin siblings faced a medical crisis that is, however, all-too-familiar to many families and individuals across Ontario. For those who have been given a new lease on life due to organ transplant, and for those whose names currently appear on waiting lists, the Bredin’s story will be woven with emotional threads they’ll recognize, and in the end the stories are all the same.

Organ donors can give the gift of health and a lifetime of vitality to someone whose future is otherwise bleak. Organ donations can push the “reset” button on the recipient’s chances to enjoy a normal lifespan and experience what too many of us take for granted: normal, everyday existence.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

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From our family to yours, wishing you a Happy and Bountiful Thanksgiving

Organ and Tissue Donation Blog

______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

Black Friday ... Cyber Monday... #GivingTuesday. Save the date and save some $ to help us save lives

California Transplant Donor Network

Save the date and save some $ to help us save lives.

This year, CTDN is taking part in a new wave of giving! #GivingTuesday is an alternative to the highly commercialized Holiday shopping season and offers the opportunity to share some Holiday cash with us to help with education and outreach so that we can save more lives through donation. Mark your calendars and click on www.ctdn.org/contributions.html to make a financial donation.

We also are asking people to give the Gift of Life by registering today to be an organ and tissue donor.

California Residents Register Here

Nevada Residents Register Here

Together we can save more lives and give hope to the thousands in California and Nevada who are waiting for their miracle.

______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all for which we are grateful

Donate Life Texas
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all for which we are grateful.

Thanks to his mother's decision, this former NFL wide receiver saved several people in need through organ donation. Share, be inspired, and give thanks for the precious gift of life during this holiday season.

We think we know what transplant recipients and donor family members are thankful for during this special time. We invite you to share that for which you are grateful too.

We're deeply grateful for the nearly five million fabulous Texans who've registered to Donate Life!

______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

I am Puso Ng Pinoy, saving lives together

California Transplant Donor Network

Puso Ng Pinoy is a new campaign focused on raising awareness for organ and tissue donation in the Filipino community.

Please join us on December 7 in Daly City as we kick off the campaign with a prayer rally for Filipinos still waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant.  Wee will also offer special prayers of thanksgiving for all Filipino organ recipients, their donors, and especially for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

“Let us save lives together by starting a conversation with family and friends about registering as organ and tissue donors. Become part of a movement to save lives, and be a Filipino with a Puso Ng Pinoy.”

Lloyd LaCuesta
Retired Broadcast Journalist
Adjunct Journalism Professor
San Jose State University

Prayer Rally

Join us at the Prayer Rally to be held for the thousands of Filipinos who are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. We will also offer special prayers of thanksgiving for all Filipino organ recipients, their donors, and the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.


Date: December 7, 2013

Location: St. Andrews Church - 1571 Southgate Ave., Daly City

Time: 12pm to 1pm

______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

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Watsonville Family Honors Late Father's Last Wish to Play Basketball

KION News, Central Valley | Ricardo Navarro

WATSONVILLE, Calif. -- Patrick Carroll was born with a congenital heart defect and the only chance for survival was a transplant, but he died a month later from unknown reasons.

Basketball was the game Patrick loved but it was also a game his heart defect wouldn't allow him to play. After countless trips to his transplant physician, Patrick and his physician made a deal, one year after his heart transplant, the two would face off in a basketball game.

"That was one of the things that kept Patrick going after transplant was his goal of playing his basketball game," said Samantha Carroll, Patrick's wife.

Sadly, for Patrick, that day never came. But Tuesday night, the Carrolls made the dream come true, 14-year-old Robbie Carroll would step in for his dad.


"It feels like I'm filling some pretty big shoes, because he was enormous, obviously, and its going to be hard emotionally," said Robbie.

As Donate Life Ambassadors for the California Transplant Donor Network the Carrolls teamed up with Watsonville High Basketball to use the yearly alumni game as a way to fulfill that dream but also raise awareness about organ donation.

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Central Coast News KION/KCBA

______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

Hospital promotes organ donation

Simcoe County

The Collingwood General & Marine Hospital (CGMH) joined the Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) in working to save lives through organ and tissue donation.

Meeting the criteria of a level three critical care unit, CGMH has become part of Ontario’s Routine Notification program. Now, CGMH is required to report patient deaths and imminent deaths to TGLN so that specially trained Trillium staff can identify potential donors and approach families to reaffirm or obtain consent.

Over the past few weeks, various departments and nursing staff at CGMH have been working hard on the process of becoming a designated ‘routine notification hospital’ and many staff have received specialty, onsite training from Trillium.

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______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

Dozens of Durham residents waiting for organ, tissue donation

Durham Region | Keith Gilligan

Transplants.  Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland
AJAX -- Ayden Bredin, 13, and his sister Kaylin, 16, have both had heart transplants. There is a need for more organ and tissue donors. November 21, 2013

DURHAM -- Nov. 27 is and always will be an important day for Kailyn Bredin.

For her brother Ayden, Nov. 22 has the same significance.

Sixteen years ago, a then seven-month-old Kailyn underwent a heart transplant, while Ayden received his new heart 13 years ago when he was all of 20 days old.

In both cases, the need for the transplant was the same -- they were both born with a genetic abnormality in which the left ventricle of the heart didn’t develop.

As the mother of Kailyn and Ayden, Debbie Bredin knows it’s tough for someone who hasn’t dealt with transplants to be put in the position of having to deal with it.

“Organ donation will turn a negative into a positive. Celebrate someone’s life and allow their organs to be put in someone else to live. It’s a celebration in a way,” Ms. Bredin said. “I can’t imagine someone losing a loved one and having to make that decision at that time. It’s got to be the furthest thing from their mind at a sad time.”

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______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

Heart of gold: Mother's loss of two sons means life for others

Independent Tribune | Tim Reaves

Photo: James Nix     Ronnie and Robyne Arrington, at left, with Bob Cole. Robyne's son, Daniel Sossoman, was an organ donor, and Cole received his heart after his death. Cole taught history and coached swimming at Concord High School.

CONCORD, N.C. -- Bob Cole has a lot to be thankful for. When he talks about organ donation, he has an insistence in his voice that can’t be denied.

“I want to, one, commend a brave man, and two, bring to the consciousness of the community here in Cabarrus County … that if you’re not a donor now, that they should dig way deep inside of them and understand that this is a heroic thing to do,” he said.

A life was given, or in a way, continued, in him. And a mother who lost two sons also is thankful, because her son’s heart is still beating.

THE GIFT OF LIFE

Cole, 68, taught U.S. history at Concord High School and helped coach football and swimming during the ’90s and early 2000s.

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______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

Basu: LeeMan's new kidney shows good comes to those doing good

The Des Moines Register | Rekha Basu

Des Moines drummer Lee “LeeMan” Furgerson got a new shot at life this month. The 51-year-old’s kidneys had failed, his blood pressure had shot up and the diabetes that ultimately took his father’s life was doing a job on him. His only long-term hope, doctors said, was a kidney transplant. But it could be months or years before a donor came through.

Just one short month later, one did — a bittersweet reprieve provided by a stranger’s wish to have his own death help someone else live. The day after a car crash claimed the life of the 28-year-old organ donor from Missouri on Nov. 16, his kidney was working inside Furgerson’s body.

Some would say it was the work of God. Others would call it random luck that the kidney recipient on Iowa’s registry that day had the same blood type. Then there’s a third way of looking at it that is rational but refutes the notion of pure randomness: Do good and good will come back to you. After all, the more organ donors there are, the greater the likelihood one will be available when someone you love needs one.

Continue reading

______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

Centennial woman promotes organ, tissue donations

Our Centennial News | George Lurie

Photo: Displaying the license plate she lobbied state lawmakers to approve, Robin Mitchell walks in last year's Parade of Lights.
Today in Colorado, more than 2,000 critically ill patients are awaiting a life-saving organ transplant.

Nationally, the transplant waiting list exceeds 119,000.

For Robin Mitchell, a Centennial resident and mother of five, the unselfish act of registering to be an organ donor has taken on special meaning.

At the age of 15, during the process of applying for his driver's permit, Mitchell's son Joe had registered to be an organ, eye and tissue donor.

“He was a special kid and always wanted to help people,” said Robin Mitchell.

In 2008, at the age of 22, Joe died after suffering a seizure.

After his untimely death, five men received organs from Mitchell's son — his heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and corneas were all used in successful transplant operations.

Continue reading

______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

'Dancing in Israel': Organ donation brings peace to family of man who died in car crash

Stevens Point Journal | Shereen Siewert

ROSHOLT — Bev Zinda couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

The soft, steady beats she heard in the chest of the man standing before her was so familiar yet so foreign. Familiar because it was a sound she had heard so many times before, in fact had heard when it still was inside her. It was the heart of her son, Alan.

Foreign, though, because Alan died three years ago in a car crash at the age of 23.

“When I heard that heartbeat, for me, my son had come home,” Bev Zinda said. “He was standing right there in my living room.”

How the heart came to be in her living room, ticking away in the chest of an Israeli man named Yitzahk Wolf, is a long and at times heart-wrenching story for Bev Zinda to tell. It begins on the night she and her husband, John, watched their son die on the side of a road.

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______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

Clergy encouraging organ donations

Key News | Florida Keys | Robert Silk

UPPER KEYS -- A group of local clergy has banded together to encourage Upper Keys residents to register as organ donors this winter.

"I think people often times think there's still time, but you never know," said Pam Feeser, who heads Baptist Hospital's Community Health Ministries in Tavernier. "So why wait?"

The outreach effort is being undertaken in honor of the late Talia Agler, who in January 2012, at age 26, was struck by a motorist and killed while jogging at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Agler's parents, Richard and Mindy, live in Key Largo, and Richard is a retired rabbi. Talia had signed up for the organ donor stamp on her driver's license, so six of her organs, including her heart, were used in transplants, giving life to five individuals.

The group of clergy, which includes Feeser and Richard Agler, as well as the Rev. Charles Cannon of St. James the Fisherman Episcopal Church in Islamorada and Pastor Kerry Foote of Burton Memorial United Methodist Church, is hoping to sign up 2,300 organ donors in their drive. They'll keep their "Tali," a play on Talia Agler's nickname, by registering people at designated church services and by tracking sign-ups through the donatelifeflorida.org website.

Continue reading

______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

Dick Cheney: 'It's my new heart, not someone else's old heart'

Yahoo News
I am especially bothered by Cheney's lack of empathy and gratitude towards his donor and donor family.  Personally, Cheney is someone who is morally bankrupt and has no values.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney says he is thankful for his new heart, but doesn't spend much time thinking about the person who donated the vital organ to him.

"When I came out from under the anesthetic after the transplant, I was euphoric," Cheney, who underwent the life-saving procedure last year, told Larry King in an interview slated to air Thursday on Ora TV. "I’d been given the gift of additional lives, additional years of life. For the family of the donor, they’d just been [through] some terrible tragedy, they’d lost a family member."

Cheney, who was "near death" when he received a heart pump in 2011 that kept him alive until the transplant, said he does not know the identity of the donor or the circumstances surrounding his death.

"The way I think of it from a psychological standpoint is that it’s my new heart, not someone else’s old heart," Cheney continued. "And I always thank the donor, generically thank donors, for the gift that I’ve been given, but I don’t spend time wondering who had it, what they’d done, what kind of person."

VIDEO, continue reading

______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

Kelly: Recipient gives special thanks for organ donor’s family

Live Well Nebraska | Mike Kelly

Photo: Lara Marsh, artistic director of the Nebraska Theatre Caravan, is even more thankful this year as she recovers from a double-lung transplant.

As most people enjoy ample helpings at Thanksgiving, lung-transplant recipient Lara Marsh of Omaha will give thanks to many for helping her to keep on living.

Thanks to those who have attended fundraisers for her the past five years. Thanks to the performers who sang at a recent cabaret show in her honor. Thanks to relatives and friends for moral support.

And thanks to the family who donated a loved one’s lungs.

“I know how hard this time must be for that family,” she said. “I’m just grateful that they saw to it to contribute to my life.”

Lara, 43, artistic director of the Omaha Community Playhouse’s professional touring wing, the Nebraska Theatre Caravan, received a double lung transplant on Nov. 5.

She has lived most of her life with cystic fibrosis, a life-­threatening disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs, digestive tract and other areas of the body.

______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

Proper Hand Washing Technique

Children's LA
Most people don't know how to effectively wash their hands to prevent the spread of germs. Effective hand washing is especially important in post-transplant patients and their caregivers.  Please feel free to share liberally.

This video demonstrates how to wash your hands to help prevent the spread of disease.

STEPS:

• Wet your hands with warm water.
• Apply enough soap to make a really good lather.
• Rub your hands palm to palm.
• Rub your palms around your hands.
• Clean between your fingers by interlocking your fingers and pushing your palms up and down.
• Rub the back of your fingers on your palms.
• Rub the tips of your fingers and nails on your palms.
• Grab your thumb with your other hand and rub in a rotational circle backwards and forwards.
• Rub around your wrists.
• Rinse your hands thoroughly.
• Dry your hands thoroughly with a single paper towel.
• Use the towel to turn off the water faucet.

______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

Registering Online For Organ and Tissue Donation - As Easy As Apple Pie

Mid-South Transplant Foundation
You can offer Hope to a person waiting for a life-saving organ or tissue transplant. Visit our website www.MidSouthTransplant.org to register online today!

______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

Kidney recipient gives thanks for anonymous donor and the gift of a second chance

Penn State Medicine

Photo: Melissa and Chris Masse hold flowers between them to mark the scars that forever bind them as recipient and donor in a chain that gave Melissa and three others a second chance at life with a healthy kidney.

On July 23, Melissa Masse celebrated her 34th birthday in the operating room of Penn State Hershey, watching Dr. Riaz Shah hold up a kidney while the medical team sang “Happy Birthday.”

Earlier that morning, doctors had harvested a kidney from her husband, Chris, and sent it to a major metropolitan area where it would be given to someone as unknown to the Masses as the donor whose organ became a birthday present for Melissa.

The surgeries were just two links in a complex transplant chain that allowed four people to receive healthy kidneys despite not having compatible live donors. Known as a “kidney swap,” Penn State Hershey offers the program as an alternative to dialysis and years of waiting for a deceased donor organ.

Continue reading

______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

'I could feel his heart:' Organ donor families bond with recipients after transplant

NBC News | JoNel AlecciaNBC News

Courtesy Susan Adcock
Denise Wagner, right, and Susan Adcock met for the first time in October, four months after Adcock received a transplanted heart donated after the death of Wagner's 24-year-old son, Jeremy Baran. Wagner and Adcock are among just 5 percent of organ donor families who actually meet the recipients of their loved ones' organs.

Six months ago, Denise Wagner and Susan Adcock were strangers, two ordinary moms who had no idea that they’d soon be connected by the grief — and hope — of an organ transplant.

On Saturday, the two women and their families will gather for a joint Thanksgiving dinner to mourn the loss of Wagner’s 24-year-old son, Jeremy Baran, who died in June of a drug overdose — and to celebrate the life of Adcock, who received the young man’s heart.

“I prayed that those organs would go to people who were deserving of them,” says Wagner, 50, of Crofton, Md. “She’s such a kind, giving person. We had an instant bond.”

“God gave me Jeremy’s heart because he knew that I would help in her grieving,” says Adcock, 55, of York, Pa. “I have a piece of her love.”

Wagner and Adcock are an example of what organ transplant experts say is a small but growing phenomenon: Families of donors who form close ties with the recipients of their loved ones' organs.

Continue reading

______________________________________________________ 

"You have the power to SAVE lives." 

To register as a donor TODAY

In California: 

www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 

Outside California: 

www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

Read More

When the living and the deceased don't agree on organ donation

Science Codex | University of Chicago Medical Center

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the 2006 Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA) or enacted similar legislation giving individuals the "First Person Authorization" (FPA) to consent to organ donation after death via a signed donor card or driver's license, or by enrollment in a donor registry. While such laws give hospitals legal authority to proceed with organ procurement without consent of the registered donor's family, a new study shows that organ procurement organizations' implementation of FPA has been inconsistent and incomplete.

"Sometimes what we preach and what we practice may not be the same thing, especially when dealing with very sensitive issues such as organ donation," said W. James Chon, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine, primary author of the study, which was published early online in the American Journal of Transplantation

Chon and his colleagues conducted a web-based survey of the executive directors of 58 organ procurement organizations to assess their policies and practices regarding donations from registered donors in cases of family objections. Most of the respondents estimated the frequency of family objection as less than 10 percent.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.

Read More