DONATE LIFE ROSE PARADE FLOAT - MEET FLOAT RIDER PATRICE BROUSSARD FROM ANTELOPE, CA

Liver recipient Age 33 ~ Antelope, CA Office assistant, California State Senate Sponsored by Astellas Pharma US, Inc.

Wilson's disease, a rare genetic disorder, ravaged the liver of wife and mother of three Patricia Broussard in winter 2008. After receiving a lifesaving liver transplant on Feb. 8, 2009, she immediately volunteered to be an ambassador for Donate Life California. In the short time since her transplant, she has worked to lobby Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and members of the California legislature to pass legislation supporting organ donation. Patrice's Story “My knowledge of organ transplantation came courtesy of Grey’s Anatomy and the ill-fated love story of Denny Duquette and Izzie Stevens,” said Patrice Broussard. “That scenario seemed so irrelevant to me. Never did I imagine that I, too, would be someone in need of an organ transplant. “Last year, I was a seemingly healthy 32-year-old wife and mother of three. Little did I know that my body was killing me from the inside out. My killer was Wilson’s disease, a rare genetic disorder that prevents the body from getting rid of extra copper.” Patrice began showing symptoms of Wilson’s disease around Thanksgiving 2008. Within two months, she was in the hospital with a team of doctors trying to figure out why her liver was failing. Because of the severity of her condition, Patrice was listed as Status 1 on the transplant list, and everything moved quickly. A match was found within hours, and the next day, she received her new liver. “Everyone told me that it was a miracle that I received my new liver so quickly. I am truly grateful for my second chance at life, but am saddened that on February 8, 2009, (the date of my surgery), at least 18 people died waiting for their miracle. It also meant that someone had to die to give me life,” she acknowledged. One month post-op, Patrice signed up online to become an ambassador with Donate Life California. Two months after surgery, she was lobbying Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and members of the California legislature, urging the members to support the organ donation legislation before them. Three months later, at a New Kids on the Block, concert, she told Donnie Wahlberg her story. She showed him her transplant scar and placed a green Donate Life bracelet on his wrist. Later that night, he wore the bracelet during the concert. “It’s said that God works in mysterious ways, and I am a firm believer of that,” said Patrice. “I am a living, breathing testimonial of how organ donation works. I believe that part of my calling in life is to raise awareness for the growing need for organ donation.” Do you want to honor a transplant recipient whom you know: a transplant recipient, a heroic donor family, transplant team? You can have a rose dedicated to be placed on the 2010 Rose Parade Float Family Circle Garden. To learn more and how to honor that special hero by visiting the Donate Life Family Circle. The Donate Life Rose Parade Float is the world's largest organ donation awareness event to encourage individuals to learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation then register to be a donor. In California, please visit Donate Life California - in other states please click HERE.

THREE RIVERS - ALEX O'LOUGHLIN - MEET THE EXPERT - Dr. Gonzalo V. Gonzalez-Stawinski, M.D.

"THREE RIVERS" - MEET THE EXPERTS

Source: CBS.com

Episode: Code Green
By: Dr. Gonzalo V. Gonzalez-Stawinski, M.D.
Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Cleveland Clinic

In the episode “Code Green”, Dr. Andy Yablonski calls his transplant colleague Dr. Gonzalo Gonzalez to ask if Dr. Gonzalez could recover a donor heart for one of his patients and bring it to Three Rivers transplant center. But Dr. Gonzalez is more than a character, he is a real-life transplant surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic and is the inspiration for the character of Andy Yablonski, played by Alex O’Loughlin. Here is a conversation between Donate Life (DL) and Dr. Gonzalo Gonzalez (GG).

DL: When did you first meet Alex O’Loughlin?
GG: Our first conversation was over the phone. I was coming back from a meeting in Orlando and was stuck at the airport. Carol Barbee (“Three Rivers” executive producer) called me and said Alex wants to talk to you. I called Alex and found we had a lot in common. That first call lasted about an hour. It was like talking to one of my best buddies, we just got along.

DL: Did Alex come to see you at work at the Cleveland Clinic?
GG: He did and even followed me in the operating room. I think he was impressed with who I am as well as with what I do. I tend to be pretty level-headed and keep the whole surgeon thing on the down low. But when I am operating there is a whole different persona. I am very focused. I am also very passionate about the work I do and about my patients.

DL: Do you see yourself in the character Andy Yablonski?
GG: People tell me, dude, that’s exactly you! How I deal with patients, certain mannerisms, I do see myself in the character. There was a scene where Andy flicks off his gloves and slingshots them into the trash can. I taught him that!

DL: How does it feel to know that Andy is based on you?
GG: It’s surreal. Not a lot of people will ever have the experience of having a television character loosely based on them. It’s flattering but it’s also cool to just have people recognize what we do in your work and how we help save lives.

DL: In an interview Carol Barbee described transplant surgeons as “adrenaline junkies,” is that how you see yourself?
GG: When I heard her coin that phrase I thought, wow, are we that transparent? But it’s true. The stakes are so high and we thrive on being on the edge, being the best, and saving lives. We live for helping and being great at what we do. There is no better sensation than when the whole process goes right.

DL: Do you think “Three Rivers” is pretty realistic?
GG: I would say 90% of the time it is very much like a typical day for us. I enjoyed the process of helping to create the show. I had the opportunity to sit with the writers and they are really trying to stick to the medical aspect of what we do.

DL: Is there a specific scenario you helped with?
GG: In the first episode there was a pregnant woman who needed a heart transplant. I suggested that she have a neurological injury so that there was a dramatic element about whether they would be putting a good heart into a brain damaged patient.

DL: What’s it like to be an expert consultant on a TV show?
GG: It’s been amazing to go through the process of creating a scene and then seeing it come to life on the screen. It’s incredible to see all the elements come together and I’m always impressed by what the final product looks like. It’s fulfilling to know you had a hand in it.

DL: You play yourself on this week’s episode of “Three Rivers,” how did you like acting?
GG: It was scary as hell. It is easier to do open heart surgery than to act. Honestly, the outtakes from that scene are painful to watch. There is definitely a mutual respect between what actors do and what I do. I’d rather do open heart surgery any day.

DONATE LIFE ROSE PARADE FLOAT - MEET FLOAT RIDER STEVE BOND FROM PHOENIX, ARIZONA

Heart recipient Age 50 ~ Phoenix, AZ Cashier, Fry's Grocery Sponsored by Donor Network of Arizona

In early 2000, Steve Bond's incessant cough motivated him to see his doctor. When it became clear the problem wasn't with his lungs, he was soon placed on the transplant list. His health grew drastically worse over the next four years. Finally, on July 18, 2004, he received a donated heart. Since then, he has met and visits often with the mother of his donor, 17-year-old Mike Roman Reyes. Steve's Story In early 2000, Steve Bond’s incessant cough motivated him to see his doctor. When it became clear the problem wasn’t with his lungs but rather his heart, he was soon placed on the transplant list. During his four years and three months on the transplant list, Steve’s health grew drastically worse. Finally, on July 18, 2004, at the age of 45, he received the call that would save his life: a perfectly matched heart had been donated and he was at the top of the list. The morning after his transplant, Steve was up and eating Jell-O. Steve and his wife, Linda, spent two months in Tucson, while he recovered and grew stronger. Linda was amazed how much Steve enjoyed life, visiting Colossal Cave, Kartchner Caverns, Sabino Canyon and other sights in the area. One year after his transplant, Steve met Lupita LeBario, the mother of his donor, Mike Roman Reyes, a 17-year old who died following an ATV accident. Steve, now 50 and employed a local grocery chain, visits Roman’s mother in Phoenix quite often. “When he walks in the door,” Lupita said, “I feel like it’s my son walking in.”

DONATE LIFE ROSE PARADE FLOAT - LET THE FLOAT SEASON BEGIN

This past Saturday, November 7th, many trekked to the Tournament of Roses House in Pasadena to begin the Rose Parade Float season in earnest. Every float entry invited their float riders and guests to take a picture of their float rendering along with the 2010 Rose Parade Court. Donate Life Rose Parade float family were there in force for the pre-picture reception, photo followed by a tour of the Tournament House.

So there I am with the Rose Court. . . I did not realize that many of the Donate Life people had been coming to this Rose Parade kick-off event since the inception of the Donate Life float. To the right side of the group is Gary Foxen and his wife Lois; Gary a lung transplant recipient was the instigator for the Donate Life Rose Parade float some seven years ago.

Beginning this week, the Donate Life Organ & Tissue Donation Blog will feature the 2010 float riders individual stories so that our worldwide visitors may get to know these remarkable individuals first-hand. We will also do real-time blogging from the float decorating site with the flora-graph families to learn about their loved-one who they are honoring.

Please subscribe to our blog on the right hand-side so that you will be notified of each new posting.

Also please help me take advantage of my once in a life time opportunity to ride the Donate LIfe Rose Parade Float by fundraising for Donate Life so that their great work may continue here are now 104,804 Americans on the transplant wait list. The link to my fundraising site is:

http://www.active.com/donate/2010donatelifefloat/Glenn_Matsuki

I would like to exceed my fundraising goal by three times! Your generous help is much appreciated. Please remember that your donation is 100% tax deductible.

DONATE LIFE - NATIONAL DONOR SABBATH: NOVEMBER 13 - 15, 2009

National Donor Sabbath: November 13-15, 2009

Donate Life

National Donor Sabbath is part of a donation initiative launched by the United States Department of Health and Human Services in 1997. Observed on Friday through Sunday two weekends before Thanksgiving, the three-day designation seeks to include the days of worship of major religions practiced in the United States.

Donation and transplant professionals join faith communities to focus on the life-saving and enhancing gifts passed to others through organ, tissue and blood stem cell donation. Faith leaders participate in services and programs to increase awareness of donation and transplantation. Those who donate heal and strengthen not just their recipients, but families, friends, and the larger community.

Many people turn to their faith leaders for help when dealing with life and death issues. Nearly every religion in the United States officially supports organ and tissue donation or supports the individual choices of its members. Donation is viewed by most religions as an act of compassion and generosity, and National Donor Sabbath is celebrated in many houses of worship, often with a transplant recipient sharing a personal story of receiving “a second chance at life.”

Awareness of donation increases each year, but so does the need for donors. More than 104,000 people were on the organ transplant waiting list as of September 2009 despite the fact that more than 14,000 donors made almost 28,000 transplants possible in 2008. Each year, thousands of Americans need corneal or other tissue transplants, and an average of 3,000 individuals at any given time are searching for an unrelated blood stem cell donor.
Those who donate organs, tissue, and blood stem cells restore hope and share gifts beyond measure. Transplantation can save lives. If generous individuals and families say yes to donation and register as donors, miracles can happen…

• A young woman who received a heart transplant at age 9 now elects college courses that will support her goal of becoming a pediatric cardiologist.
• A woman in her 60’s received the gift of a liver from a man who died just a few days before his 93rd birthday.
• Donated tissue allowed a world class martial arts medalist to receive an allograft, return to competition, and win two world championships.
• A Flamenco dancer who received a double lung transplant continues to teach children to dance and performed his thanks to his donor at the Federal government’s National Donor Recognition Ceremony in July 2009.

Faith communities and individuals wishing to plan National Donor Sabbath events should contact their local organ procurement organization

THREE RIVERS - ALEX O'LOUGHLIN - EXPERT BLOG

"THREE RIVERS" EXPERT BLOG

Carol Barbee, "Three Rivers" Producer has elicited the help of experts in the field to insure that the organ donation and transplantation depiction is accurately portrayed; this is due to her and cast members strong conviction to eliminate deaths on the national organ donation transplant wait-list which currently exceeds 104,000 Americans.

Over the next few days Donate Life Organ & Tissue Donation blog will feather these experts.

Source: CBS.com

Episode: Ryan's First Day
By: LuCyndi M Ramirez, RN BS MA CPTC
Manager, Organ Procurement
OneLegacy, the Organ Procurement Organization greater Los Angeles

In the "Three Rivers" episode Ryan's First Day, an Organ Procurement Organization helped Daniel's mother face the tragic loss of her son by helping her better understand what was happening and by giving her an opportunity through donation to help others.

Daniel's mother didn't understand how her son could be dead when it looked like he was just sleeping. Many families have this concern and confusion and Organ Procurement Organizations work with families to help them understand brain death.

What is brain death?
When someone is brain dead, it means that there is no blood or oxygen flow to his or her brain or brain stem. Thus, the brain is no longer functioning in any capacity and never will again.

If my loved one is brain dead, why does the heart continue to beat?
The heart has its own pacemaker independent of the brain. If it has oxygen and glucose, it continues to beat.

Would removing the respiratory support equipment be the same as causing the death of my family member or "taking them off life support"?
No. Once the patient is brain dead, he or she is legally dead. The brain will never recover. The respiratory support equipment keeps oxygen flowing to the organs which will keep the heart beating. When the ventilator is discontinued, the heart will stop beating after several minutes without oxygen.

Are there any documented cases where a patient was declared brain dead and later restored to a normal life?
No. If you have heard about a person who was supposedly brain dead and recovered, they were actually in a deep coma or vegetative state with slight brain activity-not brain dead. The Organ Procurement Organization ensures the brain death tests are done correctly as a check and balance to the system.

Daniel's name was put on a wall of donors at Three Rivers to honor his gift. Are there ways that organizations really honor donors?
In the episode, as in reality, organ donation is a step which can start families on the road to grieving and recovery. There are many ways we honor and celebrate the life and legacy of organ and tissue donors, from local donor remembrance ceremonies and run/walks to the National Donor Memorial where families can create a tribute: http://www.donormemorial.org/

This season you can dedicate a rose in the Family Circle Garden which rides on the Donate Life Rose Parade Float on New Year's Day. You can create a special dedication for a donor, recipient, someone who is waiting for a transplant or someone who has died waiting.

Please register to be an organ donor. To learn how please click HERE

In California, please visit Donate Life California to become an organ donor and please share your desire to help others with your family.

THREE RIVERS - ALEX O'LOUGHLIN - DON'T FORGET TO WATCH THIS SUNDAY - PROMO

DON'T FORGET TO WATCH "THREE RIVERS" THIS SUNDAY, CBS, 9PM / 8PM CT

Thank you MizzoH and DeB for the link!

To get your "Three Rivers" Donate Life promotional flyer (PDF) that you can send to all your friends and family encouraging them to watch, please click HERE

Please register to be an organ donor, to learn how please click HERE.

DONATE LIFE ORGAN DONATION- KATY TEXAS FAMILY RAISES AWARENESS FOR DONOR REGISTRATION

By Tracy Dang
Times Managing Editor, KATY TIMES

Published:

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 11:36 PM CST

Michael and Sheree Jones may have lost their son Chad in a motorcycle accident last June, but they had much to celebrate for last week.

Katy mayor Don Elder Jr. presented Chad’s parents and his sister Jessica with a proclamation declaring Tuesday, Oct. 27 as Chad Jones Organ Donor Registration Day. The date would have been Chad’s 22nd birthday and brings awareness to the importance of organ and tissue donation.

“Chad donated his heart, liver and kidneys so four strangers could live happy productive lives with their families,” Sheree said. “We found out (the other day) that his heart went to a musician from Houston who is back playing different venues around town. We’re very happy for him. Hopefully, we will get to meet him within the next year.

“Unfortunately, this is not happening enough,” she said. “I feel there is a severe shortage of registered organ donors in our state. Texas has 400,000 registered organ donors, and Georgia has 3,500,000. I think this is pathetic statistics from one of the largest states in the United States.”

State Rep. John Zerwas also issued a resolution commending the family for promoting organ donation in the community, and area businesses, hospitals and schools helped honor Chad by hosting donor registration drives.

“If Chad’s organ recipients were standing here with me I assure you they’d endlessly express their gratitude,” LifeGift President and CEO Sam Holtzman told the Jones family as he addressed the council and others attending the meeting.

“Chad is a hero and his legacy is kept alive not only by your love but also by the gratitude of his organ recipients and their families.”

The 2006 Cinco Ranch High School graduate was traveling on Interstate 610 Saturday, June 6 when his motorcycle hit a six-foot bedpost in the roadway. The motorcycle hit the guardrail, ejecting him over the ramp onto Hwy. 59.

Chad suffered serious head trauma, as well as a broken femur and was LifeFlighted to Ben Taub Hospital. He underwent several surgeries and was placed on a life-support system. He died a week later after suffering from a massive stroke.

His death brought sympathy from not only those who knew and loved him, but also from strangers in the car and motorcycle community in the greater Houston area.

The family hopes sharing his story would encourage others to register to be an organ donor too.

“We’re just a family who does not want our son to be forgotten, who even though he died, can still be a hero and save many more lives, not just the four strangers he donated for,” Sheree said.

TO REGISTER TO BE AN ORGAN DONOR IN THE STATE OF TEXAS PLEASE VISIT DONATE LIFE TEXAS

Please click HERE to learn more about LifeGift

To register to be an organ donor in your state please click HERE

DONATE LIFE ORGAN DONATION- 13 CARES:ONE MAN'S EXPERIENCE PROMPTS HIM TO START A FOUNDATION TO PROMOTE ORGAN DONATION

Source: 13 WHO TV, Erin Kiernan, Reporter, Des Moine, Iowa

On the evening of November 20th, 2006 bright, funny, beautiful Erika Schwager walked out the door and never came home. A crash with a fire truck silenced the teenager's laughter.

"I went to the emergency room and was able to see Erika," says her mother Bette. "I told her I loved her and she squeezed by hand." Erika lived for several days but was brain dead. Her mother remembered how excited she'd been about choosing to be an organ donor when she'd gotten her drivers license. "So we were just doing what she desired, we didn't agonize over it. It was real easy for us," says Bette.

Ted Cochran is someone who's always needed an organ. From the time he was a toddler, doctors said he would eventually need a kidney transplant. "Ya know, it was challenging. A lot of pain, a lot of tests, and recovery." He'd gone through six surgeries by the time he was 12 but Ted was an active, happy kid who didn't complain.

When he was nineteen, septic shock caused severe damage to his already weakened kidneys. He was on a respirator for days and his body was shutting down. He eventually recovered but received horrible news a few years later. "It was over my lunch hour at a regular doctor's appointment," Ted remembers. "He told me, you will need a transplant in two years."

When Ted told his mom the news, she couldn't believe it. "It's just like someone kicked you in the stomach," says Carla Cochran. She spent her son's entire life worrying, and knew how serious the situation was. "I'm an ER nurse," she explains. "On quiet nights I would start playing the 'what if' game. What if. I knew what the waiting list was and at that time there were 262 Iowans waiting on a kidney." Only thirty transplants were happening each year.

Carla knew thousands of people died waiting and she wasn't going to let her son be one of them. "It was a decision I made in a heartbeat," she says of getting tested to see if she could donate to Ted. She was a match, and the transplant happened on August 29th of 2006. Ted was healthy for the first time in his life. "The energy I had, it was indescribable!" Ted exclaims. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not running a marathon or anything, but it's great!"

Ted ditched his old career plans and started "My Angel Foundation" a non-profit dedicated to promoting organ donor awareness. "Going through the transplant experience instilled a passion in me to honor my mother's gift and advocate for the thing that saved my life," he says. Ted got married last spring and his wife knows the experience made him the man he is today. "He really feels it was a blessing to go through what he's gone through," explains Bethany Cochran. "We both believe God puts people in certain places for a reason."

Bette Schwager believes it too. She knows that the greatest gift can come out of the greatest tragedy, and though a loved one might be gone, she can also live on through others. "I'm really proud of the decision Erika made. We couldn't undo what was happening to her, but if her life couldn't continue, what a neat opportunity for her to be able to save the lives of four other people."

Please register to be an organ donor and discuss your wishes with your family. Please visit organdonor.gov to learn how to register in your state.

DONATE LIFE ORGAN DONATION- WESTERN MEDICAL CENTER SANTA ANA, CA HONORS ORGAN & TISSUE DONORS

Donate Life’s 2010 Rose Parade float entry

Western Medical Center Santa Ana honors organ and tissue donors with dedicated roses to be placed on Donate Life float in 2010 Rose Parade^®

Donate Life Rose Ceremony was Held for Donor Families
at Western Medical Center Santa Ana on Friday, Nov. 6th

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Nov. 4, 2009 – Western Medical Center Santa Ana, in collaboration with OneLegacy, the organ and tissue recovery organization serving the seven-county greater Los Angeles area, honored organ and tissue donors and their families at a Donate Life Rose Ceremony that was held at Western Medical Center Santa Ana.

The Donate Life Rose Ceremony welcomes families of deceased donors served by Western Medical Center Santa Ana and was thanked for their loved ones’ life-saving and healing gifts of organs and tissue. At the ceremony, Western Medical Center Santa Ana presented each family with a certificate and dedicated rose which will ultimately be placed on the Donate Life float in the 2010 Rose Parade.

Among those honored was the family of Sophia Sales (Orange), who died at age two in a motor vehicle accident and who saved two lives through her donation, among them a three-year-old who received her liver.

Sales was one of 14 organ donors recovered in Western Medical Center Santa Ana in 2008. The hospital was recently awarded a Gold Medal of Honor by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for excellence in supporting organ donation. Western Medical Center Santa Ana was one of three hospitals in the greater Los Angeles area –and the only one in Orange County – that was recognized by the HSS for exceeding national donation goals.

“We are grateful to the donors and their families for their courageous decision to help others in need at such a sad time in their lives” said Shelle Malm, vice president business development/communications at Western Medical Center Santa Ana.

The Donate Life Rose Ceremony featured several guest speakers, among them a transplant recipient, donor family member and Dan Brothman, Western Medical’s CEO. During the event, each donor family was handed two rose vials with a special tag upon which the family can write a personal message to their loved one. One vial will be kept as a memento, while the other will make its journey to Pasadena, where the vial, carrying a fresh rose, will be ceremonially placed on the Donate Life float on Dec. 29, three days before the 121st Rose Parade. At that time, all of the roses commemorating Western Medical Center Santa Ana’s donors will join thousands of roses dedicated through the float’s Donate Life Family Circle program with personal messages of love, hope and remembrance coming from around the world.

“We are deeply grateful to donors and their families for their generous decision to help others in need,” said Bryan Stewart, Donate Life float committee chairman and OneLegacy’s vice president of communications. “It is our privilege to present hospitals and donor families an opportunity to reconnect in such a meaningful way and to jion the nation’s Donate Life community in this international celebration.”

The dedicated roses will be featured on Donate Life’s seventh Rose Parade float entry, New Life Rises, which features a phoenix, the mythical symbol of life coming out of the ashes of death and representing those who gave life in their passing and the people whose lives are renewed through transplantation.

OneLegacy is the federally designated, non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation in the seven-county greater Los Angeles area. Since 2004, OneLegacy has coordinated the annual Donate Life Rose Parade float campaign in collaboration with more than 60 organizations nationwide.

For more information about the Donate Life Rose Parade float, visit the official float website at www.donatelifefloat.org.

CONTACT: Elena de la Cruz, OneLegacy, (213) 479-4704

Lisa Bernfeld or Rivian Bell, JDI Communications, (310) 556-3227

TO REGISTER TO BE AN ORGAN, EYE & TISSUE DONOR PLEASE VISIT DONATE LIFE CALIFORNIA

DONATE LIFE ORGAN DONATION- VISUAL JOURNALISM FOR A CAUSE: THE WAITING LIST

Source: The Visual Student

David Y. Lee is the Creative Director for The Waiting List, an online multimedia storytelling project introducing the stories of people waiting for an organ transplant. Lee covered the 2004 Presidential campaign for Time and Newsweek. In October 2007, the U.S. Department of State contracted Lee as Secretary Condoleezza Rice’s official photographer to document her international legacy during her final fifteen months in office.

The Waiting List was inspired by the March 22, 2008 Washington Post article by staff writer Rob Stein, ‘A Third of Patients on the Transplant List are not Eligible.’ The reason: because of a shortage of organs, a third of patients on the transplant list are not eligible for an organ if one becomes available because the patient is too sick, not sick enough, or for some other circumstance.

Upon doing some research online, I primarily only found stories about organ donors and recipients. Where were the stories about the over 100,000 people who are currently waiting for an organ transplant, where were the stories about the people who needed our help right now.

When I discovered that only 35% of licensed drivers and ID card holders in America are registered as organ donors, I recognized a tremendous opportunity to use storytelling as a conduit for social change. I realized that if I could make people care by sharing the real stories of real people really waiting for the gift of life, I could inspire individuals to become registered as an organ donor. I could help end this wait, and ultimately save lives.

Please visit The Waiting List.org

To read the whole story please visit The Visual Student

To register to be a donor in your state please visit organdonor.gov

DONATE LIFE HOLLYWOOD - "D TOUR" WILL PREMIERE ON PBS "INDEPENDENT LENS" ON NOVEMBER 10, 2009

On November 10, 2009, Tuesday at 10 pm the documentary "D Tour" will have its broadcast premiere on PBS's "Independent Lens".

(Maggie Gyllenhaal, host of Independent Lens PSA above)

The film is about Pat, a drummer for Rogue Wave, undergoing peritoneal dialysis as he travels with his band and captures how it feels to wait for an organ. Through Pat’s friends we see the testing needed to become a living donor and meet two different families who give consent for the donation of a deceased loved one. There is a first time meeting between donor and recipient, a donor remembrance ceremony to honor deceased donors and a six antigen match kidney. With great music, high production value and lots of emotion you will see our stories in Pat’s story.

D Tour is unique because it shows the entire organ donation and transplant process unfold through one man’s story.

We encourage everyone to watch Pat's incredible journey. Find everything you need to promote the film at: http://itvs.org/pressroom/press_detail.php?pressId=6677

If you miss the 11/10 at 10pm air date, D Tour is likely showing at another time on PBS that same week. Check the schedule at: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/broadcast.html

ALEX O'LOUGHLIN CBS CARES DONATE LIFE PSA AIRING

Alex O’Loughlin’s CBS Cares public service announcement for Donate Life America which is now airing.

“I became an organ, eye and tissue donor so that I might save a life. You also have the power to donate life. visit DonateLife.net.”

Many thanks to MizzoH @ alexoloughlinrocks and DeB at LLOL

Please register to become an organ, eye & tissue donor. There are currently over 104,000 Americans on the transplant wait-list.

DONATE LIFE - INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS -UK - A CALL FOR MORE DONORS

Source Journal Live

Most people would accept a donor organ if they needed one but only 27% are signed up to donate after death, new research shows.A poll of 1,500 people not on the organ donor register found 45% had good intentions to join but had not yet got round to it. Here Chris Rudge, National Clinical Director for Transplantation, and Sarah Springett, who donated her kidney to her boyfriend Paul Shepherd talk about why being on the register is so important.

DONATE LIFE ORGAN DONATION - LOCAL HOUSES OF WORSHIP UNITE IN SUPPORT OF ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION

Source: Reuters Click on link to read full story

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 30, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Members of faith-based communities across the state will recognize the most precious gift of life-saving efforts -- through organ and tissue donations during National Donor Sabbath weekend. This three-day inclusive observance, which occurs annually during the second weekend of November, is a special time for religious leaders to educate their congregations about the importance of organ and tissue donation and the critical need for more donors.  "National Donor Sabbath presents an ideal opportunity for individuals to learn how their religion supports organ donation and to make the spiritual decision to help save lives," said Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) president and CEO Susan A. Stuart. "We urge residents to talk to their respective religious leaders and consider making the decision to become an organ and tissue donor."  Donate Life Pennsylvania brings together religious and transplant communities during this weekend to dispel fears about the perception of the incompatibility of religious beliefs and organ donation. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and National Donate Life America, every organized religion views organ and tissue donation as a positive expression of faith.  Nationally, more than 28,000 people received an organ transplant in 2008, thanks to the gifts of over 14,200 donors. However, nearly 104,000 citizens across the country still wait for a transplant. In October 2007, 97,678 individuals designated themselves as organ and tissue donors in Pennsylvania. Within a year, that number increased to 104,980 registered donors.  "Each day 18 people die because of the shortage of available organs for transplant," said Howard M. Nathan, Gift of Life's (GOL) president and CEO. "Every 11 minutes, a new name is added to the national organ waiting list. Yet less than 50 percent of eligible Pennsylvanians are designated organ and tissue donors. With faith-based organizations across the state joining together, we believe we can help people understand the importance of donation and that their religion does support such a decision."  National Donor Sabbath, which is endorsed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is now in its 14th year of promoting the interfaith celebration of life and the importance of organ and tissue donation. To sign up to be an organ and tissue donor or to receive more information about religious perspectives on donation, visit www.donatelife-pa.org. 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS - AUSTRALIA - LACHY THE FACE OF DONATE LIFE

HIS life was saved by an anonymous liver donor and now Lachlan Wallis has a role showing people the importance of telling loved ones they want to donate their organs.
Last weekend, the Wakerley boy was made the national face of DonateLife, encouraging others to become a DonateLife Family one that discusses and knows each other’s wishes about organ donation.
Lachlan and his parents, Lisa and David, and brother Mitchell flew to Canberra on the weekend to meet Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, himself the recipient of an aortic valve transplant.
``It was a really special day there were only about 20 of us and the Prime Minister made us feel like we were at a backyard barbecue,’’ Mrs Wallis said. ``Lachy and the Prime Minister showed each other their scars and had a good chat.’’
Australian Organ and Tissue Authority national medical director Gerry O’Callaghan urged families to become a DonateLife Family, the first of which is the Prime Minister’s.
``Thirty-five per cent of Australians have not discussed organ donation with their family or partner and we know that families who know their loved one’s wishes are highly likely to uphold them,’’ Dr O’Callaghan said.
``When families are approached (to consider organ donation after a loved one has died) only 56 per cent consent to donation.’’
Look out for Lachlan in his ambassador role on billboards, buses and trains around Brisbane. To become a DonateLife Family, visithttp://www.donatelife.gov.au.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS - AUSTRALIA PRIME MINISTER, KEVIN RUDD PROMOTES ORGAN DONATION

The Prime Minister's family has become the first in Australia to join a new program that encourages families to discuss organ and tissue donation.

'We have made the decision because we know the importance of knowing each other's wishes about organ donation,' Kevin Rudd said at The Lodge on Sunday.

It was important for Australians to know that family consent was always sought before organ donation could proceed, he said.

'We can save many more Australian lives if we make sure families talk about the decision to donate life through organ and tissue donation,' Mr Rudd said.

The DonateLife Family program encourages Australians to find out the facts about organ and tissue donation and make an informed decision.

Although nine out of 10 Australians support the notion of organ donation, family consent is given in just 56 per cent of cases.

'Our organ donation rate has been static for the past decade at around 200 organ donors per year,' said Karen Murphy, chief executive of the new Australian Organ and Tissue Authority.

"THREE RIVERS' HANDLES ORGAN DONATION ISSUES WITH CARE - LA TIMES, NOVEMBER 12, 2009

The LA Times story appearing today is very rare in that it recognizes "Three Rivers" for its accuracy in portrayal of organ donation in this TV drama. Donate Life Hollywood campaign Director Tenaya Wallace and the clinical staff at OneLegacy serves as consultants to the show producers to help make the presentation of donation and transplantation as accurate and inspiring as possible. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to those from Donate Life Hollywood.

Former addicts are allowed to qualify for a new heart after getting clean -- and cocaine use can indeed harm the ticker.

By Marc SiegelThe Unreal World

November 2, 2009

"Three Rivers", CBS, Sunday, Oct. 18, 9 p.m.

Episode: "Good Intentions"

The premise

Teenage alcohol and drug abuser Scott Becker (Shiloh Fernandez) has been admitted to Three Rivers Regional Medical Center, a top transplant center in Pittsburgh. Scott has severe heart failure, caused by an enlargement of the heart (known as cardiomegaly). Specifically, he has dilated heart chambers and a "regional wall abnormality" that prevents the heart from pumping properly. A cardiac angiogram has revealed that he has normal coronary arteries. Because Scott has not used drugs in six months, Dr. Andy Yablonski (Alex O'Loughlin), the head transplant surgeon, is able to persuade a transplant committee to ask the United Network for Organ Sharing to put Scott on the list for heart transplant. The day that Scott is added to the list, a compatible heart donor is found in Portland, Maine. The transplant coordinators fly to Maine to receive the heart, but Scott becomes anxious and disappears, feeling he doesn't deserve the heart. Andy tries to find him before the heart arrives.

The medical questions

Can cocaine cause a heart attack and severe heart failure? If so, could the attack damage one wall of the heart without affecting the coronary arteries that supply the heart? Would such a patient be a candidate for heart transplant if he had successfully quit taking illegal drugs? Would his own coronaries be used or would they be supplied by the donor? Could he go to the front of the list so quickly?

The reality

Cocaine can cause heart attacks and heart failure, but usually does so by prematurely clogging the coronary arteries, says Dr. Sandeep Jauhar, director of the Heart Failure Program at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. More rarely, he says, it can lead to a heart attack by causing the arteries to spasm.

Dr. Jignesh Patel, associate medical director of the UCLA Heart Transplant Program, says such a spasm can lead to damage of particular walls of the heart (regional wall abnormalities).

Drug addicts could be eligible for heart transplant, Patel says, but -- as with all transplant candidates -- would need to pass both psychiatric and social work evaluations. They also would generally have to successfully complete a rehab program and demonstrate by random toxicology screens -- at least six months of abstinence, he adds.

Of note, the show accurately suggests that Yablonski's opinion alone wouldn't be sufficient to get a candidate on the organ wait list; a transplant committee's approval would be required.

As for those arteries, they're transplanted along with the donor heart, so the fact that Scott's are healthy wouldn't be a factor.

Very sick patients may be priority listed for transplant (status 1A), Patel says, but to justify this status, the patient would have to be very unstable and likely maintained on a constant IV infusion of drugs and subject to advanced heart monitoring.

On the show, that's the reality for Scott.

Siegel is an associate professor of medicine at New York University's School of Medicine. marc@doctorsiegel .com

The underlying message is to please register to and organ, eye & tissue donor. To do so in the state of California please visit Donate Life California.

To register to be a donor in your state please visit www.organdonor.gov

Please encourage all your friends, colleagues and family to watch the show. To download a "Three Rivers" flyer that you may email please click HERE.

THREE RIVERS - ALEX O'LOUGHLIN FREE FLYER - DOWNLOAD YOURS NOW!

Please help promote "Three Rivers" by downloading your FREE 8.5 X 11 inch flyer, in PDF format that you may print and distribute or mass email to all your family, friends and colleagues. It is important that as many people across the country and around the world to regularly follow this heartfelt TV series about organ donation as it points out on a weekly basis about the critical need for organ, eye & tissue donors through inspiring storylines. The show honors donor families and the tough decisions they often have to make and the fright experienced by those on the wait-list.

There are currently nearly 105,000 Americans on the transplant wait-list, daily 18 people die without receiving their life saving transplant. Will you help by registering to be an organ donor and by promoting "Three Rivers"?

To download your free copy (PDF) please click HERE.

To register to be an organ donor in your state please visit DonateLife.net

To register to be an organ donor in California, please visit Donate Life California

Which show should be saved? The networks are axing shows that are not performing or have not had a chance to perform and are giving full-season orders to those that are meeting expectation. There are several shows that are on the fence - and they could be either canceled or given a chance to find the audience to keep them alive. Which show do you think deserve to stay on?

VOTE HERE @ Star Pulse

DONATE LIFE - ONELEGACY PRESENTS IT'S FIRST ANNUAL GIVE THANKS GIVE LIFE GOSPELFEST A NIGHT OF TESTIMONY AND PRAISE - NOV 8TH

New Philadelphia AME host November 8th Gospelfest to launch "Give thanks, Give Life" campaign. Featured performers at the FREE event include Coko Clemons, Brent Jones and the T.P. Mobb, the New Philadelphia AME Choir under the direction of Shari Demby and special recognition to television shows "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC) and "The Young and the Restless" (CBS) for compelling storylines concerning organ & tissue donation. Los Angeles Sentinel Religious Editor Niele Anderson and Aundre Russell f KJLH FM will co-host the concert which will feature songs inspired by the life-saving experiences of organ and tissue donors and recipients.

Please join the Donate Life Community for this inspiring FREE event:

"Give thanks, Give Life"

GOSPELFEST

A Night of Testimony and Praise

6:00 PM

New Philadelphia AME Church

19100 S. Susana Road

Rancho Dominguez, CA

For more information call: 213.229.5672 or 213.250.ALOP

internaTIONAL ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - SERBIA - ORGAN DONOR CAMPAIGN STARTS

24 October 2009 | 12:37 | Source: Tanjug

BELGRADE -- Health Minister Tomica Milosavljević received British author Tony Parsons in Belgrade on Friday at the start of Extend Life campaign. Parsons in Belgrade on Friday (Beta) Milosavljević pointed out that with his last book, Starting Over, which was published in Serbia by Laguna, Parsons had become part of the Serbian Extend Life campaign, which aimed to raise awareness about organ donation. Parsons said that life was the best present for anyone, stating that he was pleased he had become part of the Serbian Ministry of Health campaign. He remarked that the aim of the campaign should be to remove prejudice when it came to organ donation, because a heart does not have a race, passport or religion, and we are all the same under the skin, adding that organ donation was the most positive thing one human being could give to another. Milosavljević said that the Health Ministry, in cooperation with the Radio and Television of Serbia, had started a nationwide campaign, entitled Extend Life, to support the transplantation program, which was backed by Serbian President Boris Tadić and all the religious communities in the country. There are currently about 30,000 organ donor card holders in Serbia.

THREE RIVERS- REAL LIFE TRANSPLANT SURGEON DR. GONZO GONZALEZ-STAWINSKI WITH ALEX O'LOUGHLIN

Did you see the real-life Dr. Gonzo Gonzalez-Stawinski portraying himself this past Sunday on "Three Rivers"?

Before "Code Green", episode 4 of "Three Rivers" was broadcast this past Sunday, CBS2 New Central televised this segment with Alex O’Loughlin and Dr. Gonzo Gonzalez-Stawinski. Dr. Gonzo as we all know in the transplant community is a real life transplant surgeon from the Cleveland Clinic. In addition to Dr. Travis Stork, Dr. Gonzo also has a guest appearance in this past Sunday's episode, although he admits that he’d rather be performing in the OR than in front of the camera!

Source: Alexoloughlinrocks.com - thank you DEb!

The other day I was speaking with colleagues and we all expressed our disappointed in individuals in the donation and transplant community who are not supporting "Three Rivers" calling the show a "joke" and "not accurate" while forgetting the underlying message about the "gift of life" and the number of people transplant is able to save. We all agreed that the majority of viewers do not know all the clinical nuances and the show is the best thing the Donate Life community has going in making a positive impression to a diverse audience - in fact over 9 million Americans view the premiere show! So all you naysayers in our donation community, this one is on us - to make "Three Rivers" a success enabling the continued weekly broadcast and the positive message about donation and the critical need for organ donors to the general public. We must not let our cynicism forget the nearly 105,000 Americans on the transplant wait list. Please get behind the show and encourage people to watch "Three Rivers".

While you are at it, please encourage people to register to be a donor!

DAVID ST. ROMAIN PARTNERS WITH NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION -DONATES 100% "THATS LOVE" TO NKF AND ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS

"That's Love" Video and message from David below

Every day 19 people die while waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Approximately 104,278 people are waiting on a life saving organ and of those 81,908 are waiting on a kidney. That’s why Matchless Music Group artist and former Nashville Star contestant David St. Romain have announced a partnership with the National Kidney Foundation.

The National Kidney Foundation supports organ donation awareness because out of the 104,000 organs needed right now, 78% of those are kidneys. Last year more than 12,031 Americans became organ donors; one organ donor can save the lives of seven people and enhance over 50 plus lives. According to Teresa Davidson, Executive Director for the National Kidney Foundation of Middle Tennessee, “early detection can help prevent the progression of kidney disease to kidney failure. Once a person is in kidney failure they can survive through dialysis or a transplant.” 26 million American adults suffer from Chronic Kidney Disease or CKD and millions of others are at risk. High-risk groups include those with diabetes, hypertension and a family history of kidney disease.

As part of his effort to raise awareness for the National Kidney Foundation, David St. Romain and his record label Matchless Music Group will donate 100% of the profits from his debut single “That’s Love” to the National Kidney Foundation. This is a cause very important to David for many reasons. The idea for the song “That’s Love” came to him after a conversation with a near and dear friend of his who is awaiting a kidney transplant. This friend’s sister was willing to donate one of her kidneys so her sister would not have to wait for another donor, but during the testing it was revealed that she was born with only one kidney. Her sister is still waiting on a kidney.

“When I learned from my friend of the struggles she was going through waiting on a kidney transplant, it was imperative that I somehow help” says David St. Romain. “When I got together with the other writers of this song, I had just watched the movie Pay It Forward and I had just learned of my friend’s situation. The idea for the song became obvious to us; the idea of loving someone so much that you would give up something, anything to help them - unconditional love.”

You can help now by going to Itunes and purchasing “That’s Love” now!

Source: www.thatslove.org

To become an organ donor in your state, please click HERE

INTERNATIONAL ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - CANADA, BC-ORGAN DONOR AWARENESS EVENT AT CAFFE DIVANO

Organ Donor Awareness Event

Organ Donor Awareness Event. In support of Klahanie resident, Chris Kirby, who is currently on the waiting list of a heart transplant, we are hosting the BC Transplant Society in an effort to raise awareness about the need for people to sign up as organ donors.

Currently only 17% of British Columbians are registered organ donors which makes the wait for a compatible transplant a long process. Join us that weekend to get more information about organ donation, check to see if you are registered or take the opportunity to get registered.

We’re giving $1 lattes to everyone who signs up!

Visit Caffe Divano for more details.

Here’s the link to the Province article if you want any further details about Chris.

ILLINOIS STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN STATE-WIDE ORGAN DONOR REGISTRATION COMPETITION-NATIONAL DONATION CAMPUS CHALLENGE

Students participate in state-wide organ donor registration competition

Christina Bongabong News staff writer Contact me

October 15th, 2009

Text Size

Katie Olson (left), a masters student in higher education and a member of the Special Populations Student Health Concerns Committee, talks to Sergeant Brad Shock (right) of the University of Illinois Police as he fills out a form to become an organ donor on Wednesday afternoon. Olson and other members of her organization set up a table near the entrance of the Activities and Recreation Center to register organ donors because "Not everyone realizes the importance of registering."
Trevor Greene The Daily Illini

For the first time ever, the Special Populations unit of the McKinley Health Center is sponsoring an organ donor registration drive at the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) every Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m. until Nov. 11. The drive is part of Donate for Life Illinois' 2009 Campus Campaign.

Sixteen Illinois colleges are participating in the 2009 Campus Campaign, which challenges campuses to have as many people register to become organ donors as possible. The two schools that have the largest number of overall registrations and the largest percentage of student body registrations will be announced at the end of the competition, according to the Donate for Life Web site.

Although the Campus Campaign is a competition, no official prizes will be awarded. Every college's primary goal is to get as many people registered as possible, said Katie Olson, graduate assistant of the Special Populations Health Concerns Committee.

To read full story, please click HERE

NURSING STUDENTS ASSOCIATION AT SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY JOINS 2009 NATIONAL DONATION CAMPUS CHALLENGE!

NSA at SFSU joins the 2009 National Donation Campus Challenge!

Nursing Students Association at SF State is pleased to announce that we have joined the 2009 National Donation Campus Challenge campaign as a National Partner. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, the campaign brings together National Partners, organ and tissue donation organizations, and their “campus partners” – universities, colleges, and other post-secondary campuses – to help educate employees and campus communities on the importance of organ and tissue donation. The goal of the campaign is to register 60,000 new organ donor designations by November 30, 2009.

Why is this campaign so important? Because each day, 78 Americans receive a life-saving organ transplant, and thousands more benefit from cornea and tissue transplants. These extraordinary gifts have been generously donated by ordinary people of all ages and backgrounds who took just a few minutes in a busy day to indicate their decisions to become organ and tissue donors. But broader awareness of the need for organ donation is crucial, as more than 100,000 people are currently awaiting an organ transplant in the United States and each week, more than 100 people on the national transplant waiting list die because no organ is available.

As an element of our commitment to this important campaign, we urge you to learn more about organ and tissue donation, and to register your decision to be an organ and tissue donor.

Facts about organ, tissue and eye donation:

• Each organ donor can save up to 8 lives, and each tissue donor can enhance the quality of life for up to 50 people.
• The gift of life is ageless – anyone can sign up to be an organ donor, at any age.
• Most people are eligible to sign up on the donor registry – the medical criteria at the time of donation will determine eligibility.
• Cornea transplants have been successful for more than 100 years.
• Organ transplants have been successful for more than 50 years.

I invite you to join me in registering your generous decision to become an organ and tissue donor! To learn more about organ and tissue donation and to register your decision to be a donor, please visit www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org/SFSU

By taking a few minutes to register your decision to be an organ and tissue donor, you are ensuring that your desire to give this gift is officially recorded. The priceless treasure that you may someday give will be the gifts of life, sight, and mobility to another.

Thank you for your support!

John Minnett
President
Nursing Students Association at SF State

Donate Life Organ & Tissue Donation Blog hopes more university and colleges join the National Donation Campus Challenge. If you do, please let us know so that we may post your announcement and story.

To register to be a donor in your state please visit click HERE

iPHONE ALTRUISM FOR POTENTIAL ORGAN DONORS

October 26, 2009, 2:32 PM

iPhone Altruism for Potential Organ Donors

By FREAKONOMICS

Organ donation is one of the most altruistic things a person can do. And yet, as Chapter 3 of SuperFreakonomics spells out, relying on altruism for organ donations has proved to be largely unsuccessful. There are a lot of reasons people give for not signing up as organ donors. Often, they just fail to opt in because of laziness or forgetfulness. So Richard Thaler had an idea. Why not build an iPhone app to help people enlist as organ donors? That app, developed gratis, is available now. As to the question of our inherent level of altruism, which app do you predict will get more downloads over all: the one that helps people make a life-saving donation — or the one that helps them pick the right urinal?

Donate Life Organ & Tissue Donation Blog is interested in learning more from anyone with an iPhone about this app. Please submit your comments below.

In the meantime for those of us who are not iPhone owners, please do not forget to register to be an organ donor. To do so click HERE.

Source: The New York Times, Tuesday, October 27, 2009

ORGAN TRANSPLANTS - KIDNEYS FOR SALE - COMEDIAN -ACTOR DREW CAREY INVESTIGATES

Source: ReasonTV

Reason, the libertarian magazine, has put together a video hosted by comedian and libertarian advocate Drew Carey on the virtues of organ donation.

When we go to the doctor’s office for a checkup, most of us get annoyed if we have to thumb through old waiting-room magazines for a half-hour. Yet many people wait much longer for something much more important.

Sally Satel, a researcher at The American Enterprise Institute, waited for new life in the form of a kidney transplant, until an unexpected someone stepped forward. Since giving Sally her right kidney, Virginia Postrel, former editor ofReason, has thought a lot about how to increase the supply of kidneys for people like Christina Deleon. Like 81,000 other Americans, Christina has no living donor and has no choice but to endure dialysis and wait—she’s been on the list since 2003.

Postrel and UCLA’s Dr. Gabriel Danovitch take on some common misconceptions about kidney donation, but they disagree sharply on the most controversial proposal—paying people to donate kidneys.

Each year more than 3,000 Americans—a figure comparable to the death tolls from the 9/11 attacks—die waiting for kidneys. Is it time to legalize the sale of kidneys?

Drew Carey investigates what could be done to end the wait for people like Christina, and give them the freedom they deserve.

To register to be an organ donor in your state please click HERE

We are sure this is great fodder for a robust discussion on the topic so please comment using the "comment" link below - we look forward to hearing from you. freedom they deserve

DONATE LIFE MISSISSIPPI CAMPAIGN FEATURES LOCAL TV REPORTS

Great idea from our colleagues at Donate Life Mississippi using local personalities encouraging citizens to register to become organ, eye & tissue donors.

Kelly and her team at Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency built a campaign featuring local TV reporter personalities Maggie Wade and Barbie Bassett both in print and billboard advertising.

To register to be an organ donor in the state of Mississippi please visit Donate Life Mississippi.

To register to be an organ donor in your state please click HERE

THREE RIVERS-DR. YABLONSKI'S WIFE? - DR LEE - YO YO MA? - NOVEMBER 1, SHOW PREVIEW

"Three Rivers" episode 105 "Alone Together" will be televised on Sunday, November 1, 2009 9 pm PT/ 8 pm CT

Interesting tidbits: Dr Lee referred to as Yo Yo Ma? Dr. Yablonski's wife? You will need to tune in this coming Sunday to learn more.

I have been hearing from those professionals in the donation and transplant community that "Three Rivers" is a "joke" and "not accurate". They are nit picking the minute clinical errors in the show while glossing over the important core message of the show that there is a shortage of organs for transplant and over 104,000 Americans are waiting for a life saving organ transplant - 18 people die daily without receiving their life saving transplant.

For those of us in the field, sure, there are inaccuracies in the clinical portrayal. On the donation side Donate Life Hollywood has been working tirelessly to insure that the organ donation and transplant story line is as accurate as possible. But come on folks, for the general public they do not know what all the numbers mean on the monitors! It is more important that the message needs to get out there about donation - so get over yourselves and help promote the show so that more people are exposed to the donation and transplant message. Think about those on the transplant waiting list who are at the brink of death hanging on to every kernel of hope - hoping that a family who has watched "Three Rivers" or have heard about organ donation and the lives that can be saved, make the decision to donate life.

If you are so bothered by the clinical inaccuracies or if you find glaring errors in the portrayal of organ donation, please contact Donate Life Hollywood as they remain very close with the creator and writers of the show.

Please register to become an organ, eye & tissue donor; to learn how please click HERE

In California, register to be a donor by visiting Donate Life California.

DONATE LIFE - FAMILY MAINTAINS WALTER PAYTON'S LEGACY OF GIVING

SOURCE: Football News from a Chick

Walter Payton's daughter, Brittney, has become an advocate for organ donor awareness. Brittney, seen with her mother, Connie, at Walter Payton's funeral, organized a campaign to increased donor awareness among teenagers.

Walter Payton, a nine-time Pro Bowl player and Hall of Famer, played for the Chicago Bears from 1975-1987. On Nov. 1, 1999, at the age of 45, he died after battling a rare liver disease.

It's been a decade since liver disease did something defenders struggled to do and took down Walter Payton. Even so, No. 34 still looms large.

His son Jarrett has daily conversations with him "about what I'm doing and what I should be doing as a man, as a husband. I find myself talking to him every single day."

When he checks the time, it often just happens to be 34 minutes past the hour. His younger sister Brittney will notice a restaurant bill ending in 34 cents and figure it's just her dad's way of letting her know: "Hey, I'm around. I'm involved. I know what's going on."

Diagnosed with a rare liver disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and then cancer, Walter Payton remains a larger-than-life figure even as the 10th anniversary of his death approaches on Nov. 1.

His legacy is alive and well.

His family is keeping his fight to encourage organ donation going, and the latest initiative has them teaming with the Chicago Bears, cornerback Charles Tillman, Donate Life Illinois, and Astellas Pharma US, Inc. in the "Tackle the Shortage: Donate Life Challenge."

Their immediate goal: register 5,000 donors in Illinois by the end of the year.

Their long-term goal: eliminate the need for a transplant waiting list.

The Paytons and Tillman, whose baby daughter underwent a heart transplant a year ago, will be part of a news conference Monday at Halas Hall to publicize the effort, and the game against Cleveland on Nov. 1 will be dedicated to Walter Payton.

For Full story please visit Football News from a Chick

To register to be a donor in the State of Illinois and to keep Walter Payton's legacy alive, please visit Donate Life Illinois

To become a donor in your state please click HERE

THREE RIVERS ALEX O'LOUGHLIN - TEN THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW

Source: Zapit,com Kate O'Hare

You may know that Alex O'Loughlin, the star of CBS' organ-transplant medical drama "Three Rivers" (and the former star of CBS' "Moonlight") is from Australia, but here are a few more things you may not know about this tall, dark leading man.

1. He plays guitar.

"It's a hobby for me, but I'm never alone if there's a guitar there."

2. He can fish (and more).

"I'm a fisherman. I've always loved fishing. I grew up fishing for trout. I'm not the best fly fisherman, but I can fly-fish, because I crack a whip. I learned to crack a whip as a boy, out on the properties. I have skills, mad skills. Also I've been ocean fishing and river fishing."

3. He could try to fix your toilet.

"I worked for a plumber for three months or something, when I was in the tortured teenage years, as a part-time job. It was s***, pardon the pun. It was the worst job ever, so disgusting."

4. He can now tie surgical knots.

"I can actually do the knots. Gonzo (Dr. Gonzalo 'Gonzo' Gonzalez-Stawinski, the surgeon who inspired O'Loughlin's 'Three Rivers' character, Dr. Andy Jablosnki) showed me. I'm quite proficient with that, because I'm used to working with fishing line."

5. He can save you from a raging inferno.

"I put a bush fire out. I had to fight a bush fire when I was the property. It was one of the most incredible things, terrifying. We get them a lot in Australia."

6. He plays sports.

"Carol (series creator Carol Barbee) called me and said, 'What sport does Andy play?' I said, 'Rugby.' Rugby union is a more sophisticated game and a more civilized game. They call union the 'Lords' Game.' League is rougher. I never played in union. I also play a game called Aussie Rules (Football). It's a great game.

"You don't have to punch each other in the face anymore. It's all changed. It was part of the game. As boys, it's important to get punched and hit. Now you get severe penalties, and they bench you for six weeks. We called it 'getting to know each other.'"

7. He had troubles as a child.

"I had a bit of OCD as a kid, quite a bit, actually. I wouldn't step on a crack. It would take me an hour to get my shoes tied, because I had this weird OCD thing."

8. You want him to make you his special meatballs.

"Lots of fresh garlic, but -- it makes a difference -- the way you cut the garlic and the onion, the kind of onion you use. If it's just for me, I use lean beef. If it's for other people, I'll use Wagyu or Kobe."

9. He had interesting taste in TV as a kid.

"'A-Team,' hell, yeah, man - Murdock, Hannibal. Those were my favorite shows, 'The A-Team' and 'Monkey Magic,' which I bet none of you knows about. It was about these mythical characters: one was a monkey; one was a pig; one was a fish; one was a Buddha. They would travel over the countryside. They're all kung-fu masters. It's the great show."

10. And, yes, he can sing the "Monkey Magic" theme, and there's a dance to go with it. But he's not sure what he'd think of the show as an adult.

"It's probably s***. I haven't watched it in years. Now I'd watch it and go, 'It's terrible.' But I thought it was the greatest thing."

Please watch "Three Rivers" Sundays, CBS, 9 PM / 8 PM Central

Please register to be an organ, eye & tissue donor - as a Donate Life Ambassador, Alex O'Loughlin would want you to.

In California register @ Donate Life California

In other states click HERE

104,000 plus Americans waiting | 18 die every day | 120 added to list daily

INTERNATIONAL ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - UK - THE FLOE SINGER SARAH'S GIFT OF LIFE TO HER BOYFRIEND

A NORTH Essex singer who donated a kidney to her boyfriend is launching a campaign to raise awareness of the need for organ donors.

Singer-songwriter Sarah Springett lives with boyfriend, 31-year-old Paul Shepherd, in Kelvedon.

“I already feel like I have gained so much by donating my kidney to him. Releasing this single to support the Transplant Trust’s work and encouraging people to sign the NHS Organ Donor Register feels like the right thing to do.”

Sarah Springett

In 2004, Paul was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy, a condition in which the kidneys become damaged by a protein normally used to fight infection. He managed to live a relatively normal life for four years, but in early 2008, his condition deteriorated rapidly and he had to undergo regular dialysis.

Sarah, 28, made the decision to donate one of her kidneys to Paul, and on November 6 his life-saving operation went ahead at the Royal London Hospital. Doctors say the operation has been a complete success and both Sarah and Paul are now able to lead normal lives.

A year on from the operation, Sarah has decided to launch a personal campaign to raise awareness of organ donation and the need for more donors to come forward. Her efforts will be in support of the first UK-wide organ donation campaign, which is being launched by NHS Blood and Transplant in early November.

Her band, the Floe, will follow the launch of the campaign with the release of their debut single, called I Hope You Know, on November 9. Each single will prominently feature a link to an online organ registration form, and profits from the single will be donated to the Transplant Trust.

Sarah said: “Before Paul’s illness, organ donation had no reason to enter my life.

“It had never affected me and I had no reason to think it would. It was always someone else’s problem. It is with such a sense of relief and excitement I am able to throw myself back into my music, knowing that Paul is safe, healthy and back up and running. “I already feel like I have gained so much by donating my kidney to him. “Releasing this single to support the Transplant Trust’s work and encouraging people to sign the NHS Organ Donor Register feels like the right thing to do.”

You can hear Sarah talking about her experiences and her campaign by visiting www.ihopeyouknow.co.uk.

The site has a link to the NHS Organ Donor Register’s signup page and offers the chance to buy the single, and help raise money for the Transplant Trust.

To register as an organ donor visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 1232323.

NATIONAL DONATION CAMPUS CHALLENGE -"HOW TO BE A LIONSAVER 101" SET FOR OCTOBER 27, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

"How to Be a Lionsaver 101" Set for Oct. 27

(Posted: October 7, 2009) (Printable Version)

A group of students at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith would like for fellow students and community members to take action after attending “How to Be a Lionsaver 101,” slated for 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 27.

The event, which will be held at the fireplace in the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center, is designed to bring awareness to organ donation, according to Jonathon Walker of Van Buren, one of the members of the Chancellor’s Leadership Council. He and other CLC students — Caitlyn Sears of Alma and Marchelle Castleberry of Fort Smith — took on the awareness activity as a class project. The project, however, has Walker already making a decision for himself.

“Before we considered this project, I didn’t know the benefits of organ donation,” said Walker. “In a college atmosphere, students are getting out and making their own decisions. We want to give them the chance to make this decision, organ donation, for themselves. I’ve now made that decision myself.”

Walker said Fort Smith Major Ray Baker will kick off the event, which will include free pizza for the first 500. In attendance will be a representative from ARORA (Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency), as well as an individual who works with families of organ donors and a person who has received a transplant.

“He is an organ recipient and has a pretty compelling story,” said Walker. “We hope this will encourage people to sign a pledge card for organ donation. I know I will.”

Individuals who sign pledge cards will receive a free T-shirt, made possible by Cooper Clinic and Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

Those stopping by “How to Be a Lionsaver 101” will have the opportunity to visit with the ARORA representatives and with the organ recipient, eat pizza, drink Cokes and pick up some free items from ARORA. The pledge card can be carried by the person who signs it until time for driver’s license renewal. At that time, the donor’s organ donation decision will be added to the driver’s license.

For more information, contact Walker, by e-mail at jwalke03@uafortsmith.edu or by telephone at 479-353-5532, or Susan Devero in the chancellor’s office, sdevero@uafortsmith.edu or 479-788-752

INTERNATIONAL ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - CANADA-BIG TREK FOR ORGAN DONATION-7TH STEP BY STEP CAMPAIGN

George Marcello is embarking on a two-year-old journey across the Americas that will, he hopes, save thousands of lives.

The liver donation advocate, who received a life-saving transplant 14 years ago, is now taking the 7th Step By Step campaign on the road and visiting 277 cities in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean to spread awareness of organ donation.

"We're going through 36 countries," said Marcello, 54. "This will be an issue that most Democrats and Republicans can agree on, that all religions and colours will agree on. We want to bring organ donation to the forefront on two continents."

Beginning Oct. 23 in Alaska, Marcello will be travelling in an ambulance, being converted into a webcasting truck, which will show a live feed at sostheamericas.com of each city visited, with his final stop in Argentina on Oct. 24, 2011.

There are also large fundraising efforts for the trip, which will cost Marcello between $400,000 and $500,000. To get the campaign off the ground, Marcello said he has had to mortgage his west-end home.

"There are a lot of bills to pay," he said. "In order to get this started, I had to mortgage my house. That's how dedicated I am since I received that gift 14 years ago. I want to find ways to save that person on the waiting list."

Each stop will have student ambassadors who'll carry the "torch of life," which represents hope and love for those who require transplants, along a specific route.

The previous Step By Step campaign in 2007 lasted a year. One hundred students across Canada from St. John's to Yellowknife carried the "torch of life," which Pope Jean Paul II blessed in 2001.

"A lot of people were inspired," Marcello said. "When it's coming from a student, it has a more emotional effect on people."

Canada has more than 4,000 people on the waiting list for an organ transplant; the United States more than 90,000, Marcello said. And at least one Canadian dies each day while waiting for a transplant and almost every hour someone passes away in America.

One person can save several lives by donating two lungs, two kidneys, a heart, liver and pancreas.

Marcello will unveil the truck of life at a press conference at Queen's Park on Monday. For more information or to donate online, go to SOS THE AMERICAS

INTERNATIONAL ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - UK - STARS BACKING TRANSPLANT CAMPAIGN FESTIVAL

Source: Skynews, UK

The stars are rallying round a comedy and music festival in aid of transplant awareness after being inspired by the fight of a seriously ill woman.

Natalie Imbruglia and Ed Byrne will be appearing at Save Jess-tival

Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia, Mock The Week favourite Ed Byrne, Canadian comic Glenn Wool and The Yeah Yous are among the line-up at Save Jess-tival.

The stars have all been inspired to take part by the plight of 20-year-oldJessica Wales.

Her lungs have been ravaged by cystic fibrosis and she has been waiting for a double lung transplant for over four years.

Desperate to save Jess and the 8,000 people like her currently on the transplant waiting list, her friends launched a Twitter campaign to raise awareness of organ donation and the chronic lack of donors in the UK.

The campaign soon evolved into a live gig featuring some of Jess' celebrity supporters.

But because Jess is running out of time, the event has been organised at breakneck speed and is now taking place at the Village Underground, Shoreditch, on October 16.

Natalie Imbruglia, who is headlining the gig, said: "I met Jess in January 2008, at a charity event to raise money for research into cystic fibrosis.

Jessica Wales

"Jess had already been waiting for a double lung transplant for over two years and I was deeply moved by her story. I told her to let me know if there was ever anything I could do to help.

"She is now so ill and running out of time waiting for her transplant. I was delighted to be asked to take part in this gig in honour of her and to raise awareness of organ donation."

Proceeds from Save Jess-tival will go to organ donation charity Live Life Then Give Life.

Chairman Emily Thackray said: "Jess works tirelessly to raise awareness about organ donation and fights hard to help the 8,000 other people like her who are in need of a transplant.

"It is Jess' incredible strength and heart-wrenching honesty that has inspired these fantastic celebrity guests to appear at Save Jess-tival. We just hope that Jess gets her call soon; the idea of losing her is heartbreaking."

To book tickets or for more information visit www.savejess.org.uk.

You can sign the organ donor register online atwww.organdonation.nhs.uk or by phoning 0300 123 23 23.

DONATE LIFE HOLLYWOOD - ORGAN DONOR ON "THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS"?

It’s true, says Donate Life Hollywood, a character on The Young and the Restless is soon to become an organ donor. Working to educate and help screen writers “get it right,” our colleagues at Donate Life Hollywood praise the PSA at the end of one of the episodes encouraging people to Donate Life as “well done.”

Stay tuned for more information!!!

Donate Life Hollywood has been working hard with screenwriters to insure that organ donation and transplantation is depicted accurately and to help dispel the myths and misconceptions on the donation process.

Please learn about organ, eye & tissue donation and register to be a donor.

In California please visit Donate Life California

In your state please click HERE

Please visit the Donate Life Hollywood Website to learn more about their good work.

ALEX O'LOUGHLIN TV GUIDE INTERVIEW ON 'THREE RIVERS"

Great interview by "Three Rivers" star Alex O'Loughlin on behind the scenes moments and personal thoughts.

Remember to encourage all to view "Three Rivers" as the stories are meant to inspire people to become organ, eye and tissue donors and to draw attention to the over 104,000 Americans on the US transplant wait list; 81,000 of whom are waiting for a kidney with an average wait time now between 7 to 10

To become a donor in California please visit Donate Life California

To become a donor in your state please click HERE

Preview for the Sunday, October 25th show may be found HERE

DONATE LIFE UTAH TO ATTEMPT GUINNESS WORLD RECORD THIS SATURDAY

The Guinness World Records Company has confirmed that it will recognize an attempt to set the record for “Most people to sign up as organ donors – 8 hours.” The record attempt is scheduled for this Saturday, October 24 at the Donate Life Utah 9K Race and .9K Walk.

The Race and Walk will be held in Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. For more information and to sign up for the race, visit the race site.

The National Kidney Research Fund and the Welsh Rugby Union in the U.K. set the current record for organ donors. The groups encouraged 145 people attending the Wales vs. Barbarians rugby match at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, to sign up to the organ donor register on May 31, 2003.

The idea for the World Record attempt is the brainchild of Ryan “Lawnmower Boy” Tripp who set a world record for the “most miles ridden on a lawnmower” at the age of 12 and at the age of 14 set another record for “the fastest time to mow the lawns of the State Capitols of all 50 States.” Tripp is the Executive Secretary and PR Coordinator for the Quest for the Gift of Life Foundation, the sponsor of the Donate Life Utah Campaign.

In an email to campaign staffers today, Tripp commented on his enthusiasm about the record attempt. “I am excited about the opportunity we have before us, as well as nervous about the responsibility to accomplish it,” he wrote.

The organ donor world record attempt this Saturday will cap off a 9 day sprint on college and university campuses to generate 9,000 organ donors in time for the “National Make a Difference Day” celebration.

ORANGE COUNTY CORONERS OFFICE NEW MURAL HIGHLIGHT CRUCIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CORONER'S OFFICE AND ONELEGACY

Source CBS 2, Los Angeles

CBS 2's Michele Gile reports on yesterday's unveiling of the "Working Together Saves Lives" mural at the Orange County (Southern California) Coroner's Office commemorating the extraordinary longtime partnership with OneLegacy, the Los Angeles area Donate Life organization.

There's an emotional story associated with the unveiling; Amber Vargus, a donor's daughter and Karen Athey recipient of Amber's mom's heart who's first meeting is depicted on the mural.

Please register to be an organ, eye & tissue donor by visiting Donate Life California

To register to be a donor in your state please click HERE

"THREE RIVERS" - ALEX O'LOUGHLIN - PREVIEW OF OCTOBER 25TH SHOW

Donate Life Organ & Tissue Donation Blog hoped you watch last nights "Three Rivers". As each week unfolds, the characters are being developed and the stories are becoming more personal - we personally believe the show is getting better from its abrupt and confusing premiere at episode 102 - things now seem to make more sense.

The important reason to watch "Three Rivers" is the underlying message about organ, eye & tissue donation and how it saves lives. The Donate Life community needs to reach out to those who have not seen the show and we should be encouraging them to watch. Remember there are over 104,000 Americans on the U.S. transplant wait-list, 81,000 of whom are waiting for a kidney with an average wait-list of >7-10 years; 18 people die everyday with out receiving their life saving transplant. So we continue to our CALL TO ACTION for everyone to use their social networking skills and promote the show to get weekly viewership higher.

Hope this little teaser for next weeks episode provided by our reader purpldy will keep you going until this coming Sunday.. please stop by purpdly youtube page and subscribe for the lastest that is Three Rivers and Alex O'loughlin.

Californians, to become a donor please visit Donate Life California.

To become a donor in your state, please click HERE

INTERNATIONAL ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - UK - JOURNALIST, ADRIAN SUDBURY, ORGAN DONATION CAMPAIGN GIVEN A BOOST

A dying journalist's wish to save lives by educating people about organ donation looks set to go nation-wide after a successful pilot project.

Leukaemia sufferer Adrian Sudbury, 27, from Sheffield, spent the final few months of his life campaigning to raise awareness of bone marrow donation.

A government-funded scheme has seen a group of volunteers, known as Adrian's Army, give talks to students. Schools Secretary Ed Balls said more cash would be given to the project.

The Huddersfield Examiner journalist was diagnosed with two types of leukaemia. A bone marrow transplant proved unsuccessful and doctors said the disease was terminal. He died in August 2008.

'Outstanding'

After meeting prime minister Gordon Brown three months before he died, Mr Sudbury secured funding for a pilot project which has run across South Yorkshire and Bristol.

The evaluation is that training these volunteers and getting them into schools is making a massive difference Schools Secretary Ed Balls

The scheme, started by The Anthony Nolan Trust and Mr Sudbury's family, aims to educate students aged 16 to 18 about bone marrow, blood and organ donation.

Already Adrian's Army have given presentations to more than 3,000 sixth form students.

A private firm has given funding to enable the campaign to carry on until next June but Mr Balls said he hoped government cash could enable the project to run nation-wide. Speaking at Barnsley College, where a presentation was being given by Mr Sudbury's father Keith to students, Mr Balls said: "It's been outstanding.

"When Adrian died tragically a year ago he said even in those final days before he died, 'please make sure that you let me in my death make a difference and save lives around the country'. "The evaluation is that training these volunteers and getting them into schools is making a massive difference.

"At the end of the day it really works so yes we will do this, we will make sure this happens around the country."

NATIONAL DONATION CAMPUS CHALLENGE -ORGAN DONATION CHAIN FORGED IN CALIFORNIA CENTRAL VALLEY STRETCHES TO 14 LIVES

By: Doug Caldwell October 14, 2009 Central Valley Business Times

A student at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton and his sister are spearheading a drive to get people to pledge that they will donate their organs for transplants.

Paul Amador, 24, and his sister Laura Amador, 27, of Stockton know first-hand what that can mean. Ms. Amador is the recipient of a new kidney, freeing her from dialysis. Her brother has donated one of his kidneys.

But not directly to his sister.

“What makes our case so unique is that my donor was altruistic – a man that I never met who just wanted to this very kind deed,” says Laura Amador. “I got his kidney; Paul’s kidney went on to another man.”

Ms. Amador’s new kidney is from a Clovis man, Max Zapata, who donated one of his healthy kidneys to anyone who needed it in a program set up by the University of California, San Francisco. Mr. Amador, a student at Delta who also works for BNSF Railway (NYSE: BNI), was not a match for his sister, but donated one of his healthy kidneys to the program, too.

Now, others touched by the two original donations have donated organs as well, leading to, by last week, 14 people having their lives changed through organ donation, Mr. Amador says.

The Amadors’ story and how Mr. Zapata’s gift touched off a chain reaction that has impacted lives nationwide is expected to be part of a report in November on the CBS Evening News, the brother and sister say.

“He’s a modest, down-to-earth guy,” Mr. Amador says after meeting and getting to know Mr. Zapata. “It’s just amazing there’s people out their who would donate a kidney to just anyone … just as long as it changes somebody’s life.”

The Stockton siblings have joined the non-profit organization Donate Life California to advocate the necessity of organ donation to save lives. Mr. Amador has founded a club at the college, “Dance for Donors,” to help educate the campus on the importance of organ and tissue donation and involve his college in the 2009 National Donation Campus Challenge, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources.

The efforts have resulted in nearly 300 people signing up with the California Department of Motor Vehicles organ donation pledge program, he says.

To be an organ donor in California please register at the DMV or visit Donate Life California.

To register to be a donor in your state please click HERE

DONATE LIFE NORTH CAROLINA - SGT. MICKEY HUTCHENS - AN ORGAN DONOR

WFMY NEWS 2, Winston-Salem, NC

Donate Life Organ & Tissue Donation Blog's tribute to a fallen law enforcement officer who continues to help others even in death. We extend our sincerest condolences and sympathy to the Hutchens Family.

Sgt. Mickey Hutchens died Monday night after nearly a week of fighting for his life.

Police Chief Scott Cunningham praised Sgt. Hutchens for giving his life to protect others.

And says he will continue to save lives long after he's gone.

"Mickey was an organ donor. And as we speak, a team of surgeons are removing vital organs so that others may live. Were he here now, Mickey would encourage everyone in this room and in our great city to be an organ donor," said Police Chief Scott Cunningham.

There are 3000 people waiting for transplants in north carolina. Right now there is also a shortage of donors.

There are two ways to sign up if you are interested. You can do it at the Department of Motor Vehicles when you get or renew your drivers license or through the organization Donate Life NC.

To be an organ donor in your state, please click HERE

NATIONAL DONATION CAMPUS CHALLENGE -DONATE LIFE SOUTH CAROLINA DUEL

ABC, COLUMBIA, South Carolina,

There is a little friendly competition off the field between the Gamecocks and Tigers. Before this year's big game, Donate Life South Carolina is trying to see who can get more fans to sign up on the organ donor registry. One USC professor has already given the gift of life to one of his colleagues. To see that story, click on the video player above.

And you can sign up to be an organ donor and vote for your favorite team, Carolina or Clemson, in the Donate Life Duel. Just go to every11minutes.org. The winner of the duel will be announced at the Carolina-Clemson game on November 28th. And if you're already an organ donor, you can still vote for your favorite team.

INTERNATIONAL ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - GERMANY " ORGAN DONATION - HIT BY A CAR"

Powerful TV ad for organ donation awareness out of Germany.

"Organ Donation - Hit by a Car"

DONOR NETWORK OF ARIZONA - COMMUNITY AWARENESS FOR ORGAN & TISSUE DONATION DURING NATIONAL DONOR SABBATH

Medicine, money and morality clash when St. Patricks Hospital transplant selection committee meets under extraordinary circumstances to debate who will be selected for a heart that is suddenly become available—a decision for both patients and program funding that can be literally a matter of life and death.

Waypoint will be in business partnership with Donor Network of Arizona creating increased community awareness for organ and tissue donations during National Donor Sabbath in November. There will be a talk back session with Donor Network of Arizona staff and qualified volunteers following each performance and opportunities for donor registration.

Performances:
Preview Thursday, November 5th @ 7:30:pm
Saturday/Sunday Matinees November 7th & 8th, 14th & 15th @ 2pm
Friends & Family Thursday, November 12th @7:30pm
Friday/Saturday Evenings, November 6th & 7th, 13th & 14th @ 7:30pm

INTERNATIONAL ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS - LEICESTERSHIRE, UK - ANNA'S TRANSPLANT GAVE HER NEW LIFE

Six months ago Anna Baker struggled to get up the hill home after taking her son to school. But thanks to a lung transplant, the 26-year-old, from Ashby, has the energy to run home.

She is now backing a campaign to increase the number of donors.

The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust is working on ways to persuade people to become donors. A task force has been set up to try and make it as easy as possible.

In the past five months, there have been three multi-organ donors in Leicester, resulting in one heart, two liver and six kidney transplants. Bone, corneas and heart valves have been used for a number of patients.

Anna was on the transplant list for 11 weeks. She had a rare blood vessel disorder and, in September last year, doctors told her she would die within two years unless she had a transplant. Anna said: "I was on the organ donor register before my operation but until I became ill I never realised how important it was. "I was lucky to have a common blood group. It is even more important for people with rare blood groups to be registered.

"Having my family life again is wonderful. I love being able to walk home from Bobby's school and still have the energy to shop, clean and cook."

Figures from NHS Blood and Transplant show more than 200 people in Leicestershire are waiting for transplants, though 40 are now too ill for surgery. Twenty-one people who have died in Leicester's hospitals since 2002 have donated organs.

Richard Power, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, said: "We have made significant progress in increasing donations.

"We will also do more to raise awareness."

It takes only one person to make a difference. If you have stories and photos of donation awareness campaigns please email them HERE, we would love to consider each story to be posted on the Donate Life Organ & Tissue Donation Blog

DONATE LIFE HOLLYWOOD "THE POWER OF TWO" THERE IS A MIRACLE IN EVERY BREATH - THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGAN DONATION & TRANSPLANTATION

Spearheaded by Academy Award nominated producer Marc Smolowitz, “The Power Of Two” will engage and inspire people around the world by conveying a fundamental truth: There is a miracle in every breath.

“The Power of Two” is a feature-length, character-driven documentary in production with international implications about the importance of organ donation and transplantation, Cystic Fibrosis awareness and related health causes. Inspired by the unique story of Anabel and Isabel Stenzel, half-Japanese identical twins who have endured a life long battle with the fatal genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis, the film will offer a comprehensive portrait of their personal struggles and their survival through miraculous double lung transplants, and tell the compelling stories of others whose lives have been impacted by Cystic Fibrosis and/or organ transplantation.

“The Power of Two” has a targeted premiere date of January 2011.

For more information about “The Power of Two” documentary in production, including a timeline and treatment, visit our ReelChanges page.

DONATE LIFE NEW ENGLAND - A QUICK, EASY WAT TO BECOME AN ORGAN DONOR

BOSTON (WBZ-CBS 38)

It's getting a lot easier to register to become an organ donor. You used to have to sign up, in person, at the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Now you can register with the simple click of a mouse at the RMV web site or brand new site called donatelifenewengland.org

Richard Luskin, President and CEO of the New England Organ Bank, said the site allows many more people to become a donor.

"This is a a way of making it easier to sign up between registrations or for people who do not have a license or for people who forgot to do it the last time they were at the registry to renew their license. It's a way to reach out across New England and it will affect all six New England states."

To register to be an organ donor in New England please visit Donate Life New England

To register to be an organ donor in your state please click HERE