YOU HAVE THE POWER TO SAVE LIVES. PLEDGE AND REGISTER TODAY

Follow us to learn more about organ donation and our national efforts to raise awareness about the critical need for donated organs. We are finding inspiration in unexpected places.

BECAUSE ORGAN & TISSUE DONATION MATTERS

There are over 113,000 Americans waiting for a life-saving transplant. Registering takes only a few minutes. Please encourage your family, friends and colleagues to pledge the "gift of life" by signing up at your State's donor registry. Click HERE to learn how. Californians, please visit Donate Life California.

Our Pledge Life Memorial, "Celebrate Life...Remembrance". We are pledging to HONOR, remember and celebrate the lives of donors, transplant recipients, donation and transplant community members. Will you PLEDGE with us to do the same?
DL Life Logo April 27,2012 - - - - 113,953 AMERICANS ARE CANDIDATES ON THE UNOS TRANSPLANT WAIT LIST DL Life Logo 91,996 waiting for a kidney DL Life Logo 16,098 waiting for a liver DL Life Logo 1,269 waiting for a pancreasDL Life Logo 2,153 waiting for a Kidney-PancreasDL Life Logo 3,172 waiting for a heartDL Life Logo 1,632 waiting for a lungDL Life Logo 52 waiting for a heart-lungDL Life Logo 278 waiting for small bowelDL Life Logo One organ donor has the opportunity to save up to 8 lives DL Life Logo One tissue donor has the opportunity to save and -or enhance the lives of 50 or more individuals DL Life Logo You have the power to SAVE Lives by becoming an organ, eye and tissue donor, so what are you waiting for? To learn how to register click HEREDL Life Logo

Friday, December 17, 2010

S.A. teen on road to recovery after story helped find liver
by Sarah Forgany / KENS 5

video
SAN ANTONIO -- The family of a 13-year-old teen has new hope this Christmas.
KENS 5 first brought you Ricky Evans' story last Friday.
After the news report aired, Dr. Jose Almeda and Ricky's family say they were flooded with phone calls. Within 48 hours, Dr. Almeda says a family from out of state heard of Ricky's story and donated the liver.

Almeda says the response was so overwhelming that they were also able to secure backup donors from San Antonio.
Ricky remains at Christus Santa Rosa Children's hospital as he recovers in the Intensive Care Unit.
Almeda says the 13-year-old is responding to his liver transplant quickly.
"Ricky is not out of the woods yet, but he's heading that way," Almeda said.
Ricky received his transplant early Monday morning. Three weeks ago, Ricky went from being in perfectly good health to being in a coma for two weeks.
"He's here with us. He's here with everybody for Christmas. That's a big gift," said Rosemary Nunez, Ricky's mother.
"Thanks to the San Antonio community, thanks to KENS 5 and thanks to all the awareness, Ricky's life was saved," Almeda said.
Ricky's family members say they're also thankful to Almeda, who performed the operation on Ricky and did everything in his power to save Ricky.
Almeda says San Antonio has the only living donor liver transplant program in Texas at University Hospital.
"My goal is that no kid in Texas should die while they're waiting for an organ," Almeda said.
Almeda also said Ricky has also brought hope to other children who are in need of a liver.
The doctor told KENS 5 while there is usually a shortage of donors, they now have a list of potential donors who are ready to save more lives.
Almeda said there are about 20 more children currently in need of a liver at the hospital.
If you'd like more information on how to help, visitwww.universitytransplantcenter.com

0 COMMENTS: