Lauding Lopez

Pasadena Star-News | Patt Diroll

On Oct. 16, Grazia and Chad Brunochilli opened their Salon Passione, in Pasadena, to more than 200 guests for "Breakin' All the Rules: Wear White if You Like," a fundraiser for actor/comedian George Lopez's Foundation, which is devoted to increasing public awareness of kidney disease and organ donation. In 2005, Lopez received a new kidney, which was donated by his wife after he developed a genetic condition causing his kidneys to deteriorate.

The evening, which offered mini hair and make-up makeovers complete with a photo booth to document guests' new looks, raised $15,000 for the upcoming Family Weekend Camp at The Painted Turtle Camp at Lake Hughes, California.



Read more:http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_19229720#ixzz1cNFT4GDQ

Organ Donation - Are you in the know?, UK

Female First

Beverley Knight, Ricky Whittle and Pooja Shah are just a few of the celebrities backing NHS Blood and Transplant's (NHSBT) new campaign to urge more Black and Asian people to join the NHS Organ Donor Register, so that more lives can be saved.

Currently, nearly 24 per cent of patients awaiting organ transplants are from Black and Asian communities – 1,842 people - yet these communities account for less than 2 per cent of those who have signed up to the ODR.

Gifted artist Jane Dalton-Brown from London, was only 29 when she died in a tragic pedestrian accident after being hit by a truck. She fulfilled her beliefs when she donated her organs for transplant to help others after her death.

Her brother Lloyd, who agreed to donate his sister Jane’s organs, said: “Before her accident, Jane discussed with her friends what she would have wanted if the worst was to happen, so the decision to donate her organs was made easier. I know Jane would have been glad that her wish to donate was fulfilled because her organs helped transform the lives of five people with life-threatening conditions.

“It’s such a devastating time when you lose someone. It is so important that the Black community are aware of organ donation. Very few donate their organs even though there is such a long waiting list of patients desperately needing them.”

Alia Rashid, Specialist Nurse in Organ Donation, NHS Blood & Transplant, said: “It is vital that more Black and Asian people join the NHS Organ Donor Register. The message is quite simple – more Black and Asian patients will have the opportunity to receive a life-saving transplant if more people from those communities join the Register.

Read more: http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/health/Health-2176.html

A Match Made in Heaven

Wilmington News Journal | Andrea Chaffin

When Sabina resident Steve Pauley met his Ashley nearly a decade ago, she blew him off.

“He has a sarcastic sense of humor,” she explained. “He kept asking me when I was going to take him out, and I thought, ‘that’s not the way that works.’”

After countless phone calls went unreturned, Steve started to give up. Then, months later at a Kenny Chesney concert amid thousands, the two ran into each other. He quickly struck up a conversation, and she hugged him back.

“I call it love at second sight,” she giggled. Six years later, they got married.

She finally gave him her heart.

Two years after their wedding day, he gave her his kidney in return.

Read more: http://www.wnewsj.com/main.asp?SectionID=49&SubSectionID=156&ArticleID=193968

Woman gives gift of life to brother, teaches importance of love to family

The Monitor | Martha Hernandez

Photo: Delcia Lopez

McALLEN – Lydia Hernandez hadn’t seen her younger brother, Reynaldo Garza, for two days.

The last time she saw him, he was very ill, and both were on their way to an operating room at South Texas Transplant Center at McAllen Medical Center.

Two days later, her brother had a new chance at life.

The 59 year-old Brownsville woman donated one of her kidneys to her 57-year-old brother.

The first time they saw each other after the surgery was emotional. Lydia was sitting down, but had difficulty standing up. Reynaldo was already walking, but could not bend much.

His eyes were teary and full of love, appreciation and gratefulness toward his sister; hers were full of love and pride of her brother, who she now feels is almost like a third child. “I’m in pain, but I will overcome it. What calms it is that I am happy, because I was able to help my brother,” Lydia said in Spanish.

Read More: http://www.themonitor.com/news/mcallen-56137-transplant-.html

West Fargo girl died awaiting organs in 2004, helped increase rate of donation

InForum, Fargo, North Dakota | Patrick Springer

FARGO – Some believe Alexa Kersting, who died seven years ago while waiting for a double lung transplant, today probably would have survived long enough for the donated organs to arrive.

That’s because the rate of organ donation has risen significantly since the 14-year-old West Fargo girl’s death in 2004, organ donation and medical officials said Friday.

And Alexa’s tragic story, which has been highlighted locally and nationally, is credited with helping to make that happen.

The issue of donating organs and the need for transplant organs and tissues are once again in the spotlight. Eleni Wilson, a 17-year-old West Fargo girl, died unexpectedly this week of a brain aneurysm and became an organ donor.

Read more: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/338731/group/Life/

Bacterin Sponsors the 2012 Donate Life Rose Parade Float in Recognition of Donor Families

Brandenton Herald | PRNewswire

/PRNewswire/ -- Bacterin International Holdings, Inc. (NYSE Amex: BONE), a leader in the development of revolutionary bone graft material and antimicrobial coatings for medical applications, is sponsoring the 2012 Donate Life Rose Parade® Float entitled "...One More Day."

Bacterin and one of its procurement partners are sponsoring a donor family to attend the Rose Parade and will be recognized as one of the florographs that will be represented on the float.

Donate Life's ninth Rose Parade float entry carries 28 riders, 72 memorial 'florograph' portraits, and thousands of roses carrying personal messages of love, hope and remembrance. The float is designed to represent deceased organ, eye and tissue donors, living donors, and transplant recipients, reminding us all to make every day count and to increase donor awareness. The gift of donation can add years and quality of life to those in need of transplants.

"We are proud to be a contributing partner and are privileged this year to have one of our organ donor portraits included on the float," said Guy Cook, Bacterin chairman and CEO. "Given the addition of four new recovery partners in recent months, we have an extended need for increasing the outreach and support for our partners and the donor families. The Donate Life Rose Parade Float is an ideal platform for recognizing the selfless gift of donation, and we look forward to continuing our sponsorship."

The float is supported by 60 official partners from across the nation, including organ and tissue recovery organizations, tissue banks, state donor registries, transplant centers and affiliated organizations. The 123rd Rose Parade, themed "Just Imagine," will take place Monday, January 2, 2012 at 10:00 a.m., featuring majestic floral floats, high-stepping equestrian units and spirited marching bands.

Read more: http://www.bradenton.com/2011/10/28/3606932/bacterin-sponsors-the-2012-donate.html#ixzz1cDDrcljx

Organ donations give life

Taipei Times

Donating an organ is the best gift that a person could give and receive, more than 50 organ recipients and donor families agreed yesterday at a promotional event for organ donation.

Despite the growing awareness of the benefits of organ donation in recent years, there are still too few donors in Taiwan to meet the large demand, according to the Taiwan Organ Registry and Sharing Center, the event’s organizer.

As of yesterday, 182 donors had given organs this year, benefiting 591 recipients, but there are 7,836 people on the waiting list for various organs, according to the center’s statistics.

The center’s deputy CEO Liu Chia-chi (劉嘉琪) cautioned that because there are certain requirements that potential donors must meet, not everybody who signs an organ donation card could have their wish fulfilled.

The terminally ill, for example, might not be able to donate their organs because the organs could be contaminated from medical treatment or are no longer functional, she said.

“Most donors are those pronounced brain dead after being involved in car accidents,” she said, but these people are usually among those least likely to have given much thought to organ donation.

“We are urging families to consider accidental deaths and the possibility of donating organs while they are healthy, because no one knows when an accident could happen,” Liu added.

A 21-year-old heart recipient attending the event paid tribute to people who agree to donate organs and their families.

“I feel so blessed to be here today,” said Ho Sun, who received a heart transplant three years ago that saved his life.

“I cherish every minute of my life and often share my experience with friends to promote the concept of organ donation,” Ho said.

Police Bust Transplant Clinic, China

China Daily

Police in East China's Shandong province announced on Wednesday that they have crackedtwo illegal organ-transplant clinics, arresting 18 people involved.

The clinics in the Huaiyin district of Jinan, capital of Shandong, were raided on Sunday night asdoctors were preparing for a kidney transplant, said an official with the city's police bureau.

China bans organ transplants from living donors except for spouses, blood relatives andadopted family members. However, reports about illegal transplants indicate there appears tobe a large underground network profiting from the country's demand for donor organs.

Never Too Old to Donate a Kidney?

Newswise | Source: American Society of Nephrology

Shutterstock

Individuals over 70 years old can safely donate without risking their lives

Highlights
• Healthy individuals over 70 years old can safely donate a kidney.
• Kidneys from elderly donors do not last as long as those from younger living donors, but they last just as long as organs from younger deceased donors.
• Nearly 90,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a kidney transplant, and many will die before a suitable organ becomes available.

Newswise — Washington, DC (October 28, 2011) — People over age 70 years of age can safely donate a kidney, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results provide good news for patients who need a kidney but have limited options for donors; however, kidneys from these elderly donors do not last as long as those from younger living donors.

Because of a profound shortage in organs for transplantation, patients in need of a kidney face long waiting times and increased risks of dying. In response, patients are turning to older living donors. This brings up an important question: should there be an upper age limit for donation for the sake of both recipients’ and donors’ health?

To investigate, Jonathan Berger, MD, Dorry Segev, MD, PhD (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), and their colleagues studied 219 healthy adults over the age of 70 years who donated kidneys and compared them with healthy elderly individuals who were not organ donors. The researchers looked to see if these older donors put themselves at extra risk of death by donating and having one kidney versus having two. The team also wanted to know if a kidney from a living donor over 70 years of age was as good as other donor organs. To do so, they compared the kidney health of recipients of older donor kidneys to that of recipients of kidneys from younger donors and deceased donors.

Healthy individuals over 70 years old were no more likely to die within one, five, or 10 years after donating than healthy elderly individuals who were not organ donors; in fact, their death rates were lower. The organs from elderly donors did not last as long as those from younger living donors, but they lasted just as long as organs from younger deceased donors.

“It is important for individuals over 70 who want to donate a kidney to be aware that many have done so safely. Many older adults -- and even many physicians -- are not even aware that this occurs,” said Dr. Segev. “But it is important for transplant centers to continue to scrutinize all donor candidates, particularly older ones,” he added.

Study co-authors include Abimereki Muzaale, MD, Nathan James, Jacqueline Garonzik Wang, MD, Robert Montgomery, MD, DPhil, Allan Massie, and Erin Hall, MD (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine); and Mohammed Hoque (Stony Brook State University of New York).

Disclosures: The authors reported no financial disclosures.

The article, entitled “Living Kidney Donors Ages 70 and Older: Recipient and Donor Outcomes,” will appear online athttp://cjasn.asnjournals.org/ on October 28, 2011, doi:10.2215/CJN.04160511.

National Donor Sunday November 13 - Rev. Kimberly Copeland Preaching

Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Anthony Hawkins
202-331-1426

Metropolitan AME & The Links Observe National Donor Sunday
The Links Partner with Church To Stress Critical Organ Need Among Blacks

On Sunday, November 13, Metropolitan A.M.E. Church will observe National Donor Sabbath in a worship service designed to focus on and demystify organ and tissue donation and emphasize their critical need in the African American community. The church, known as the Cathedral of African Methodism, is located at 1518 M St., NW.

The Links, Incorporated will partner with Metropolitan in this observance called “Linkages to Life,” as part of their three-day celebration of the organization’s 65th anniversary.

“Our Savior Jesus Christ is quoted as saying, ‘I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.’” said the Rev. Ronald E. Braxton, senior pastor “The donation of healthy organs is an opportunity to enhance and make more abundant the life of another.”

Rev. Kimberly Copeland, a graduate of Spelman College and Princeton University, and who is currently pursuing a doctorate at Rutgers University, will preach at the 7:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. services. Rev. Copeland is a member of the Metro-Manhattan Chapter of The Links, Inc. and daughter of the national president.

Representatives from Medstar Health Transplant Centers at several area hospitals and Howard University’s Minority Organ and Tissue Transplantation Program are expected to participate and information for screening will be provided.

Angled parking is available on M Street between 15th and 16th and free garage parking is available in the National Education Association garage directly across from the church and in the PMI Lot on M St. on the right between 16th and 17th Streets.

Kidney Broker Said to Use Johns Hopkins in Organ-Traffic Case

Bloomberg Businessweek | David Glovin, David Voreacos, Michael Smith

WE ARE INSISTING THAT THE UNITED NETWORK FOR ORGAN SHARING (UNOS) INVESTIGATES THESE ALLEGATIONS OF U.S. TRANSPLANT CENTERS PERFORMING TRANSPLANT SURGERIES UTILIZING BLACK MARKET KIDNEYS AS IT IS ILLEGAL TO BUY OR SELL ORGANS IN THE UNITED STATES AS THIS UNDERMINES THE INTEGRITY OF OUR DONATION AND TRANSPLANT SYSTEM.

An Israeli man who brokered black- market sales of human kidneys in the U.S. arranged transplant surgeries at medical centers, including Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, according to five people familiar with the case.

Levy Izhak Rosenbaum, 60, pleaded guilty yesterday to three counts of organ trafficking and one count of conspiracy, becoming the first person convicted in the U.S. of organ trafficking. A 1984 U.S. law bans the sale of human organs.

He said in federal court in Trenton, New Jersey, that three ailing people paid him a total $410,000 to arrange the sale of kidneys from healthy donors, and an undercover FBI agent paid him $10,000.

Rosenbaum, who lives in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, was arrested in a July 2009 crackdown by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on money laundering and political corruption in New Jersey. After yesterday’s hearing, Rosenbaum’s lawyers depicted him as a lifesaver.

Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-28/kidney-broker-said-to-use-johns-hopkins-in-organ-traffic-case.html

Double Lung Transplant Recipient Rachel Wakefield Dies

BBC News Manchester

A 23-year-old lung transplant patient from Manchester, who campaigned to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation, has died.

Rachael Wakefield had been ill from the age of 13, with a rare condition called interstitial lung disease.

Eighteen months ago she had a double lung transplant, but had recently been in and out of hospital. During her life she encouraged thousands of people to sign up to the organ donor register.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-15482024

Donor dads are meeting in Toronto

The Star | Barbara Turnbull

Two fathers who live worlds apart — one in the West Bank, the other in California — are meeting in Toronto for the first time this weekend.

The lives of Ismael Khatib, 45, a mechanic, and Reg Green, 82, a journalist, couldn’t be more different. And yet they are bound by a life-altering experience. They both lost their young sons to a gunman’s bullets. And they both allowed their dying children’s organs and tissue to be harvested for transplants.

As a result of two violent deaths — and the generosity of two grieving families — 11 lives were saved. Another two people regained their sight.

Read more: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1077157

Three deaths save 15 lives, Greece

ekathimerini

In the last 48 hour, 15 lives have been saved thanks to the relatives of three people who died in intensive care units around Greece agreeing to donate their loved ones’ organs, hospital officials said on Thursday.

The 15 patients were listed on the National Transplant Organization’s (EOM) waiting list and were notified that organs had become available after the death of a 26-year-old woman in Iraklio, Crete, a 53-year-old woman in Thessaloniki and a 29-year-old woman in Athens.

Read more: http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_27/10/2011_412257

Circle of Life Bike Tour visits Briarhill Middle School

Allen Publishing | Mark Miller

Lunch time was about far more than just eating for approximately 100 Briarhill Middle School students Oct. 7.

They learned something not likely taught in their reading, writing and arithmetic classes but potentially much more important. It was a subject they could talk about with their parents and use to help save peoples’ lives.

These students took part in a visit by the 14th annual Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour which was on its way to a special event that afternoon in Lewisville.

Coordinated by Debbie Mabry, marrow donor program manager at Temple’s Scott & White Hospital, the tour annually seeks to raise awareness of life-saving blood, tissue and organ donations.

This year, 11 non-professional bicycle riders, most of whose lives have been personally touched by organ donations, were joined by a support team on a 600-mile trek from Beaumont to Tyler. The eight-day tour featured additional special events in College Station, San Antonio, San Marcos, Waco and Lewisville.

Read more: http://www.thenewsconnection.com/article/Highland_Village_TNC/News/Circle_of_Life_Bike_Tour_visits_Briarhill_Middle_School/34836

"The Power of Two": Movie Takes Up Organ Transplant Challenge

The Wall Street Journal | Andrew Monahan

A year after implementation of a law aiming to make organ transplants easier in Japan, a film in the ongoing Tokyo International Film Festival highlights the challenges many Japanese in need still face. “The Power of Two” is a documentary about twin sisters saved through lung transplants from death by cystic fibrosis, a genetic lung disease.

Anabel Stenzel and Isabel Stenzel Byrnes (simply Ana and Isa in the movie), Americans with a Japanese mom, use the gift of new life their donors gave them to help others who need transplants in Japan and elsewhere. Director Marc Smolowitz captures their grace, gratitude and compassion, in a story that goes beyond advocacy to convey a sense of wonder at the bonds people can share. “Every joy I have, every sorrow I have, he’s part of that journey,” Isa says about the young man whose lungs she received. The positive portrayal of organ transplantation, in this documentary shot in both the U.S. and Japan that had its international premiere at the film festival this week, provides Japanese audiences a respite from some darker news on the subject.
Read more and watch theatrical trailer: http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/10/28/the-power-of-two-movie-takes-up-organ-transplant-challenge/

Levy Izhak Rosenbaum Pleads Guilty to Selling Black Market Kidneys

Huffington Post | Samantha Henry & David Porter

TRENTON, N.J. — A New York man pleaded guilty Thursday to what experts said was the first ever proven case of black-market organ trafficking in the United States.

Levy Izhak Rosenbaum admitted in federal court in Trenton that he had brokered three illegal kidney transplants for New Jersey-based customers in exchange for payments of $120,000 or more. He also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to broker an illegal kidney sale.

His attorneys, Ronald Kleinberg and Richard Finkel, said in a statement that their client had performed a life-saving service for desperately ill people who had been languishing on official transplant waiting lists.

"The transplants were successful and the donors and recipients are now leading full and healthy lives," the statement said. "In fact, because of the transplants and for the first time in many years, the recipients are no longer burdened by the medical and substantial health dangers associated with dialysis and kidney failure."

The lawyers added that Rosenbaum had never solicited clients, but that recipients had sought him out, and that the donors he arranged to give up kidneys were fully aware of what they were doing. The money involved, they argued, was for expenses associated with the procedures, which they claim were performed in prestigious American hospitals by experienced surgeons and transplant experts. The lawyers did not name the hospitals involved, nor are they named in court documents.

Prosecutors argued that Rosenbaum was fully aware he was running an illicit and profitable operation – buying organs from vulnerable people in Israel for $10,000, and selling them to desperate, wealthy American patients.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/levy-izhak-rosenbaum-plea_n_1035624.html

University observes Donate Life Week

The Bona Venture | Samantha Berkhead

The St. Bonaventure community celebrated Donate Life Week last week with a number of activities and initiatives intended to raise awareness throughout the student body.

SIFE Healthcare sponsored several of the activities, which included guest speakers and informational sessions.

Philosophy professor Roderick Hughes, Ph.D., gave the week's keynote speech. After taking leave from teaching due to heart problems last semester, he underwent surgery to get a special device in his heart that gives him extra time while he waits for a heart donor.

Read more: http://www.thebv.org/news/university-observes-donate-life-week-1.2670673#.TqqynmDA1RE

An Unexpected Second Chance

LifeLine of Ohio | Afatamah McNair

It started with itching on the palms of my hands and the bottoms of my feet. This strange sensation led me to believe I was having some sort of reaction to pesticides. I went to my doctor and was stunned to learn that the itching was a symptom of an auto-immune disease.

As a result of this condition, my liver was failing and I would need a transplant to survive.

I never had any signs of illness or problems that would make me think I had such a serious disease. It was so unexpected. My doctors told me my liver was completely shot and I had been sick for awhile without realizing it.

Read more: http://www.lifelineofohio.org/2011/10/an-unexpected-second-chance/

Frum Jew Indicted for Brokering Human Kidney Sales

Crown Heights

Lawyers for a New York man who pleaded guilty Thursday in the first ever federal conviction for illegal organ trafficking say their client performed life-saving services for severely ill people.

Levy Izhak Rosenbaum admitted in a Trenton federal court to brokering three illegal kidney transplants for New Jersey-based customers in exchange for payments of $120,000 or more. He also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy count for brokering an illegal kidney sale.

Attorneys Ronald Kleinberg and Richard Finkel say Rosenbaum never solicited clients but agreed to help desperately ill people by finding them kidney donors.

The lawyers claim the surgeries occurred in prestigious American hospitals and were performed by experienced transplant experts. They did not name the hospitals.

They say the recipients are leading healthy lives thanks to Rosenbaum.

IT IS ILLEGAL TO BUY OR SELL ORGANS IN THE UNITED STATES. 

Wisconsin's Donor Registry List Surpasses 1 Million

UW Health

Madison, Wisconsin - Wisconsin's new, online donor system has reached more than 1 million members. The important milestone was announced Oct. 13 at a news conference by first lady Tonette Walker and officials of Donate Life Wisconsin.

"This is an enormous step toward helping the 1,800 people in Wisconsin who are now on the national waiting list for a transplant," Walker said. "Since the registry was launched in March 2010, we've seen hundreds of lives saved."

Before the registry, people expressed their wish to become an organ, tissue and eye donor by having an orange dot placed on their driver's license. Now, because of the online donor registry, people who apply for or renew their license or state ID can make the decision to become legally registered donors.

"The online donor registry does more than just empower you to make your decision known," said Jill Ellefson, executive director of the UW Health Organ Procurement Organization.

"It gives your loved ones peace of mind that the decision will be honored. We have worked with many donor families who were relieved to learn that their loved one had made their own donation
decision and authorized it on the registry."

There are still 3.5 million Wisconsin citizens - including many with orange dots - who are not yet legally registered donors. Ellefson strongly encourages everyone who authorized donation at the DMV prior to the launch of the online registry in March 2010 to register online at www.YesIWillWisconsin.com.

"Since Wisconsinites renew their licenses only once every eight years, there are many people who have orange dots but are not yet registered as organ donors," Ellefson said. "The online registry makes it easy for you to make this important decision official."

Individuals older than age 15½ who holds a driver's license or state identification card are eligible to register. Everyone who authorized donation at the DMV after March 29, 2010, was automatically entered into the online donor registry.

Ellefson said it's critically important that everyone who registers online also discuss their decision with family and friends. Registering is considered legal consent for donation and cannot be changed by anyone else with the exception of persons less than 18 years of age (legal next of kin may alter donation status for minors).

Online registries have been shown to save lives because they provide 24/7 access to individuals' decisions regarding organ, tissue and eye donation. That means donation professionals have immediate access to a person's donation decision and can share that information with the donor's family and work with them to honor that choice.

State on record pace for organ donations

1470 WFNT | Jason Cooper

Six months after Secretary of State Ruth Johnson launched her new campaign to sign up more organ donors, including a new policy directing branch office employees to ask customers if they would like to join the state’s organ donor registry, the number of sign-ups is soaring.

There have been 220, 201 new organ donor registrations since April 20, the day after Johnson directed the change. That represents an increase of 28% over the same period last year, when there were 171,764 sign-ups. Johnson said they “are encouraged by these improving numbers, which will save lives.”

Read more: http://wfnt.com/state-on-record-pace-for-organ-donations/

A recipient of 2 heart transplants, Compton has already achieved his goal by wrapping up '12 PGA Tour card

The Post and Courier | Tommy Braswell

Photo provided by Mike Saia

Erik Compton, who at 31 has had two heart 

transplants, will receive his 2012 PGA Tour 

card after this week’s Nationwide Tour Championship

 at Daniel Island.

The pressure is off Erik Compton this week. The 31-year-old former University of Georgia golfer knows he will be one of 25 players to receive PGA Tour playing privileges for 2012 after this week's Nationwide Tour Championship on Daniel Island.

But Compton's story has to be the most improbable of any of the 60 golfers participating in the season- ending event. Three years ago, Compton received his second heart transplant.

"Me being out here fighting and playing golf, that's sort of what my calling is, to be able to play the game at a high level with the physical ability I have," Compton said.

No one understands the need for organ donation better than Compton, whose commitment has earned him an even bigger platform next year when he will be promoting "Donate Life" and the "Transplant Foundation" on the PGA Tour.

A victim of cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease), Compton received his first heart transplant in 1992 at age 12. The heart came from a 15-year-old girl killed by a drunken driver.

Read more: http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/oct/27/following-his-heart/

Inside Bangladesh's organ bazaar

Global Posts | Sebastian Stranglo

In what is supposed to be a microfinance mecca, many go to extreme measures to pay off debts.

JOYPURHAT, Bangladesh — Mehdi Hasan’s scar runs in a wide arc from his waist to a point just beneath his rib-cage.

The jagged pink laceration still aches, the 23-year-old says, a daily reminder of the operation he underwent in the capital Dhaka five months ago, in the hopes of raising some quick cash.

In exchange for 60 percent of his liver, an illegal organ broker had promised him 300,000 taka ($3,960) — a royal sum in Bamongram, his small village of mud- brick homes and verdant rice paddies in Bangladesh’s northeast.

But when the broker failed to show up after the 10-hour operation, Hasan found himself stranded in Dhaka with nothing but mounting hospital bills and chronic pains in his chest and abdomen.

Read more: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/111024/bangladesh-dhaka-organ-trade-microfinance-grameen

Miracles and second chances

11 Alive | Jon Shirek

ATLANTA, -- Those who believe in miracles know miracles can happen anytime, any place -- always exactly when and where they're needed most.

"I was amazed, and I was so thankful," said the plumber with kidney failure, on dialysis, needing a kidney transplant, unable to find a match, and unable to put in a full day's work anymore.

"I work like five minutes, and rest. Ten minutes and rest. My whole day would consist of rest and work, rest and work," the plumber, Willie Middleton, said from his hospital bed Wednesday afternoon.

Read more: http://www.11alive.com/news/article/210595/40/Miracles-and-second-chances

Garden honors family of donors

The Times - Tribune | Meghan Davis

OLYPHANT - Ellie Nava's life changed in a flash when her left knee was shattered almost a year ago.

Always the person her large family counted on, Ms. Nava became the one reliant on them, as she was unable to do even the simplest of tasks such as getting dressed on her own.

After a successful surgery using donor tissue, Ms. Nava is now completely self-reliant. The donation, she said, allowed her to live again. "It changed my life."

Ms. Nava's story was a resounding one Wednesday afternoon outside the International Institute for the Advancement of Medicine and the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, 1175 Mid Valley Drive, Olyphant. The organization, which has become the largest tissue bank in the nation, dedicated a donor garden and butterfly bench at its Olyphant location to honor donor families as well as to remember those who donated their tissues.

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/garden-honors-family-of-donors-1.1224062#ixzz1bzPsYSwn

We fear all 3 of our kids have killer heart condition, Scotland

Evening Times | Caroline Wilson

WORRIED parents are waiting to find out if their three daughters are affected by a killer heart condition that has affected four other relatives.

Heather Murphy, 42, has been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, which killed her father.

Her teenage daughters Hannah, 17, Chloe, 15, and Katie, 14, are waiting for the results of tests for the condition, which is a disease of the heart muscle.

Heather’s father Kenny Jenkins, a former professional footballer who played for Dumbarton and Albion Rovers, died aged 62 after waiting months for a heart transplant.

Read more: http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/we-fear-all-3-of-our-kids-have-killer-heart-condition-1.1131530

Surgeons Successfully Regenerate Tissue-Engineered Small Intestine from Frozen Intestinal Cells

American College of Surgeons

Groundbreaking study marks the first time researchers are able to freeze organoid units and successfully implant at a later date

Newswise — SAN FRANCISCO—Surgeons at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles have conducted a study that could put regenerative tissue treatment for short bowel syndrome one step closer to the bedside. The researchers were able to successfully isolate and store organoid units and later generate tissue-engineered small intestine (TESI) in a mouse model. The groundbreaking results were presented at the 2011 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

During the study, surgeons extracted organoid units from the small intestines of young mice. Organoid units are multicellular clusters that contain epithelium, which lines the small intestine, and mesenchyme, which helps to form the connective tissue of the small intestine. After freezing the organoid units for eight weeks at minus 80 degrees Celsius, the researchers then implanted the organoid units into adult mice. The study was led by Allison L. Speer, MD, pediatric surgery research fellow at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles working in the laboratory of Tracy C. Grikscheit, MD, FACS.

Read more: http://www.newswise.com/articles/surgeons-successfully-regenerate-tissue-engineered-small-intestine-from-frozen-intestinal-cells

Time to Play

The Marietta Daily Journal | Sally Litchfield

In his eight years, Brody Cole made an impression on the lives of everyone he met. Even after his death, Brody’s dream remains alive.

Born Dec. 29, 2001, Brody was diagnosed soon after with mitochondrial disease, a genetic disorder that affects how food is converted into energy. He suffered complications including multiple organ system failure which required him to spend approximately 100 days out of every year at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite.

By 14 months old, Brody received all his nutrition intravenously. His mother, Kristi, said, “We never knew a life outside of IV lines and the hospital. To Brody, it was normal.”

Read more: The Marietta Daily Journal - Time to play

Organ donor opt-out "possible", Scotland

BBC News Scotland

The health secretary has said Scotland may change to an opt out system for organ donation.

Nicola Sturgeon has urged more people to register to help save lives.

Scotland's donor register rate is already higher than the UK average, with 37% of the population already signed up.

More than 600 people in Scotland are still waiting for a life-saving transplant.

Read more and watch video: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-15447267

'I had 12 weeks left to live. Look at me now', Scotland

Scotsman

Sangita Patel had been given just three months to live when she got a late-night telephone call informing her that a donor liver had become available for transplant.

The 31-year-old, who underwent the life-saving operation at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, said: “I never imagined my future. Now I want to enjoy every day and appreciate the simple things, like meeting up with family and friends, going out for a meal, just little things.”

Ms Patel, an IT recruitment specialist from Edinburgh, was one of Scotland’s donor recipients who attended the launch of the Scottish Government’s latest campaign to encourage people to sign up to the Organ Donor Register.

Read more: http://www.scotsman.com/news/health/i_had_12_weeks_left_to_live_look_at_me_now_1_1928902

Last time I nearly died...but I'd go abroad again to buy kidney to save me, UK

Evening Times | Caroline Wilson

A RESTAURATEUR who almost died after buying a kidney transplant abroad has backed the Evening Times’ campaign to launch an ‘opt out’ system of organ donation in Scotland.

Bobby Singh, 46, from Glasgow, believes an opt-out policy – where the default position is that everyone is a donor – would vastly increase his chances of receiving the life-saving kidney transplant he needs.

The father-of-three made the “desperate” decision to pay £22,000 for a transplant in Pakistan in 2005 after being on the register for five years.

Read more: http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/last-time-i-nearly-died-but-i-d-go-abroad-again-to-buy-kidney-to-save-me-1.1131300

Organ Transplantation: Children as Donors

Open PR | Health and Medicine

(openPR) - The field of organ transplantation is at its most poignant when a child dies in circumstances where he/she may be considered a potential donor. Undeniably the death of a child is one of the most distressing of bereavements as parents naturally expect to outlive their children. Marion J. Sibelink and colleagues (Medical Center Groningen/NL) analyzed key issues that needed to be resolved to enhance the probability of the best parental decision-making about paediatric organ donation.

The factors that appeared to contribute to a negative donation decision are the following:
- the short period of time from having a child in a good health to death

-unrealistic expectations of resuscitation
- no opportunity to see the deceased child and grieve over the death
- lack of knowledge about the donation process and no information about the procedure for an autopsy
- inappropriate timing of organ request
- insensitive request for organ donation that was perceived as an attack
- inappropriate approach by professionals who made the request
- no opportunity for discussions with family members
- parents´ need to keep the child whole and intact

Read more: http://www.openpr.com/news/197898/Organ-Transplantation-Children-as-Donors.html

Helen is back on her feet after transplant and wants more organ donors to sign up, UK

Paisley Daily Express | Lynn Jolly

A LIVER transplant survivor yesterday gave her support to a new campaign to encourage more people to sign up as organ donors.

Helen Lang, 51, from Johnstone, was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and left stunned when doctors said her liver had essentially “packed up” and her only chance of survival was a transplant.

Her life was saved by getting a liver transplant from an anonymous donor and her hard-hitting message to Paisley Daily Express readers is: “If you would be willing to take a transplant, you should be willing to donate.”

Read more: http://www.paisleydailyexpress.co.uk/renfrewshire-news/2011/10/26/helen-is-back-on-her-feet-after-transplant-and-wants-more-organ-donors-to-sign-up-87085-29658913/

Why I gave my kidney to a stranger

the Guardian | Homa Khaleeli

Luc Delauzun wanted to save a life, so he did it the only way he could – by donating one of his organs

I started giving blood regularly in my teens, and at the age of 25 became an organ donor. In a small way it made me feel I was helping people who needed it. Maybe I'm too easily swayed by NHS marketing, but when I read about "altruistic" kidney donation at the blood bank I thought it sounded like something I would like to do.

Altruistic donation, when a living donor gives one of their organs to a stranger, was legalised only in 2006. For the first 12 months no one came forward. Then between 2007-08 10 people did and in 2010-2011 there were 40 donations. So far 88 people have become altruistic donors.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/oct/24/i-gave-stranger-my-kidney

Twin Sisters Anabel and Isabel Talk About How Lung Transplants Saved Their Lives

SF Weekly Blog | Beth Hillman

​The Power Of Two, a documentary about twins who battle cystic fibrosis and have emerged as global advocates for organ donation, screens this week as part of the United Nations Association Film Festival. Recipients of double lung transplants, half-Japanese sisters Anabel Stenzel and Isabel Stenzel Byrnes spread awareness about the importance of organ donation throughout the United States and in Japan, where donation remains rare. We spoke with the Stenzels recently about their illness and their role as international educators.

Read more: http://blogs.sfweekly.com/exhibitionist/2011/10/twin_cystic_fibrosis_survivors.php

'Santa' gets kidney transplant

Rapid City Journal | Mary Garigan

Despite a kidney transplant on Oct. 18 that has left him feeling rather jolly, Jim Emery won't be ready to wrangle reindeer or resume his recurring role as Santa Claus in time for Christmas this year.

"Everything's going great," Emery said Tuesday from his hospital room at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls where transplant surgeon Dr. Thav Thambi and his team gave the 54-year-old Belle Fourche man a perfectly matched kidney one week ago.

Emery will be discharged from the hospital Wednesday, but he will spend the next five weeks in Sioux Falls for daily check-ups before returning to his home -- and his growing herd of five reindeer -- outside Belle Fourche sometime around Thanksgiving.

Read more: http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/communities/spearfish/santa-gets-kidney-transplant/article_478cdcec-ff80-11e0-bafb-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1btYAZ3pV

Mission to save lives

Camden Advertiser | Ilana Stilltano

A CHANCE meeting with a young girl in dire need of a double organ transplant has prompted a Harrington Park boy to encourage people to become organ donors.

Brody Harvey-Marks, 12, has organised an information evening at Cobbitty Public School next Thursday to raise awareness about Australia's low donation rates and the need for people to discuss registering as donors.

"You are 20 times more likely to have to receive an organ than donate one," Brody said.

Read more: http://www.camdenadvertiser.com.au/news/local/news/general/mission-to-save-lives/2336210.aspx

Today 3 people like Gail will die waiting for an organ donor . . it's time to opt for life, Scotland

Kidney Transplant Blog | Caroline Wilson

Gail Fleming died at the age of 38 of liver failure, leaving two young children without a mother.

SCOTLAND – By the time a transplant match was found, amid chronic shortages of donors across the UK, she was too ill for the operation which could have saved her life.

Gail’s family have backed an Evening Times campaign, launched today, to persuade the Scottish Government to launch an ‘opt out’ system of organ donation where everyone is automatically placed on the donor register.

It would mean that, unless people opted out, or relatives objected, hospitals would be allowed to use their organs for transplants.

Read more: http://www.kidneytransplantblog.com/?p=794

Ukraine becomes Europe's capital of organ trafficking

RT News

With Ukraine’s medical infrastructure and legislation making vital transplant organs hard to come by, the illegal trade in human organs is thriving as desperate people turn to the black market.

The authorities are struggling to bring the problem under control, but their room for maneuver is restricted by Ukrainian legislation on transplants.

Read more: http://rt.com/news/ukraine-illegal-transplant-organs-645/

Sturgeon open to organ donor 'opt-out' system, Scotland

BBC News Scotland

More Scots are being urged to sign up to donate their organs.
Scotland's donor register rate is higher than the UK average, with 37% of the population already signed up.

But Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said more than 600 people were still waiting for a life-saving transplant.

She said she was open to the idea of an opt-out system, where people would be automatically added to the register, but said hard ground work needed to be done before any change in the law.

Ms Sturgeon visited the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh to launch the latest campaign aimed at encouraging more people to become donors.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-15445083

Son, father both receive kidney-pancreas transplant

The Columbus Dispatch | Misti Crane

Moses Allen said he doesn’t care much about pain.

So the 36-year-old tattoo artist didn’t fear the kidney/pancreas transplant in 2007 that rescued him from dialysis and gave him back his strength.

His father, however, is wired a little differently.

“I said, ‘Man, I don’t want anyone opening me up like that,’ ” said 55-year-old Artis Allen, who, like his son, ended up on dialysis for damage caused by poorly controlled Type 1 diabetes.

Read more: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/10/25/son-father-both-have-kidney-pancreas-transplants.html

Family's pride after tragic dad Grant saves lives of six

Edinburgh Evening News | Sue Gyford

WHEN father of three Grant McCabe died suddenly of a brain haemorrhage at the age of 40, his family was devastated.

The floorlayer had collapsed at home in Armadale in West Lothian and was rushed to the Western General, but doctors were unable to save him.

However, the family’s grief turned to pride when they decided to follow his wishes and donate his organs – saving the lives of six people.

Now they are backing a new Scottish Government drive to get more people to sign the NHS Organ Donor Register.

His father, Brian, said: “I knew then that if my son needed an organ to survive we would have taken it with two hands so if any good could come of such a horrible situation, and he could help others live, we had to do it.

Read more: http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/health/family_s_pride_after_tragic_dad_grant_saves_lives_of_six_1_1928268

Surgery after surgery, he beat all odds

The Windsor Star | Craig Pearson

Two hearts and 16 more years

Scott Janisse was born three times in his short life.

The man with the tireless sense of humour defied the odds, thanks to two heart transplants.

But in the end, his latest heart simply could not keep pace with his spirit. He died of a heart attack at age 36 Saturday around 4: 15 p.m. at his parents' home.

"We had 16 extra years with him because of the families who donated," his mother Pat Pardy said Monday. "We feel wonderful for that."

Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/health/Surgery+after+surgery+beat+odds/5600793/story.html#ixzz1bo3wiv7n

Just one phone call could change Kyle's life

Evening Times, Scotland | Caroline Wilson

ONE day little Kyle Aitken hopes to get the phone call that could change his life.

The six-year-old has a rare condition that has left him with chronic kidney failure.

His family have been told that he will need a kidney transplant in around five years to give him the best chance of survival.

However, donor kidneys are in short supply.

Around 300 people across the UK die every year while waiting for a transplant.

Read more: http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/just-one-phone-call-could-change-kyle-s-life-1.1131073

Student declared brain-dead; organs to be donated

Napa Valley Register | Chantal M. Lovell

The 17-year-old Vintage High School senior who was the apparent victim of a mid-October hit-and-run was declared brain-dead Sunday.

Ramon Ramirez, a member of Vintage’s varsity soccer team, was scheduled to be taken off life support Monday night and his organs harvested for donation, Sheriff’s Capt. Tracey Stuart said Monday afternoon.

An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday morning to determine cause of death, Stuart said.

Read more: http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/student-declared-brain-dead-organs-to-be-donated/article_802029d2-fea0-11e0-b012-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1bo23jgci

BOOOOO! What Tricks, Treats Terrify You?

Huffington Post | Glenn D. Braunstein MD - Chair Dept. of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai

It's that time of year when little kids pull on masks and troll the neighborhood for candy, while adults overspend on costumes and thousands from all over Southern California flock to theme parks to have the daylights scared out of them.

It's the season of Halloween, or maybe Dia de Los Muertos, and besides carving pumpkins, loading up on mini-bags of peanut M&Ms and thinking lots about the dead, we also pause at this time of year to, sort of, celebrate our fears.

Thanatophobic? Plan for End-of-Life Care While Able, Healthy
When we're afraid of grave illness and death, we often react with denial. We see ourselves as spry centenarians, passing after cocktail hour and a delightful repast with our beloveds surrounding us on a tropical isle. The reality, far more often, is chronic illness, pain management, medical interventions and questions about where we live and who will care for us.

Speak candidly with your doctor and loved ones about creating an advance care directive, a document putting down your wishes on paper about how you want to live in the event of a serious injury or illness. Consider carefully what it would mean to be on a respirator or a feeding tube for a long period. Speak in simple terms about your limits for impairment of your body, mind and function. Draft the document, and then put it where it can be found easily in a time of need, a service offered by California's Advance Directive Registry.

It's not too early for adults of any age to plan for their death. Do you want to register as an organ donor, say, with Donate Life California? More than 21,000 Californians need organ transplants. An organ donation could save the lives of as many as eight people -- and tissue donation could help as many as 50 more.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glenn-d-braunstein-md/boooooooo-what-tricks-tre_b_1028664.html

The last, and lasting legacy of Steve Jobs

Union-Tribune Editorial Board - San Diego

It’s universally known that the late Steve Jobs, the master designer of the digital revolution, touched millions, possibly billions, of minds.

What’s not so well known is the role Jobs played in saving the lives of Californians.

By late 2008, Jobs’ pancreatic cancer had advanced to the point where his only hope was a liver transplant. In California that year, 3,400 patients were waiting for a donated liver; 671 received one.

As Jobs would later concede, he was lucky. He had the means to go to Tennessee where the supply/demand ratio was in his favor. By the end of ‘09, Jobs was back on top of the business world.

But the near-death experience concentrated the mind of the apolitical Jobs. He turned into a champion for the sickest people on earth.

Read more: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/oct/24/the-last-and-lasting-legacy-of-steve-jobs/

Donors, Transplant Recipients and Community Partners Celebrated at the 2011 Donate Life Family Fun Run

The Living Legacy Foundation | Lauren

On September 24, 2011, more than 1,000 runners and walkers joined together to participate in the third Donate Life Family Fun Run at Druid Hill Park in Baltimore. The Donate Life Family Fun Run is a non-competitive 5k run and 1k walk to raise awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation while benefiting The Living Legacy Foundation’s education and outreach efforts on the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. With the support of this year’s participants, the 2011 Donate Life Family Fun Run was the most successful event yet, raising more than $66,000.

Read more and see pictures from the event: http://livinglegacymd.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/donors-transplant-recipients-and-community-partners-celebrated-at-the-2011-donate-life-family-fun-run-2/

Piano Player on Glee Gives From his Heart for Donate Life

the Easy Lunch Blog | Kelly Lester

I recently had the pleasure of singing again with my friend – acclaimed composer, arranger and musical director – the wonderful Brad Ellis (also known as the Piano Player on Fox Tv’s Glee). Brad and I have appeared together before, but this time I learned something even more amazing about Brad, outside of his magical musical gifts.

Brad had flown back to Los Angeles, late, the night before our concert, having appeared at the Virginia Transplant Games. Not being a sports fan at all, I just figured he was in Virginia for some team sport like all the others I don’t care about follow.

But after our performance, he shared his story with me and I learned that this particular team was like no other. I am humbled and in awe of this very talented and generous man.
Now I know what really makes him tick:

Read more to learn what makes Brad tick:  http://www.easylunchboxes.com/blog/brad-ellis-piano-player-on-glee-gives-from-his-heart-for-donate-life/

Kidney Transplantation: Understanding the Match

Renal Support Network

Over the years many advancements have been made in how the matching of donor kidneys to recipients is determined. Dr. Rafael Villicana is Associate Director of Kidney Transplantation at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, California and explains blood type compatibility, antigen match and how antibodies tell if the kidney is suited for the recipient. Learn about blood type incompatibility, kidney swaps and what transplant doctors are looking for when they perform a cross match.

Listen to Podcast: http://rsnhope.org/programs/kidneytalkshows/Villicana_Rafael_100511.php

Texas Organ Sharing Alliance - Lights of Life Ceremony to honor donor families

Pop star Alexandria Burke breaks organ donor record, UK

Medway Messenger

Pop star Alexandra Burke threw her weight behind efforts to get more people signed up to the organ donor register ahead of the British Transplant Games in Medway next year.

She broke a Guinness World Record when she was joined on stage by campaigners Hope Milne and Abby Thackray, from Channel 4 show Battlefront,

The trio managed to add a staggering 321 names to the organ donor list in an hour.

The cause is close to Miss Burke’s heart because her mother is currently waiting for a kidney transplant.

The drive to increase the number of donors will take centre stage in Medway next year.

The Towns are hosting the Westfield Health British Transplant Games from August 23 to 26.

As well as encouraging people to sign up, the Games showcase and celebrate those who have benefited from donations

For more information, visit www.transplantsport.org.uk.