Donor Alliance contact:
Jennifer Bailey 303-329-4747
Media contact:
Sarah Finley 303-320-7790
DOUGLAS COUNTY FAIR AND RODEO TEAM ROPER COMPETES WITH HEART
Heart Transplant Recipient Still Pursuing His Dream of Becoming a World Champion
Castle Rock—August 10, 2006—Despite a heart transplant, team roper Ryan Rochlitz and his roping partner, Grant Scheer, are on a roll. They finished third and first respectively at recent rodeos in Steamboat Springs and Riverton, WY. The ropers will be competing this Sunday at the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo in Castle Rock. The rodeo begins at 1:30 p.m.
While a community college student in Cheyenne on a rodeo scholarship, Rochlitz was diagnosed with Idiopathic Cardio Myopathy in the fall of 1997. Unlike many who wait years for a transplant, Ryan was fortunate to receive a heart just three weeks after going on the transplant waiting list at University Hospital in Denver.
“I was very fortunate to be able to get a heart transplant when I needed one, and I make it a point to tell folks to register to be organ and tissue donors whenever possible. There is a severe shortage of organs and tissue, and it’s critical that people register their decision,” Rochlitz said.
More than 1,600 people in Colorado and Wyoming are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. The public can sign-up to be an organ and tissue donor by visiting www.WyomingDonorRegistry.org or www.ColoradoDonorRegistry.org. In addition, motorists can register to become organ and tissue donors when applying for, or renewing, their driver’s license at Colorado and Wyoming Department of Motor Vehicles offices.
“We appreciate people like Ryan, who have overcome great obstacles and speak out about the need for people to say ‘yes’ to donation in Wyoming and Colorado,” said Sue Dunn, Donor Alliance president and CEO. Donor Alliance is the federally designated non-profit organ procurement organization serving Colorado and Wyoming.
“With close to 700 people added to the waiting list last year in Donor Alliance’s two state region, it is our duty to educate the public about this need and to encourage residents to take action by registering to be donors,” Dunn said.
About Donor Alliance
Donor Alliance is the federally designated non-profit organ procurement organization serving Colorado and most of Wyoming. As a recognized leader in facilitating the donation and recovery of transplantable organs and tissues, Donor Alliance’s primary objectives are to save and enhance the lives of others. To achieve these objectives, Donor Alliance employs an effective family approach and recovery programs in over 100 hospitals, and increases the awareness of the need for organ and tissue donation through public awareness and education campaigns in its service area. For more information, please visit DonorAlliance.org.
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