Cobertura Reciente en los Medios
Quick Organ and Tissue Transplant History
With the advances of science over recent years, it may be surprising to learn that the first successful organ transplant was in 1954. The first skin transplant was performed in 1869. That’s right! Organ and tissue donation and transplantation have been going on for over 150 years in the USA. Much has changed over the years of organ transplant history, so here are a few highlights.
Tissue Transplants Came First
Did you know that before we were able to transplant organs, the U.S. Navy established the first tissue bank in the USA in 1949? Although there are clinical records of tissue transplantation happening as far back as the 1800s, storage of transplantable tissues didn’t begin until the U.S. Navy Tissue Bank was created. Thanks to this advancement, tissues were able to be stored, saving and healing people when they needed a graft. Today, there are more than 120 accredited tissue banks across the USA who are continuously developing new processes for storing tissue. They are also creating innovative ways of saving and healing millions of people across the country and internationally.
Organ Transplant History: Living Donation Preceded Deceased Donation
The first successful kidney transplant was performed in Boston in 1954 when a living donor gave one of his kidneys to his identical twin brother. This was followed by kidney donations/transplants between fraternal twins and siblings who weren’t twins. Because of these pioneering transplants over 50 years ago, there have been more than 162,000 kidney transplants since 1988.* Almost 28% of these transplants continue to be between siblings. With more than 85% of candidates on the waiting list needing a kidney, living donation continues to be an important possibility for donation. Learn more about how to become a living donor.
Organ Transplant History: Deceased Donation Quickly Followed
Organ transplant history is not linear. The advent of deceased organ donation and transplant had some of its beginnings in Colorado. Successful organ recoveries from deceased donors began in 1962 with the first deceased donor kidney transplant in Boston. However, it wasn’t until 1967, when Dr. Thomas Starzl performed the first successful liver transplant at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. With deceased donors able to donate lifesaving organs to up to eight different individuals, deceased donation quickly overtook living donation in the number of transplants. In 2019, there were more than 32,000 transplants from deceased donors and just over 7,000 from living organ donors. Colorado’s four transplant centers continue to be among the most innovative in the field of transplantation.
Regulation Needed: Uniform Anatomical Gift Act Enacted
With all of this activity within the field of organ and tissue donation and transplantation, it was clear that laws needed to be established in order to govern the processes involved. In 1968, the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA) was enacted as a federal law in all 50 states. Since then, it has been revised twice and the current 2006 version has been adopted in both Colorado and Wyoming. The adoption of the UAGA:
- allows individuals to make an anatomical (or bodily) gift to be effective after death
- establishes donor registries (like signing up on the Donate Life Colorado or Wyoming donor registry) as a valid document of gift (official, sworn statement confirming the gift);
- makes registries first-person authorization, advance directives (like a will);
- creates a list of legal next of kin who may authorize for donation if the donor is not on the donor registry;
- prohibits trafficking in human organs for profit from donations for transplant or therapy.
Read the entire Colorado UAGA and Wyoming UAGA.
Where is your dot on the timeline?
With more than 826,000 organ transplants performed since 1988* and millions of tissue grafts transplanted, countless lives have been affected by the history of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. It doesn't matter whether you registered to be a donor the minute you got your driver permit or you were inspired to register yesterday! The simple act of saying Yes to donation and signing up to save lives anchors your spot in a unique community.
Check out these resources to learn more about organ transplant history, as well as that of tissue transplantation.
*up to date data can be found here: https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/view-data-reports/national-data/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3495391/#ref11
https://unos.org/transplant/history/
https://www.organdonor.gov/about/facts-terms/history.html
https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/learn/about-transplantation/history/
Ryan Harris, Super Bowl 50 Champion, Shares the Profound Impact Organ Donation has Had on His Family
Ryan Harris, Super Bowl 50 Champion, shared how organ donation has impacted his family and encouraged the community to consider signing up to be organ donors after death.
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A former Denver Bronco and practicing Muslim, Ryan Harris is passionate about educating the community on organ donation.[/caption]
My Father's Life was Saved by Organ Donation
My father has been a lifelong inspiration, supporting my dreams of being a professional athlete and Super Bowl champion – and he would not be here today if not for the generous gift of organ donation. Each year, during this month of gratitude, I make sure to take the time to reflect on how such an incredible act has profoundly impacted my entire family.
As a Muslim, this month is particularly meaningful because National Donor Sabbath is celebrated every year two weekends before Thanksgiving. National Donor Sabbath is a time for Colorado faith leaders, families of organ donors, transplant recipients and faith communities to come together to learn and share more about the lifesaving gift of donation and transplantation. I’ve been so inspired by seeing the impact that our donor hero had on my father, that I’ve become a passionate advocate for organ donation.
Coming Together to Celebrate National Donor Sabbath
All major faiths support organ donation, including the Islamic faith. Moreover, many faiths recognize organ donation as a selfless act of compassion and charity. Since many people often look to leaders in their faith for guidance on matters of both life and death. National Donor Sabbath gives faith communities the opportunity to share their views and join the conversation.
Organ Donation is Permissible within the Islamic Faith
I recently spoke with Dr. Omar Suleiman about the Islamic stance on donation and transplantation, and organ donation being permissible within the Islamic faith. I invite members of the Colorado community to share the facts of donation with your own faith community and encourage them to consider signing up to be an organ donor after death.
I Encourage all Colorado Residents to Say Yes to Organ Donation
In sharing the impact that a living donor has had on my father, and my family, I am hopeful that I can help inspire others. Coloradans interested in becoming living donors should contact their local transplant center for more information. I realize that not everyone can be a living organ donor, but I encourage all residents to say Yes to being an organ donor at the time of their death.
DonateLifeColorado.org is a great resource with the facts you need to make this informed decision about organ donation and to sign up to become a donor online. You can also sign up when obtaining or renewing your driver license or state ID at the driver license office.
Ryan Harris, Super Bowl 50 Champion & Muslim
Denver, CO
National DMV Appreciation Month: Celebrating Partners Making a Difference
September was National DMV Appreciation Month. Earlier this year, many driver license offices across the country were closed for COVID-19 safety reasons. To allow more time to recognize and support our DMV partners, Donate life America extended National DMV Appreciation Week to the entire month of September. We spent the month celebrating our Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and Driver License Office partners in Colorado and Driver Services partners in Wyoming. Their commitment to supporting our mission to save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation is vital in building the incredible amount of support we see in our region.
The Impact
The number of organ transplants in the U.S. has increased every year for seven years. This is a remarkable, lifesaving achievement. So much so that this month, Alex Azar of the Department of Health and Human Services sent a letter thanking DMV employees for their critical role in registering the American public to be organ donors.
Additionally, in 2019, Colorado once again earned the top spot in the nation for highest Donor Designation Rate (DDR). Wyoming also jumped to 3rd in the nation. These achievements simply wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the hard work, dedication and strong partnership between Donor Alliance and the team members at the DMV and Driver Services.
How We Celebrated (and YOU can too!)
We showed appreciation for Driver License partners by thanking the hard-working staff and leadership through local events and outreach. Here are some photos from our visits:
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We participated in a special podcast with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) to discuss driver licensing partners, Donate Life America and organ, eye and tissue donation. Check out the AAMVAcast here.
We're also very excited to have been a part of several award presentations celebrating the work of the remarkable DMV and Driver Services team members throughout the month.
Renee Krawiec, Deputy Program Manager, Wyoming Department of Transportation & Driver Services, was selected as the Donate Life America DMV Innovation Award winner both nationally and for AAMVA Region 4.
Renee championed the implementation of online education training on organ, eye and tissue donation for all Driver Services staff. Collaborating with Driver Services, Donor Alliance developed the new digital training module and achieved a 100% completion rate - showing the commitment of Wyoming Driver Services to understanding the facts of donation and transplantation and saving lives.
La Junta driver license manager, Christina Salas was awarded the Donate Life America Lifesaver Award for AAMVA Region IV.
Christina was presented the award in recognition of the positive changes she affected in her community. She went beyond her duties in helping raise awareness for donation and transplantation after the tragic death of a local teenager she had advised at the La Junta Driver License Office.
It’s Not Too Late to Show Your Appreciation, Too!
- Reach out to your local Driver License office and thank them! To find the location nearest you, click here for Colorado and here for Wyoming.
- Post a positive comment on their social media pages: Facebook- @ColoradoRevenue @WyomingDeptofTransportation (please mention Driver Services); twitter- @CO_Revenue
- Write a letter expressing your appreciation for all that they do! Share your connection to donation & transplantation with the staff. To find the address for the location nearest you, click here for Colorado and here for Wyoming.
Say Yes to organ, eye and tissue donation every time you renew or obtain your driver license or state ID. You can also sign up online anytime at DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.
Prevenir el Rechazo de Órganos y Tejidos
Uno de los últimos problemas que un paciente o su familia quieren preocuparse después de recibir un trasplante de órganos o tejidos es si el trasplante será rechazado. Sin embargo, es importante reconocer que el rechazo no es lo mismo que perder el órgano o tejido trasplantado, y las tasas de supervivencia de los órganos siguen mejorando. Sigue leyendo para obtener más información sobre el rechazo de trasplantes de órganos y tejidos, estadísticas de rechazo y cómo promover la tolerancia a los órganos y tejidos.
Estadísticas de rechazo de trasplantes de órganos y tejidos:
Cada sistema inmunológico reacciona de manera diferente a los órganos trasplantados, por lo que no hay una fórmula establecida para determinar si un órgano será rechazado por tu cuerpo o no. Sin embargo, continuamente se desarrollan nuevos medicamentos para reducir el riesgo de rechazo del trasplante en los pacientes. Con estos nuevos medicamentos, las tasas de rechazo son tan bajas como el 10-15 % de los pacientes y la supervivencia del órgano trasplantado a un año ha mejorado al 95%. En la actualidad, el rechazo del tejido es poco común.
Lee mas sobre las preguntas Frecuentes de la Donación aquí
¿Por qué ocurre el rechazo de órganos y tejidos?
El rechazo de órganos y tejidos ocurre porque el sistema inmunológico es capaz de reconocer los trasplantes como algo extraño al cuerpo. Normalmente, se perciben las entidades extrañas como amenazas, y en el caso de virus, bacterias o parásitos, ¡esto es algo bueno! Reconocer y destruir rápidamente la infección evita que se desarrollen síntomas graves.
En el caso de los trasplantes, debemos engañar al sistema inmunológico para que tolere un objeto extraño en el cuerpo. Es importante destacar que con cada trasplante, hay algún nivel de "rechazo" del sistema inmunológico, pero en la mayoría de los casos, el grado de rechazo no será clínicamente significativo. Aunque el rechazo de tejidos es bastante poco común, aún existe un bajo riesgo de rechazo en el caso de los trasplantes de órganos. Afortunadamente, hay muchas formas diferentes en que los equipos de atención médica y los pacientes pueden reducir el riesgo de rechazo tanto antes como después de un trasplante de órganos.
¿Cómo se Podemos Prevenir y Promover la Tolerancia Inmunológica de un Trasplante?
El rechazo de órganos puede clasificarse de dos maneras: rechazo agudo y rechazo crónico. El rechazo agudo generalmente ocurre al menos dentro del primer año después del trasplante, si ocurre. El rechazo crónico ocurre a lo largo de meses o años, llevando a la pérdida lenta de la función del órgano, generalmente sin culpa del paciente siempre y cuando se tome la medicación contra el rechazo de manera consistente.
- Para reducir las posibilidades de rechazo del trasplante y pérdida del mismo, se toman los siguientes pasos antes de que ocurra el trasplante:
- Asegurarse de que el receptor y el donante tengan tipos de sangre compatibles.
- Realizar pruebas genéticas para garantizar coincidencias compatibles entre el receptor y el donante.
En el caso de donantes vivos, se prefieren órganos de familiares.
Los siguientes pasos se pueden tomar después de que ocurra el trasplante:
Los resultados de laboratorio deben monitorearse con frecuencia durante el primer año después del trasplante.
- Se deben tomar consistentemente medicamentos contra el rechazo, según las indicaciones del equipo de trasplante.
- Se pueden recetar diferentes medicamentos para reducir los efectos secundarios adversos.
- Los receptores de órganos también deben ser educados sobre los posibles signos de rechazo del órgano y alertar a su proveedor de atención médica si experimentan alguno de los siguientes síntomas.
¿Interesado en más datos sobre la donación de órganos y tejidos?
¡Regístrate para recibir nuestro boletín bimestral utilizando el formulario haciendo click al formulario al pie de de esta pagina!
Fuentes:
Staff Spotlight: Colin Larkin
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Colin with his wife, Julie.[/caption]
We’re so proud to work with each and every one of our staff members here at Donor Alliance. In our Staff Spotlight, we like to take a minute to share who we are and why we work at Donor Alliance. In this month's staff spotlight, meet Colin Larkin, a Regional Donation Consultant based in Grand Junction. In that role, Colin partners with hospitals on the Western Slope to help facilitate the donation process through education and continued partnership.
This Month's Staff Spotlight is on Colin Larkin:
Name: Colin Larkin
Position: Regional Donation Consultant - Grand Junction
Years at Donor Alliance: 12 years
Tell us a little about your role with Donor Alliance: In my role as Regional Donation Consultant I have several responsibilities. I partner with hospitals on the Western Slope with respect to their role in the donation process. This relationship is developed through education and working with hospital staff to ensure that we maximize every donation opportunity. I also have been asked to speak about organ and tissue donation within the larger community. Often, I work with donor families in the local hospitals to help them honor their loved one’s decision to help others through donation.
What made you want to work for Donor Alliance? Prior to working for Donor Alliance, I participated in a hospital chaplain residency. In this role I was exposed to the great work of Donor Alliance. I was impressed by Donor Alliance’s mission to save lives through organ and tissue donation and felt my background in chaplaincy and medical research would be a good fit for advancing that mission.
What do you enjoy most about your role/what’s the most rewarding aspect of your role? Guiding donor families through the donation process is the most rewarding work I have ever done in my life. It is a humbling privilege to walk with families through their grief in the hopes of helping others through donation.
When you’re not working, what do you like to do for fun? Living on the Western Slope of Colorado is a wonderful fit for my wife, Julie, and me. We love to hike with our dogs, cross country ski on the Grand Mesa, and take our teardrop camper up into the surrounding mountains and desert.
What piece of advice would you give your younger self? I would tell myself to hold on to plans for the future loosely and to always try and be present and grateful for every day that I have in the work I do and for the time I have with family and friends.
Thanks for reading our staff spotlight!
Advocate Spotlight: Kristen Atkinson
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Kristen with her husband, Tim.[/caption]
Donor Alliance volunteers and advocates are the heart and soul of our efforts to inspire and inform our community about the importance of signing up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor in Colorado and Wyoming. Each of our volunteers and advocates has their own unique and inspiring story to tell. In this advocate spotlight, meet Kristen Atkinson, a recipient's wife and caregiver from Firestone, CO.
Get to Know Kristen Atkinson in this Month's Advocate Spotlight:
What's your favorite thing about volunteering at Donor Alliance? I love giving back to an organization and a cause that’s given me so much. My husband wouldn’t be here today without organ donation. I enjoy meeting people who don’t know how the process works, and also meeting those that know far more than I do. It’s been such an engaging experience all the way around.
What is your proudest accomplishment? Going back to college. I’ve never gotten a degree, but it’s always been something I’ve wanted to do. It’s been slow going but has been a lot of fun! I love learning new things.
What is the last book you read or movie you saw? Would you recommend it? Avengers: Endgame. It was great! The Marvel universe is so different, and we loved watching all the movies.
If you could take an all-expenses paid vacation, where would you go? Probably Alaska. There’s so many National Parks I would love to see up there, and glaciers and northern lights are things I’ve always wanted to see.
What are some of your favorite hobbies? My husband and I do 5K charity runs pretty frequently. I also like doing crafts, like jewelry making, knitting, and journaling. I also like reading.
What song would you sing at karaoke night? I’m definitely not a good singer – so anything where I’m not the only person on the stage!
If you could have any super power for 24 hours, what would it be? I’d want the ability to change anything about anyone. Imagine all the good things you could do for people in 24 hours!
What's your favorite holiday and why? Halloween! I love the costumes and the fun of the Halloween. And I loved dressing up and candy as a kid. Okay, even still as an adult. 😊
What's your favorite season and why? 100% Fall. I love the cooler weather.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? “Remember who you are.” Sometimes it’s hard to remember who we are, especially in hard situations. If I step back and take a moment to remember who I am, my perspective often changes.
Book Discussion: “The Organ Thieves” – Lessons Learned, Shaping the Future Actions within Donation & Transplantation
With the recent publication of the book The Organ Thieves: The Shocking Story of the First Heart Transplant in the Segregated South, we must acknowledge the past transgressions within the healthcare system and donation and transplantation field in the United States.
The Organ Thieves is about Bruce Tucker, a Black man who suffered a head injury in 1968 and was taken to a top research hospital in Virginia to be treated. Tucker passed away from his injury and hospital staff moved forward with recovering his organs for donation, and he became the first heart donor in the segregated South. The book highlights how hospital staff failed to communicate with Tucker’s family and get proper authorization before going forward with the donation process, a continuation of medical practices that marginalized and mistreated Black people at the time.
Woven into the history of donation and transplantation in the U.S. is a painful reality of the injustices people of color have faced. We must learn from past experiences and use them to inform future actions. Here we take a look at how the system has evolved since the Bruce Tucker case outlined in The Organ Thieves.
The Organ Donation Process Today: Authorization
Our mission at Donor Alliance is to save lives through organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. It is our duty as a federally-designated organ procurement organization to ensure organ donation is optimized and executed in the fairest and most ethical manner possible.
We’re committed to saving and healing lives through our work, regardless of background, race or ethnicity. This hasn’t always been the case in our field or in medicine at large, which is why processes have been put in place to ensure transparency and stringency in the authorization process.
Today, we have discussions with each family of a potential organ donor to make sure that they are in-the-know and to ensure that their loved one’s decision is honored.
The following authorization process is followed during every case, regardless of the race of the donor:
- Local organ procurement organization (OPO) personnel are notified that a potential donor faces imminent brain death or has passed away.
- OPO personnel search the registry database for the potential donor.
- If the potential donor is identified within the database as a registered donor, the family is notified of their loved one’s donor designation status.
- If the potential donor is not registered as a donor at the time of death, his or her family can give authorization for their loved one to be a donor. The donation process proceeds only after the family has granted authorization.
- A medical evaluation then takes place, including obtaining complete medical and social history from the family.
Authorization and the family discussion are just one step of the organ donation process, and happens separately and independently from the diagnosis of the patient and the declaration of death.
Apart from a fair and transparent allocation process, we work to ensure education about donation and transplantation is accessible to people of color in our region, including outreach targeted at the Black community in particular.
Looking for more facts on donation and transplantation? Visit our Colorado facts page or our Wyoming facts page.
To sign up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, simply say Yes at the DMV or driver license office the next time you obtain or renew your license or state I.D. You can also sign up anytime online at DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.
Is Coronavirus a Rule-out for Organ Transplants?
When it comes to rule outs for organ transplants, it's important to get the facts, especially when discussing coronavirus and other diseases.
Active coronavirus continues to be a rule out for both organ and tissue donors as well as recipients. However, once recovered, donation and transplantation are both possible, as is the case with many other viral illnesses.
Exposure Does Not Prevent Future Donation: Recovered Coronavirus Patients May Be Eligible to be Organ Donors
A person who is through the acute phase of the disease may be eligible for organ donation now and in the future. Just
as with other viral diseases, like the flu or Epstein Barr, historical exposure is not a rule out for donation.
Anyone, regardless of age, lifestyle or medical condition, can sign up to be a donor. Patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, hepatitis and cancer can also potentially save and heal lives through donation. Eligibility for organ, eye and tissue donation is medically evaluated at the time of death. Even donors who are HIV+ may now be eligible to be organ donors through the Hope Act.
Please do not rule yourself out. If you support organ, eye and tissue donation, we encourage you to sign up to be donor now and let the medical professionals determine eligibility at that time.
Only Active COVID-19 is Currently a Medical Rule-out
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Picture Courtesy: CDC[/caption]
With no existing treatment or cure, acute or active COVID-19 is currently a medical rule out for both organ and tissue donation. However, as with many other illnesses, medical science is likely to change that over time and even active coronavirus is not expected to be a rule out for donation in coming years, much like the flu.
The decision to utilize donor organs ultimately rests with transplant surgeons who manage complex decisions around patient care.
Living Organ Donation
The information on this page pertains to deceased organ donation. Living donation is facilitated directly through the transplant centers. Please contact one of the four transplant centers in our area for more information.
COVID-19 Information and Resources
- United Network for Organ Sharing information regarding COVID-19
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- The American Society of Transplantation: COVID-19 information for transplant recipients, candidates and professionals
- The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO): COVID-19 Bulletin
- Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN): Information for transplant programs and OPOs regarding 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- American Association of Tissue Banks: COVID-19 Updates
- State of Colorado Information on the Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Wyoming COVID-19 Info & Updates
- Wyoming Department of Health
Programa La Ciencia del Trasplante en el Podcast The Gifted Life
¿Has escuchado el episodio sobre La Ciencia del Trasplante en el Podcast Gifted Life? Estamos muy emocionados por que nuestro programa escolar educativo Transplantation Science o “La Ciendia del Transplante” y sus logros fueron compartidos en un episodio del podcast The Gifted Life, producido por Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency (LOPA). Escucha el episodio aquí.
Ken, educador de Transplantation Science comparte su historia
El educador del programa La ciencia del trasplante o Transplanatation Science Ken Turnipseed, también conocido como “Mr. T” ha estado 
enseñando a los estudiantes sobre la importancia de la donación y los trasplantes de órganos y tejidos durante más de 10 años. El podcast comienza con Ken contando su historia sobre cómo no fue alguien que apoyaba la donación mientras crecía y la experiencia que lo hizo cambiar de opinión. Ken comparte: "Lo único que nos dijeron absolutamente fue ... no lo hagas". No fue hasta mucho más tarde en la vida, cuando su hermano necesitó un trasplante de corazón, que Ken se dio cuenta de la importancia de la donación de órganos y tejidos y de la información errónea que había estado compartiendo con los demás. “Convertirme [en un educador de la ciencia del trasplante] fue una oportunidad para aliviar parte de mi culpa, pero al mismo tiempo corregir [lo que había hecho] por todas las personas a las que había influenciado negativamente a través de los años”, dice Ken.
Transplantation Science: Un Programa Gratuito de Donor Alliance
Transplantation Science aparece en el podcast de Gifted Life justo a tiempo para el nuevo año escolar. Transplantation Science o la Ciencia del Trasplante es un programa escolar gratuito para los grados 6-12 destinado a mejorar cualquier programa de anatomía, salud o biología e introducir a los estudiantes en el campo de la donación y el trasplante de órganos, ojos y tejidos. Traemos muestras de órganos plastinados y otros materiales al salón de clases para que los estudiantes puedan tener una experiencia práctica. También nos complace anunciar que nuestro plan de estudios digital ya está disponible.
¡Agosto el Mes Nacional para la Concientización de la Donación en Grupos Minoritarios!
Compartimos este episodio durante el Mes Nacional para la Concientización de la Donación en Grupos Minoritarios, una celebración que tiene como objetivo ayudar a salvar y sanar las vidas de comunidades diversas al incrementar la compresión sobre la donación de órganos, ojos y tejidos en todos los grupos étnicos. La vida de cientos de personas que esperan un trasplante dependen de otras personas en nuestra comunidad. ¿Sabías que, aunque la compatibilidad de los órganos no se determina según la raza o el origen étnico los trasplantes realizados entre personas del mismo grupo étnico pueden ser más compatibles y exitosas? Esa es una de las razones por las que es tan importante que más personas que pertenecen a comunidades de color se registren para ser donantes.
Transplantation Science on The Gifted Life Podcast
Have you listened to the episode about Transplantation Science on the Gifted Life Podcast? We are so excited to share that our Transplantation Science program has been featured as an episode on The Gifted Life podcast, produced by Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency (LOPA). You can listen to the episode here.
Transplantation Science Educator Ken Turnipseed, aka “Mr. T,” has been teaching students about the importance of organ and tissue donation and transplantation for over 10 years. The podcast begins with Ken telling his story about how he was not a proponent for donation while he was growing up and the experience that changed his mind. Ken shares, “The one thing we were absolutely told was…do not do it.” It wasn’t until much later in life, when his brother needed a heart transplant that Ken realized the importance of organ and tissue donation and the misinformation he had been sharing with others. “Becoming [a Transplantation Science educator] was a chance for me to alleviate some of my guilt but at the same time make amends for all of the people I had influenced negatively over time,” Ken says.
Transplantation Science - a free Donor Alliance program
Transplantation Science is featured on the Gifted Life podcast just in time for the new school year! Transplantation Science is a free school curriculum program for grades 6-12 meant to enhance any anatomy, health or biology program and to introduce students to the field of organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. We bring plastinated organ specimens and other materials into the classroom so students can have a hands-on experience. We are also excited to announce that our digital curriculum is now available.
It's National Minority Donor Awareness Month!
We are featuring this story during National Minority Donor Awareness Month, an observance that aims to help save and heal the lives of diverse communities by growing understanding of organ, eye, and tissue donation across all ethnicities. The lives of those waiting for a lifesaving transplant depends on others in our community. Did you know transplant matches made within ethnic groups can be more compatible? That is one of the reasons it’s important for more people in our communities of color to sign up to be donors.
Learn why it is important that more people in all communities sign up as donors and what you can do to help! ?
Denver Business Journal Names Donor Alliance 2020 Best Place to Work
We are proud to announce Donor Alliance has been named a 2020 Best Place to Work by Denver Business Journal, ranking 13th in the extra-large company (100-249 employees) category. We were honored in a virtual awards celebration last night alongside 64 other outstanding organizations across the Denver metro area.
This honor is especially meaningful to us because it is judged by the people that know our organization best, our employees. Our team members were asked to complete an online survey conducted by Quantum Workplace, measures our organization’s culture on everything from benefits to trust in leadership. Responses were then compiled, evaluated and ranked by Quantum based on their composite score.
As a recognized leader in organ and tissue donation, our organization fosters a mission-driven culture through our core values: Integrity, Leadership, Excellence, Accountability and People First. In addition to traditional health benefits as well as other offerings like our wellness program, tuition and health club reimbursement and a charitable contribution program, Donor Alliance also offers employees something much more extraordinary: the opportunity to help save lives every day.
In addition to achieving this recognition, Donor Alliance has also been awarded Top Workplace status by The Denver Post for the last six consecutive years and was recognized as Best at Making Work Meaningful in 2019. Donor Alliance also received Quantum’s 2019 Employee Voice Award, honoring organizations for outstanding work in employee engagement.
We are honored to be recognized by our local business community, and thank all of the amazing staff and volunteers who make Donor Alliance such an amazing place to work!
For more information on our culture or careers at Donor Alliance, visit DonorAlliance.org/who-we-are/careers/.
2020 Donor Dash: Thousands Honor, Celebrate & Recognize Together, Though Apart
While the 2020 Donor Dash looked a bit different this time around, thousands from across the country still gathered together, though apart to honor the lives of organ and tissue donors, celebrate the lives of organ and tissue recipients and recognize those who continue to wait for a lifesaving transplant.
This year, the Donor Dash transitioned to a week-long celebration of life that people from across the country could participate in from the safety of their own homes, cars, yards and neighborhoods! Take a look back at how we all took part in the 2020 Donor Dash… Together, Though Apart.
Drive-through Packet Pick-Up Party, July 12
Our week-long celebration of life kicked off on Sunday, July 12 at our first ever Drive-through Packet Pick-up Party! One by one, hundreds of participating team captains and individuals drove their cars through our Donor Alliance Spruce Street office parking lot to grab their honorary signs and race packets. It was great seeing everyone, even if smiles were hidden by masks and we had to say “hello” from afar!
*Reminder, for those who weren’t able to pick up their packets or are waiting for their shirts/masks, we will mail them out as soon as we can. Thank you for your patience!*
Donor Dash Week, July 12-19
Every day throughout the week we had an activity for folks to participate in at home or on our Donate Life Colorado social media channels! From Move it Monday to Thankful Thursday, we had hundreds of people participate, share their story and who they were dashing for throughout the week.
See some of the highlights from our Facebook posts: Move it Monday, Team Tuesday and UCHealth Favorite Friday
Wash Park Car Parade, July 18
Participants decorated their cars with blue and green Donate Life colors and drove through Wash Park to honor, celebrate and recognize their loved ones. Along the way, honorary signs displaying heroic donors, grateful recipients and courageous living donors, lined the route for all to see and honor. Thank you to the folks that participated in our first ever Wash Park Car Parade, you helped make it such an amazing success!
Donor Dash Virtual 5k, July 19
The week-long schedule of events all led to the virtual 5k run for life on Sunday, July 19. While we weren’t all able to gather in Denver’s Washington Park this year as usual, we still had 3,443 people register and 161 teams participate. This year, folks from across the country were able to participate in their own state! We had participants stretch from the East to the West coast this year, honoring the heroic donor in their life.
Thank you to everyone that registered this year and helped us celebrate the gift of life!
Team Spotlight: Who Are You Dashing For?
Did you know that nearly 80% of participants are part of a Donor Dash team? Teams are a very important part of the event year after year. This year, we were honored to have several Donor Dash team captains share who they were dashing for. Take a look:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXfLXxZw9BE
Thank you again to this year’s participants, sponsors and volunteers for making the 21st Annual Donor Dash… Together, Though Apart such a success. In case you missed the live-streamed program on Sunday, July 19, give it a watch below! You can also view more event photos on our Facebook page or in our Flickr album. Be sure to save the date for next year’s Donor Dash on Sunday, July 18, 2021!
Remember, you can show your support year-round by saying Yes to organ, eye and tissue donation and sharing your decision with your loved ones. Sign up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor any time at DonateLifeColorado.org.
https://vimeo.com/439735735