Cobertura Reciente en los Medios

Donor Alliance Saves and Heals More Lives Than Ever Before in 2019 – Colorado & Wyoming

2019 Most Successful Year Ever Recorded for Organ and Tissue Donation - Colorado and Wyoming

Donor Alliance, the federally designated non-profit organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming, recorded the most successful year the region has ever seen in 2019, helping save the lives of 596 people through organ donation and transplantation and save and heal thousands more through tissue donation!

Each day, our staff works tirelessly to save the nearly 2,000 lives in our region waiting for a lifesaving transplant while also supporting the families of donors that lean on us to honor their loved one’s heroic decision to become a donor. - Sue Dunn, Donor Alliance President and CEO.

Record-Breaking Year: Organ Donation & Transplantation

Through the generous gifts from organ donors and their families, Donor Alliance facilitated more organ transplants than ever by 19%, exceeding the previous high set in 2018, and a 29% increase since 2013.

Ultimately, 22% more lives were saved through organ donation and transplantation in 2019 than ever before!

• Organ Donors - a record 191 heroic organ donors
• Organs Transplanted - donations saved 596 lives

Annual Snapshot:

The organization also facilitated the import of 18 organs for transplant and 94 flyouts.

In addition, 151 living donors in Colorado gave the gift of life.

Record-Breaking Year: Tissue Donation & Transplantation

In 2019, there were 21% more heroic tissue donors over the highest ever year with 2,118 tissue donors, including 1,950 skin donors and 127 heart valve donors.

Through procedures like skin grafting and reconstructive surgeries, these lifesaving and healing donations will help thousands of people regain mobility and lead active lives after disease or trauma.

• Tissue Donors - an amazing 2,118 heroic tissue donors
• Tissues Transplanted - tens of thousands

Annual Snapshot:

Record-Breaking Year: Wyoming Hits Record High Donor Designation Rate (DDR) & Colorado Remains in Position to Lead the Nation Once Again

Achieving our simple, yet powerful mission is made possible by the incredible generosity of the Colorado and Wyoming residents that have signed up to join the organ and tissue donor registry.

Colorado and Wyoming continue to maintain some of the highest donor designation rates, or percentage of individuals joining the state donor registries, in the country.

Colorado reached number one in the nation in 2018 with a 69% DDR and Wyoming set another record this year at 63%, the highest rate ever for the state - both states far surpass the national average of 49%, according to Donate Life America.

• More than one million residents signed up to become donors in 2019
• There were 1,003,817 names in Colorado and 88,922 names in Wyoming added to the organ and tissue donor registries
• The donor designation rate reached 69% in Colorado
• The donor designation rate reached a record 63% in Wyoming

This support, combined with our strong hospital partnerships and mission-driven culture, helped to save and heal more lives in our region than ever before.

In addition to the incredible local support for donation, the progress made this year is also a result of a number of process improvements made through the organization’s decade-long performance excellence journey, which culminated with a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2018.

These advancements included better processes to identify and refer potential organ donors after cardiac death and streamlined communications with hospital partners to improve the timely notification of potential organ and tissue donors.

As medical advances help eligibility criteria expand, medical professionals are also able to maximize organ and tissue donation more than ever before, allowing more people to give the gift of life.

How You Can Help

Despite the year’s incredible achievements for donation and transplantation across the region, nearly 2,000 people in the area continue to wait for a lifesaving transplant.

With these patients in mind, Donor Alliance continues to tirelessly educate the public on the need for donation and collaborate closely with 115 acute care hospitals, four transplant centers, division of motor vehicles and other partners throughout the two-state area.

For more information about donation, or to sign up as an organ, eye and tissue donor, please visit DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHB7-olMLiQ[/embed]

Light in the Darkness: Donate Life Float Wins Judges Trophy at 131st Rose Parade

For the second consecutive year, the Donate Life Rose Parade float has been awarded the Judges Trophy! The coveted award recognizes the float with the outstanding floral design and dramatic impact. This is the fourth time since the float’s inception in 2004 that the float has taken home this award also having been honored in 2008, 2012 and 2019.

2020 Theme and Design

Award-winning float designer Charles Meier created the float’s incredible design and Fiesta Parade Floats produced it with the help of thousands of volunteers and countless flowers.

This year’s parade theme, The Power of Hope, honors the opportunity to look beyond challenges of the moment and light a path to a brighter future. In its 17^th year in the Rose Parade, the 2020 Donate Life float, “Light in the Darkness” will highlight the power of unity, light and love as celebrated during Southeast Asia’s Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, a celebration of light shining in the darkness. The many lives that have been touched by donation embody the hope inherent in the festival.

More than 2,500 Donate Life volunteers provided over 10,000 decoration hours to complete this year’s float, which boasted 20,000 pink roses, and floral portraits of deceased organ, eye and tissue donors to pay tribute to those who are no longer with us.

2020 Donate Life Colorado Float Rider: Juan Carlos Montanez

Each year, the float is ridden and escorted by people from across the country that have been impacted by organ, eye and tissue donation. For more than a decade, Donor Alliance has sponsored one rider each year to represent Donate Life Colorado aboard the float. This year, we were honored to have Juan Carlos Montanez, a kidney recipient, represent Colorado and the greater Hispanic community. His donor’s generous gift of life is just one of the many reasons he has dedicated his time to raising awareness for the lifesaving gift of organ and tissue donation.

You can help spread hope and support the Donate Life Rose Parade float’s mission by signing up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. Sign up anytime by visiting your state registry and clicking on ‘Become a Donor’: DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.

Celebrando la Vida en el Desfile de las Rosas del 2020, —Juan Carlos Montañez

Este año, tuvimos el honor de tener a Juan Carlos Montañez, un receptor de trasplante de riñón local, como representante de Colorado en el 131 ° Desfile de las Rosas en Pasadena, California. Juan Carlos honró a su donante a bordo del 17 ° flota anual de Donate Life Rose Parade el día de Año Nuevo. Se unieron a él otras 25 personas de todo el país cuyas vidas también han sido tocadas por la donación y los trasplantes.

En 2009, mientras trabajaba en el extranjero, a Juan Carlos le diagnosticaron una enfermedad renal aguda en etapa terminal y lo colocaron en la lista de espera para un trasplante de riñón. Después de seis años en diálisis peritoneal nocturna, Juan Carlos, que entonces tenía 41 años, recibió un trasplante de riñón que le salvó la vida en julio de 2015. Él está siempre agradecido por el regalo de la vida que le brindo su donante, y esta es una de las razones por las que ha dedicado su tiempo a crear conciencia sobre la donación de de órganos y tejidos y como esta salva vidas.

Luz en la oscuridad

El tema de este año de la carroza Done Vida del Desfile de las Rosas fue Luz en la Obscuridad y destaca el poder de la unidad, la luz y el amor, como se celebra durante el Diwali del sudeste asiático, o el Festival de las Luces, una celebración de la luz que brilla en la oscuridad. Las numerosas vidas tocadas por la donación representan la esperanza en este festival, y refleja la esperanza que Juan Carlos experimentó después de recibir su trasplante.

Reconociendo a aquellos comprometidos a ayudar a salvar vidas

Antes de su aparición en el desfile, Juan Carlos visitó la Oficina de Licencias de Conducir de Westminster para agradecer a los miembros del equipo de la División de Vehículos Motorizados de Colorado que se han comprometido a preguntarle a los residentes de Colorado que se registren como donantes de órganos, ojos y tejidos. Juan Carlos les entregó rosas como agradecimiento por el trabajo que realizan a día a día para registrar donantes. La estrecha colaboración del DMV y el compromiso de los miembros de su equipo juegan un papel integral en el registro de miles de residentes de Colorado cada año que se inscriben para convertirse en donantes de órganos, ojos y tejidos después de fallecer. Para más información sobre el Desfile de las Rosas, visita DonateLifeFloat.org.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=17&v=lYROH0Kp3wA&feature=emb_title[/embed]

Take Two: How Hollywood’s Dramatic Storylines Impact Donation and Transplantation

Let’s talk about Hollywood and organ donation. You’ve likely seen a medical drama series or movie with an organ donation and transplantation storyline. But, more often than not, they don’t get it right.

To better understand the impact these shows and movies have on their viewers, we sat down with Tenaya Wallace, founder of Donate Life Hollywood. Tenaya offers up insight into what shows got it right, what ones got it wrong and more importantly, what we can do to help spread the facts about donation in Hollywood.

What is Donate Life Hollywood?

Donate Life Hollywood (DLH) serves as a liaison between the entertainment industry and the Donate Life community. DLH’s mission is to harness the power of storytelling to save and heal lives.

[caption id="attachment_26020" align="alignright" width="573"] Tenaya Wallace, Donate Life Hollywood[/caption]

DLH is founded by Tenaya Wallace and is a project of the OneLegacy Foundation. DLH was first launched in 2008 in response to research published by Dr. Susan Morgan of Purdue University. We refer to this research throughout the article.

Tenaya’s ultimate goal with DLH is to save and heal more lives. “I know that powerful, positive and authentic storylines coupled with a clear call to action can inspire people,” says Tenaya.

Why are Organ Donation and Hollywood Important to Talk About?

“When you watch a donation storyline the question is not whether it’s accurate but whether it is authentic and positive,” says Tenaya. “Problematic storylines perpetuate fears and myths. That is when we go into action.”

Dr. Morgan’s research shows that when storylines in Hollywood perpetuate fears and myths surrounding the donation and transplantation process, it stops people from making the decision to sign up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor after death.

Studies also show that people believe what they see about organ donation because so few people have a personal experience with donation or transplantation. Because of this, Tenaya says writers should be careful when incorporating these storylines into their work.

What Shows Got it Wrong?

“A big reason Hollywood gets it wrong is simply that they don’t know it’s wrong, and they don’t know that their storylines could cost real lives,” says Tenaya.

• The Resident: last season an “organ broker” was woven into their storyline in regards to living kidney donation. “This black market for organs myth is making a comeback in Hollywood,” says Tenaya.
  • Why it’s wrong: human organ trafficking in the United States is illegal. Financial incentives for organs and tissue are against the law and are in direct conflict with both the altruistic nature of organ and tissue donation and federal laws. Per federal law, organizations and individuals are prohibited from providing money, goods or any valuable consideration in exchange for organ or tissue donation.

• Law & Order: two seasons ago this show had a storyline where a doctor was forging consent for her pediatric patients. “This kind of story creates real fear and distrust, and it’s that fear that stops people from registering,” says Tenaya.
  • Why it’s wrong: Tenaya says that the writers of this show were actually trying to promote an “opt-out,” or presumed consent system instead of an “opt-in” system. The US operates under a system of “expressed volunteerism” or “opt-in,” with consent for donation received from donors and their families. Read more about the difference between opt-in and opt-out is, here.

Does Hollywood Ever Get it Right?

“Hollywood does want to help,” says Tenaya. She’s even had success alerting shows, like Samantha Who?, that they got the facts wrong, thus prompting the writers to apologize and change storylines as to not perpetuate fears and myths surrounding donation.

• Three Rivers on CBS: Tenaya sat down with the head writer for this series, Carol Barbee, and DLH consulted on every episode of the show. Tenaya says that this partnership with Three Rivers led to a national six percent increase in the public’s willingness to sign up to be organ, eye and tissue donors.

How Can YOU Help?

To really get Hollywood’s attention and respect, we must show the power and value of the Donate Life community. Here’s how:

• Twitter: if you watch a show with a negative storyline, tweet at them. You can also check out DLH’s Twitter (@DL_Hollywood) to see if Tenaya has tweeted about a storyline.
• Reach Out to DLH: If you see a negative storyline and want to alert Tenaya, please reach out to her on Twitter (above) or by email.
• App: In the works as a future program, DLH plans to develop an app that everyone can simply download to their phones. The app will send users notifications of episodes with negative storylines and have curated responses that you can simply send to a show by the touch of a button. Stay tuned for more information on this app!

At the end of the day, “we know our stories best and Donate Life Hollywood wants to help those stories get told,” says Tenaya.

As always, you can show your support for organ, eye and tissue donation best by saying Yes at the driver license office when you obtain or renew your license or state ID. You can also sign up to be organ, eye and tissue donors anytime online at DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.

Thank you, Tenaya Wallace (Donate Life Hollywood) for your insight and help with this article!

Aftercare: Connecting Donor Families & Recipients

Part Two of Three in our “Aftercare” Series

Many donor family members and recipients have expressed how meaningful it is to connect with one another. Donor Alliance encourages correspondence between donor families and recipients, and is proud to help facilitate these connections whenever possible.

“To support these amazing families along their journey of grief, and help connect them with the hope and healing that donation can bring, is a privilege,” said Joyleen Helcoski, Donor Alliance Aftercare Coordinator.

How Can Donor Families and Recipients Start the Process of Connecting?

• Connecting Donor Families & Organ Recipients: If Donor Alliance donor family members are interested in connecting with their loved one’s organ recipient(s), they are welcome to initiate contact first. There are two ways donor family members can initiate that contact:
  • Mail a paper letter or card to the Donor Alliance office and include: the full name of your loved one who donated, your full name and relationship to your loved one, the date your loved one passed away. (Donor Alliance, 200 Spruce Street, Suite 200, Denver, CO 80230)
  • Donor family members can also submit a letter electronically, by completing this online form.

Once Donor Alliance receives the letters, by mail or electronically, Aftercare staff members then forward the letter to the recipient’s transplant center where it will then be delivered to the recipient.

Struggling with what to write? We have suggestions, here.

Organ recipients may also make the initial contact with their donor families, they should send their letters to their transplant center to get the communication process started.

• Connecting Donor Families & Tissue Recipients: The process is a bit different for Donor Alliance donor families whose loved ones donated tissue grafts (bone, soft tissue, heart valve or skin). In this case, the tissue recipients must be the first to initiate correspondence and once that happens, donor family members may respond.

It’s important to note that Donor Alliance’s role in the communication process is to facilitate written correspondence and keep the identities of donor family members and recipients confidential until both parties decide they’re ready to communicate directly.

What if Donor Families Don’t Hear From Their Loved One’s Recipient(s)?

Just as it is a donor family’s choice whether or not to write to recipients, it is a recipient’s choice whether or not to respond. There are many reasons why a recipient might not contact their donor family. Many recipients struggle with survivor’s guilt, or have a difficult recovery after their transplant. Some simply can’t find the words to express their gratitude. Regardless of whether or not a recipient decides to write, they are undoubtedly grateful for the second chance at life that was given to them by their donor.

[caption id="attachment_1664" align="alignright" width="483"] Larry (Donor Father) with Bill (Heart Recipient) holding a picture of Larry's son Tyler - Bill's donor.[/caption]

Local Connections:

We have several amazing stories of donor family members meeting their loved one’s recipients. While just a few are listed below, there have been many more connections made, both public and private, between donor families and recipients in our area.

A few stories:

• Judi, a donor mother from Fort Collins, meets her son’s heart recipient, here.
• Phil, a tissue recipient, meets his donor’s mother, here.
• Larry, a donor father from Cheyenne, WY, meets his son’s heart recipient, here.

This post is part two in our three-part “Aftercare” series. If you haven’t already, give post one, “Resources for Donor Families,” a read.

For more information and more aftercare resources, please visit the donor family resources page. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to sign up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor any time on our websites: DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.

Celebrating Life at the 2020 Donate Life Rose Parade – Juan Carlos Montanez

This year, we are honored to have Juan Carlos Montanez, a kidney recipient, represent Colorado at the 131^st Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif. Juan Carlos will be honoring his donor aboard the 17^th annual Donate Life Rose Parade float on New Year’s Day. He will be joined by 25 other people from across the country whose lives have also been touched by donation and transplantation.

In 2009, while working abroad, Juan Carlos Montanez was diagnosed with acute End-Stage Renal Disease and placed on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. After six years on nightly peritoneal dialysis, Juan Carlos, then 41, received a lifesaving kidney transplant in July 2015. He is forever grateful for his donor's gift of life, which is one of the reasons he has dedicated his time to bringing awareness about the lifesaving gift of organ and tissue donation.

Light in the Darkness

The theme of this year’s Donate Life Rose Parade float is Light in the Darkness, and highlights the power of unity, light and love, as celebrated during Southeast Asia's Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, a celebration of light shining in the darkness. The many lives touched by donation embody the hope inherent in this festival, and reflects the hope Juan Carlos Montanez experienced after receiving his transplant.

Recognizing Those Committed to Helping Save Lives

Ahead of his appearance in the parade, Juan Carlos visited the Westminster Driver License Office to thank Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles team members who have committed to asking Colorado residents to sign up as organ, eye and tissue donors. Juan Carlos handed out roses to them as a thank you for the work they do daily in registering donors. The DMV’s close partnership and the commitment of its team members play an integral part in registering thousands of Coloradans each year who sign up to become organ, eye and tissue donors.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYROH0Kp3wA&feature=youtu.be[/embed]

Watch the Parade

The Rose Parade will start at 8 a.m. PST on January 1, 2020 and be broadcast live in the U.S. by broadcast partners ABC, NBC, HGTV, Hallmark Channel, Univision and more. Check local broadcast listings for more information.

For more information about the 2020 Donate Life Rose Parade float, visit DonateLifeFloat.org.

Aftercare: Recursos para las familias de donantes

Recursos para las Familias de Donantes (Primera parte de tres de nuestra seria "Aftercare")

Los miembros de la familia de los donantes son el corazón y el alma de nuestra misión en Donor Alliance. A través de su cooperación y apoyo durante uno de los momentos más trágicos de sus vidas, las familias donantes juegan un papel vital en salvar vidas a través de la donación de órganos, ojos y tejidos.

"La mejor parte de mi trabajo es conocer y trabajar con familias que, en su peor día, optaron por ayudar a otra persona”, dijo Joyleen Helcoski, Coordinadora de Aftercare de Donor Alliance.

El departamento de Aftercare o atención posterior de Donor Alliance se preocupa por los familiares de los donantes después del proceso de donación, fomentando la comunicación continua y ofreciendo recursos útiles a lo largo del proceso.

Para iniciar con nuestra serie de "Aftercare", en este artículo, nos enfocaremos en los recursos disponibles para las familias de los donantes.

Información y Recursos:

Desde eventos hasta herramientas en línea, brindamos apoyo continuo a las familias de los donantes una vez que se completa el proceso de donación. Es importante destacar que los recursos que se mencionan a continuación están disponibles para todas las familias en cualquier momento en nuestra página de recursos para familias de donantes. Además, muchos de los recursos están disponibles en español.

• Evento conmemorativo: el Donor Family Tribute (Tributo a las Familias de los Donantes) es un evento para que los familiares de los donantes de Donor Alliance se reúnan y honren la vida y el legado de sus seres queridos que fueron donantes. El evento se celebra anualmente y es gratuito.
• Proyecto de colcha para las familias de los donantes: las colchas de Rocky Mountain Threads of Life (Hilos de Vida) son otra forma para que los familiares de los donantes recuerden a su ser querido que dio el regalo de la vida. Las familias de donantes de Donor Alliance pueden crear un cuadrado de colcha en honor a su ser querido, que se coserá a una colcha más grande y se exhibirá en varios eventos y reuniones en Colorado y Wyoming. Para descargar una plantilla cuadrada de edredón y una forma de autorización haga clic aquí.
• * NUEVO * Grupo privado de Facebook: el objetivo de este nuevo grupo de Facebook es tener un lugar para que los familiares de donantes se conecten y se apoyen mutuamente durante su viaje de duelo. Se alienta a todos los familiares de donantes de Donor Alliance a unirse al grupo, ya sea para participar en una conversación o simplemente para seguir en la página y ver el contenido. Los miembros de la familia de los donantes de Donor Alliance pueden solicitar unirse al grupo de Facebook, aquí. Aunque el grupo privado de Facebook se maneja en Ingles, se invita a todas las personas a ser parte y participar sin importar su idioma.
• Recursos para el duelo: Donor Alliance puede ayudar a conectar a las familias donantes con recursos de apoyo para afrontar el duelo en su comunidad, así como grupos de apoyo, literatura sobre la pérdida y el duelo. Los recursos de duelo se pueden solicitar en cualquier momento, aquí

En las próximas publicaciones de nuestra serie de "Aftercare", hablaremos sobre cómo las familias de los donantes y los receptores pueden comunicarse y ponerse en contacto y estaremos respondiendo algunas de las preguntas comunes.

Para obtener más información y recursos sobre el programa de Aftercare, visita la página de recursos para familias de donantes. Si aún no lo has hecho, te invitamos a registrarse como donante de órganos, ojos y tejidos en cualquier momento en nuestros sitios web: DoneVidaColorado.org o DoneVidaWyoming.org.

Staff Spotlight: Brittany Jones

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. As an Administrative Assistant at the Donor Alliance Recovery Center, Brittany Jones supports the facilities manager and clinical staff. Brittany says one of the best things about working at Donor Alliance is developing professional and personal relationships, with not only staff members, but Partners as well.

Name: Brittany Jones

Position: Administrative Assistant- Recovery Center

Years at Donor Alliance: 9 ½ years

Tell us a little about your role with Donor Alliance: I work at the recovery center, which can be a very busy place. I support the facilities manager and the clinical staff. I am responsible for receiving and releasing donors from our facility. I keep track of the supplies used during each case and I greet all vendors who visit the recovery center.

What is the best thing about working at Donor Alliance? I’m happy to know I am one of the last people who has the honor to care for our donors while also supporting our clinical teams. I enjoy developing professional and personal relationships, not only with DA staff but also our Partners with whom I interact with daily.

What does donation & transplantation mean to you? For me, donation is a selfless act that helps another person in need. Knowing that families trust me, as an employee of Donor Alliance, provides me a sense of purpose that I carry with me throughout my daily work. When I think of transplantation, I think of the vastly growing medical advancements obtainable to recipients and the new life experiences they will have.

When you’re not working, what do you like to do for fun? I’m currently completing my pre-requisites for nursing school. So fun is only seldom. When I do have down time, I prefer to spend time with my three sons and my husband. I also enjoy cooking, crafting and barre workouts.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Be humble and always try your best.

Advocate Spotlight: Sandy Berg

[caption id="attachment_25830" align="alignright" width="397"] Sandy (right) with her husband and daughter[/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. This month, we're featuring Sandy Berg from Pine, CO. Sandy's son, Jack, passed away in 2012 and gave the gift of life through organ and tissue donation.

What is your favorite thing about volunteering for Donor Alliance? My favorite thing about volunteering at Donor Alliance is the people I get to meet and work with. The Donor Alliance staff and the Advocates all just feel like instant family. I just feel better about life and my purpose after spending time with like-minded and grateful people.

If you could have any superpower for 24 hours, what would you do? I am not sure if it is a super power but I would get everyone to be kinder to one another and hopefully, it would become a habit in most cases. People are so mean to one another – which reminds me of a piece of advice that my mother used to say “If you can’s say something nice, don’t say anything at all!”

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? The best piece of advice I ever received was from my father and it was, when angry - take a few deep breaths before reacting. This has gotten easier as I have gotten older. Sort of…

What is your favorite holiday and why? Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it reminds me to be grateful for my many blessings before the craziness of Christmas starts.

What is your favorite season and why? Winter is my favorite season! I love a good snowstorm if we are all safe at home with a fire going, there is homemade soup on the stove-top, the horses are dry with their blankets on and we have diesel for the plow once the snow stops.

What is your proudest accomplishment? My proudest accomplishments are my kids. I think they are pretty good humans who do good things in this world.

What is the last book you read or movie you saw? Would you recommend it? I love to read and the most recent one that I didn’t want to end was, “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens. A great movie that was not in the theaters long was “Yesterday”. If you love The Beatles, you will love this movie!

What song would you sing at karaoke night? At karaoke night I would sing anything by a band from Iowa called 'The Nadas.' If it had to be a song people recognized it would be, 'Sweet Caroline' because that one seems to make everyone smile.

What are some of your favorite hobbies? My favorite hobbies include reading, hiking with my husband and our dogs, fishing and floating down the Platte on tubes with friends on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

If you could take an all-expenses paid vacation, where would you go? If I could take an all-expenses paid trip I would travel around Europe for a month. We went for two weeks last year and the beauty and history surrounding you is just incredible

Aftercare: Resources for Donor Families

(Part One of Three in our “Aftercare” Series)

Donor family members are the heart and soul of our mission at Donor Alliance. Through their cooperation and support during one of the most tragic times in their lives, donor families play a vital role in saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation.

“The best part of my job is meeting and working with families who, on their worst day, chose to help another person,” said Joyleen Helcoski, Aftercare Coordinator at Donor Alliance.

Donor Alliance’s Aftercare department cares for donor families after the donation process, fostering continued communication and offering up useful resources along the way.

To kick off our “Aftercare” series, we’re diving into the resources available for donor families.

Tools and Resources for Donor Families

From events to online tools, we provide ongoing support for donor families once the donation process is complete. It’s important to note that these resources listed below are available for all families at any time on our donor family resources page.

• Memorial Event: the Donor Family Tribute is an event for Donor Alliance donor families to gather and honor the lives and legacies of their loved ones who were donors.
• Donor Family Quilt Project: the Rocky Mountain Threads of Life quilts are another way for donor families to remember their loved one who gave the gift of life. Donor Alliance donor families can create a quilt square in honor of their loved one, that will be sewn into a larger quilt and displayed at various events and gatherings across Colorado and Wyoming. To download a quilt square template and release form, click here.
• *NEW* Private Facebook Group: the goal of this new Facebook group is to have a place for donor family members to connect with and support one another along their grief journey. All Donor Alliance donor families are encouraged to join, whether it’s to participate in discussion or to simply quietly follow along. Donor Alliance donor family members can request to join the donor family Facebook group, here.
• Grief Resources: Donor Alliance can help connect donor families with grief support resources in their community, including support groups, as well as literature about loss and grief. Grief resources can be requested anytime, here.

For the next few posts in our “Aftercare” series, we’re breaking down how donor families and recipients can connect and we’re answering some of your common Aftercare questions.
Read Part Two: Connecting Donor Families and Recipients, here.

For more information and aftercare resources, please visit the donor family resources page. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to sign up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor any time on our websites: DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.

Join us in celebrating the gift of life at events across Colorado and Wyoming this holiday season!

This season join us and residents across Colorado and Wyoming whose lives have been touched by organ, eye and tissue donation to celebrate the gift of life. With community parades across the two-state area, there are plenty of opportunities to show your support for donation and transplantation awareness by participating in these events!

Dec. 7: Donate Life Wyoming at the Cheyenne Christmas Parade

Wyoming residents are invited to join heart recipient Jeremy Smario and Donate Life Wyoming at this year’s Cheyenne Christmas Parade. Jeremy will ride this year’s Grinch-themed “How Big is Your Heart” float. At just 33 years old, Jeremy suffered from heart failure, and his only option for survival was a new heart. Now, thanks to a lifesaving transplant, Jeremy has returned to a happy, healthy life with his family and is sharing his transplant journey at the parade.

Coloradans have two opportunities to celebrate the season with us! Residents that have had a family member become a donor, or who have received a transplant themselves, will escort the Donate Life Colorado “Gift of Life” balloon in Denver’s 9News Parade of Lights and will also show support at the 35^th annual Festival of Lights Parade in Colorado Springs.

Dec. 6 & 7: Denver’s 45^th Annual 9News Parade of Lights

Head downtown to join Donate Life Colorado at the annual 9News Parade of Lights where the “Gift of Life” balloon will be featured. The jumbo balloon is in the shape of a gift box, honoring organ, eye and tissue donors and representing the hope made possible by donation. Families of donors and transplant recipients, including Denver resident and the mother of a heart recipient, Lisa Vallejos, and the mother of an organ donor, Kristen Adcock of Morrison, will lead the float along the two-mile parade route.

Kristen lost her son Connor in 2017 when he was just 19 years old. Kristen remembers her son as a giver throughout his life. He continued that legacy after his death by saving and healing the lives of up to 70 people.

Lisa’s son, Gabriel was born with a rare heart defect. In order to survive, he needed a transplant immediately after he was born. At 13 days old, Gabriel received a new heart. Thanks to his lifesaving transplant, Gabriel is now a healthy 12-year-old living his life to the fullest, playing video games and learning to code.

Attending the parade this year? Great! Remember to take a picture of the special “Gift of Life” balloon and share it on social with your #GiftofLife story. Be sure to tag Donate Life Colorado in your posts.

If you can’t make it out this year then join us on Facebook as we share the 9News live stream of the event.

Dec. 7: 35^th Annual Colorado Springs Festival of Lights Parade

Colorado Springs residents are encouraged to join Donate Life Colorado at the annual Festival of Lights Parade. Loved ones of donors, transplant recipients, transplant candidates, advocates and their families and friends will walk in the parade in support of donation and transplantation. Liver recipient and Firestone resident, Tim Atkinson will be at the parade and share his transplant story with the community. Tim received a lifesaving transplant after being diagnosed with liver disease. Now in good health, Tim is grateful to his donor for giving him the gift of life and vows to live each day to the fullest.

Happy holidays and we hope to see you all there!

For more opportunities to get involved and raise awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation throughout the year, visit DonorAlliance.org/Volunteer-Opportunities. 

Celebrate organ and transplantation awareness this holiday season! 

Eye Donation Month: Honoring the Gift of Sight

The History:
Did you know that November is Eye Donation Month? The month was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. Eye Donation Month has since been used as an opportunity to educate the public about the importance of signing up to be an eye, organ and tissue donor, and about cornea donation and transplantation.

2019 Theme:

This year’s campaign is centered on the theme, The Power of You, which acknowledges the entire community of people who are involved in the journey of sight restoration. The campaign demonstrates the “power” that individuals have in building hope, restoring sight and changing lives. This includes healthcare professionals and partners, researchers, eye bank staff, corneal surgeons, and recipients and donor families.

The Mission:
Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank (RMLEB) is a partner to Donor Alliance and recovers eye tissue from donors in Colorado and most of Wyoming. The mission of the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank is to fulfill the wishes of eye donors and their families in order to help another overcome blindness through transplantation and research. Because so many said Yes to eye donation, in the last year in our service area:

• 2,727 eye donors gave the gift of sight.
• 2,514 eye tissues were used in sight-restorative transplants and reconstruction.
• 328 eye tissues were used by RMLEB or other research centers to advance surgery techniques and innovations to fight blindness.

Fast Facts:

• The first corneal transplant occurred way back in 1905.
• Corneal transplants are one of the most frequently performed human transplant procedures. The cornea is the eye’s outermost layer; a clear dome-shaped tissue that covers the front of the eye. Diseases and injuries of the cornea cause clouding and scarring which blocks light from entering the eye and diminishes vision.
• Anyone can become an eye donor. Cataracts, poor eyesight or age do not prevent someone from being an eye donor.
• Everyone is a universal eye donor. Blood type and eye color do not matter.
• It is important for individuals wanting to be donors to sign up! Also, inform your family members of your decision.

Get Involved:

• Getting involved this month is easy! Just visit the Eye Bank Association of America’s toolkit. There you can download FREE fact sheets and infographics.
• Also, share your eye donation story with us on social media, using #EyeDonationMonth, and encourage others to do the same.
• Lastly, you can help any time by signing up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor online at DonateLifeWyoming.org or DonateLifeColorado.org!