Cobertura Reciente en los Medios
Wyoming Heart Recipient Raises Flag for National Donate Life Month
For over 30 year, Natrona County District Attorney Mike Blonigen has done his part to keep the streets of Casper safe. The prosecutor is known for his strong and eloquent demeanor in the courtroom. What many people don't know, is that Blonigen faced the biggest battle of his life not in a courtroom, but in a hospital bed. In late 2015, he received a badly needed heart transplant. On April 1st, the DA took the time to reflect on his transplant during a flag raising event at the Wyoming Medical Center to kick off National Donate Life Month. Click here to read the story from the Wyoming Medical Center.
Donor Alliance Motored to the 2016 Denver Auto Show!
Donor Alliance had a great presence as an exhibitor at the Denver Auto Show – and this year Donor Alliance was surrounded by Camp Jeep to one side, and luxury marquees (with at least two one-million dollar cars on display) on the other. The new booth area helped to increase awareness of and dialogue around donation as we talked to upwards of 18,000 people from March 16th to the 20th! We had one of the most popular booths at the show with a line almost the whole time to talk to our dedicated Advocates for Life! Donor Alliance once again partnered with the DMV, who encouraged the public to renew their driver licenses and plates online (where people can say ‘yes’ to being an organ, eye and tissue donor).
The Denver Auto Show is one of the largest events in Colorado. This allows Donor Alliance Advocates and staff at the booth to answer the public’s questions about donation, share inspirational stories and relay the correct facts about donation and how it impacts our local community – currently, there are nearly 2,700 people in Colorado waiting for a lifesaving transplant and many more in need of lifesaving and healing tissue. And knowing that everybody likes give-aways, there was plenty of items to spin-and-win – t-shirts, foam ‘stress’ cars, litter bags and more.
Coroner’s Corner: Jill Romann, Douglas County
Elected in November 2014, Jill Romann is serving her first term as Douglas County Coroner. Prior to being elected, she served as Chief Deputy Coroner under the previous Douglas County Coroner.
What about organ and/or tissue donation makes you committed to helping facilitate the donation? I can provide the opportunity of hope in that their loved one will not only live on in their hearts and the hearts of friends and other family, but they will literally live on through organ and tissue donation. I promote a way in which their giving and loving spirit in life can be recognized even in death.
What is the one thing you would want others to know about your work? I’ve been knocking on doors for 25-almost 26 years, and it is time to stop and say Thank you Donor Alliance and thank you to your supporters; Thank you Lion’s Clubs, Lion’s Eye Banks and all other donor agencies. There will be more doors and more parents, but there will never be a more important tool in my professional tool-belt than providing the opportunity for my patients to continue to give in death as they did in life.
What are you most proud of? I’m most proud of saying the right things at the right time, to the right person, all while recognizing and accepting, their terror, anguish, and inability to comprehend or communicate. I’m proud of providing immediate and eventual answers. I’m most proud of them knowing that I too, cherish the lost life of their loved one and I will do everything possible to help them live on.
What book is on your nightstand? The Bible rests on my nightstand along with “Middle East for Dummies.”
Donation 101: Innovation & Teamwork
INNOVATION & TEAMWORK
By Kim Robuck, Hospital Development Manager
Frosting-covered fingers, overloaded carts bearing donation booth items, blue and green day outfits, and sore feet! Hospitals may notice a whirlwind of activity from our Donation Consultants this month as we facilitate donation displays, cake and flag ceremonies, tree plantings, and other events in recognition of National Donate Life Month in our hospitals. While this provides a great opportunity to share stories about the importance of donation, it is only a small part of the work of Donor Alliance's hospital development team.
A typical day for a Donation Consultant starts with a morning conference call to discuss case activity. This communication is critical to ensure that the team works together to coordinate follow-up calls, onsite evaluations, and to provide the appropriate level of support for hospitals.
Nurses, chaplains, physicians, social workers, respiratory therapists, and other key hospital staff fulfill a crucial role in the donation process. Donation would not be possible without this teamwork and we are so appreciative of the support! To strengthen these relationships, you will often find our Donation Consultants rounding in hospitals to provide education, case outcome information, and assess needs.
When we are not following up on cases, you may find us assisting with medical record reviews, providing donation related data to donor teams and quality departments, training hospital designated tissue requestors, or sharing best practices with other organ procurement organizations and re
covery agencies.
One of the messages we have heard from managers, educators, and key hospital staff is that dedicated time for donation education can be a challenge. As a result, our team has worked hard to find innovative ways to share information. This has resulted in quick online quizzes to assess donation knowledge, collaborative coffee cart education rounds, skills day competencies, and newsletter articles. We are now also able to provide CEPTCs at formal educational events, including our Donation Summit and, most recently, our Ambassador Training Workshops. These new workshops provide an in-depth clinical focus on the organ donation process and highlight the importance of working together to maximize the number of lives saved through organ and tissue donation.
Our May Ambassador Training is full, but if you are a medical professional interested in continuing education on organ and tissue donation check DonorAlliance.org/programs/hospital-development-programs for more information on our October Northern Colorado Workshop and others coming soon.
Advocate Spotlight: Warren Wells
After about 30 years of diabetes, Warren's mother’s kidneys started to shut down and she began dialysis. He knew he had to do something to help. After a few months of extensive testing, Warren gave his mother the ultimate gift when donated a kidney to her on Valentines Day of 2003. All of this happened while he was on active duty in the Army in a unit preparing to deploy to Iraq. Thanks to some understanding leadership, Warren was allowed to donate and recuperate before deploying and meeting my unit later on. Now Warren is one of Our Advocates for Life and volunteers to help spread awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation. Help us in thanking this hero!
[caption id="attachment_9053" align="alignnone" width="300"]
SONY DSC[/caption]
Staff Spotlight: Kristina Gleason
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 let you learn more about who we are and why we work at Donor Alliance.
Name: Kristina Gleason
Position: Medical Record Review Coordinator
Years at Donor Alliance: Ten fantastic years!
Why did you choose to work at Donor Alliance? Gratifying and noble work.
Why do you like working at Donor Alliance? I have an impact on people’s lives and am surrounded by people who work hard and care about the work they do. It is an opportunity to help people.
What does donation and transplantation mean to you? Simple, saving and enhancing someone’s life.
Do you have a direct connection to donation and transplantation? Yes. Many years ago, my best friend’s father needed a liver transplant to continue living. Fortunately he received the gift of life, a liver transplant, that has been successful for over a decade, coming up on two decades. I personally witnessed the anxiety and stress of a family in desperate need of a lifesaving organ transplant. My best friend has been able to enjoy many additional years with her father, thanks to the generosity of a donor family.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? I enjoy reading non-fiction, specifically about health, history and science. I enjoy time with my two daughters and am a certified scuba diver.
Lang Family – Donor Family
Perri was a strong-willed, spirited 20-year-old with the most beautiful blue eyes. She was quick to laugh and was a great friend, a devoted sister and a loving daughter. Tragically her life ended on May 6, 2011, the day she became a hero. Perri was able to give the gift of life to three very sick people, donating her liver and both kidneys; as well as changing the lives of many others through cornea and tissue donation.
Vote for the 2016 Donor Dash Race Shirt
The time to vote is now! Here are our 3 finalists for the 2016 Donor Dash shirt design contest! Vote on our Facebook page (Colorado & Wyoming) You can also vote on our Twitter (@DonateLifeCO & @DonateLifeWY) and Instagram (@DonateLifeCO & @DonateLifeWY) pages! Voting ends at noon on Friday, April 1st! Still need to register for Donor Dash? Just head over to the Donor Dash Page to sign up today!
Why Don’t More People Register as Organ, Eye and Tissue Donors?
In 2015, we conducted a study examining Colorado and Wyoming residents’ sentiments about organ, eye and tissue donation. Throughout 2016, we will be sharing some of the results on Donation Essentials to educate on the donation process, barriers to registration and what exactly the little heart on the driver’s license means.
A large number of Colorado and Wyoming residents are registered organ, eye and tissue donors; in fact, both states continue to maintain registration rates higher than the national average. However, independent research we conducted in 2015 also revealed that there is a disparity between the number of people who say that they support donation in theory and the number of people who actually register as donors. When asked, 93 percent of respondents in Colorado and 94 percent of respondents in Wyoming say they support organ donation, but only 75 and 70 percent of respondents are registered donors in those states, respectively.
So, why don’t more people choose to register to donate?
That’s a tough question that doesn’t have an easy answer. Respondents listed common reasons for not registering as simply not getting around to it or being uncomfortable with the overall idea of donation. For 30 percent of non-registrants in Wyoming and 35 percent in Colorado, there is no real reason or they just hadn’t really thought about it.
Like many issues, unless it touches you personally it can sometimes be difficult to truly grasp the importance. However, we encourage everyone to learn about the many transplant recipients that are living right here in Colorado and Wyoming. Also families of donors, who find solace in knowing that their lost loved ones have given new life to patients in need. You can read some of these inspiring stories from our communities here.
Seventeen percent of respondents in both Colorado and Wyoming fell prey to one of the common misconceptions of organ, eye and tissue donation; they didn’t believe they were healthy enough to be donors. Therefore, they didn’t register. Don’t rule yourself out. Regardless of your age or your medical history, anyone can register as an organ, eye and tissue donor. Medical tests at the time of donation will determine which organs and tissues are suitable for transplantation.
To learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation and the reasons to say “yes” to donation, visit our “Why Donate” page, and to register to become a donor, visit Donate Life Colorado.
In Honor of National Kidney Month
This March, in honor of National Kidney Month and World Kidney Day on March 10, we urge Colorado and Wyoming residents to think about the health of their kidneys.
Kidneys work as the body’s chemical purifier, filtering waste from 150 quarts of blood a day and performing vital functions that help direct red blood cell production and regulate blood pressure. Over time, the kidneys can become damaged with little or no physical symptoms. According to the National Kidney Foundation, approximately 26 million Americans suffer from kidney disease and most don’t even know it. Kidney disease develops slowly, and because there are few symptoms, treatment is often delayed until the condition has already caused the body to deteriorate.
Early diagnosis is key, so make sure to talk to your doctor about getting tested annually. There are also a few simple steps you can take to help protect your kidneys, including reducing the amount of processed foods in your diet, exercising regularly and staying hydrated.
In Colorado and Wyoming, there are nearly two thousand people on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. The average time a patient spends on the waiting list is 3-5 years. If you or a loved on are currently waiting on the transplant list, contact your transplant center or visit organdonor.gov for more information about the resources available pre and post transplant, along with family and caregiver support information. For more information on how to register to become an organ, eye or tissue donor visit Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming.
Tiffany’s Story
Diagnosed with complete cirrhosis of the liver and told by doctors to get her affairs in order, Tiffany's life was saved because her hero said yes to organ, eye and tissue donation. “I want to encourage others to understand the importance of this incredible gift of donation." she says, "My transplant has allowed me a second lease on life and time with my family."
Carmen Tarleton – Facial Transplant Recipient
As part of our Donation Summit program we were honored to have face transplant recipient Carmen Tarleton as a special guest speaker.
In 2007, Carmen was brutally attacked with lye by her estranged husband. In 2013 she underwent a ground-breaking face transplant. Now, Carmen travels around the world to tell others about her story of survival and triumph. We sat down with her to learn more about this amazing woman.
* It's important to note that Vascularized Composite Alltransplantations (VCA) currently only take place at a few select transplant centers around the country. It's also important to note that that any recovery is authorized outside of the donor registry.