Cobertura Reciente en los Medios

Exciting Events at the Transplant Games of America

The Donate Life Transplant Games of America were held in San Diego, CA on July 29-August 3, 2022. This event occurs every two years and brings together people all around the nation who have been a connection to organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. This year was especially exciting as the Games hadn’t been held since 2018!

Team Rocky Mountain

Representing Colorado, Wyoming and Montana, Team Rocky Mountain, was comprised of 11 people. The team had a blast this year and proudly took home many medals. They competed in a variety of events. These events ranged from running, to track and field, to ballroom dancing and Texas Hold’em. Overall, Team Rocky Mountain brought home 30 medals from the San Diego Transplant Games: 15 gold, 11 silver, and 4 bronze. Additionally, they finished 9th in the team cup award.

Most Rocky Mountain Team members reside in Colorado, and it was exciting to see the camaraderie develop among the team and their loved ones. Many members of Team Rocky Mountain expressed how touching the experience of the Transplant Games was for them to be with the thousands of people who are connected by their stories and so grateful to be alive. Many made new friends all over the nation and friends they hope to meet again at the next games.

Yvette Matthews - Former Advocate for Life and Transplant Games Contestant

Former team member and Advocate for Life, Yvette Matthews, came home with a bronze medal in the 5k race, a silver in 1500m race walk and team trivia, and gold medals in shotput, long jump, softball throw, discus, and 100m run for Team North Carolina. Yvette is a liver recipient who was featured in our My Hero Said Yes campaign. We are excited for her and our partners at Donate Life North Carolina.

Yvette started participating in the games in 2014 when they were held in Houston, TX. The games in San Diego were her 5^th games to date. Yvette is the “most proud of [her] gold medal in the 100m race because this year was the first time that [she] participated in this event since Houston where [she] came in 4^th place.”

In 2001, Yvette was diagnosed with a rare liver disease called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis. During this time, she was put on the transplant list in 2006 and got a liver transplant at University of Colorado Hospital from an anonymous donor in 2013. By participating in the games, Yvette’s goal is to “honor [her] donor by living a full life. It is important for people to know that there is life after transplant.”

Yvette tells us, “the Transplant Games of America are a great way for people in the transplant community to get together every 2 years. You don’t have to be an athlete to participate. Non-sport events include, ballroom dancing, team trivia, corn hole, lyrics for life, quilt making, darts, and Texas Hold‘em. You just have to get to the games and let the momentum of the people and the atmosphere of the crowd carry you along for a week of adrenaline that can’t be matched anywhere.”

If you are interested in attending the Transplant Games of America as a participant, please visit the Transplant Games of America website or email Michael Wells with Team Rocky Mountain at

Learn more about donation and transplantation here. To register as an organ, eye and tissue donor, please visit DonateLife Colorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.

Thousands Celebrate Life at the 23rd Annual Donor Dash 5k

On Sunday, July 17th, 2022 in Denver’s Washington Park, thousands gathered to celebrate life at the 23rd Annual Donor Dash 5k! This year, the event attracted 4,203 participants. Everyone came together from across the nation, representing 46 states.

The Donor Dash is a 5K run/walk that honors the lives of organ, eye and tissue donors; celebrates the lives of organ, eye and tissue recipients; and recognizes those who continue to wait for a lifesaving transplant.

The event featured some old favorites like the Diaper Dash. In addition, it had touching ways to pay tribute to all of the heroic donors. We celebrated those who gave the gift of life through tributes like the Donate Life Memorial Garden and Wall of Honor. 5280 A Capella Group helped us close out the event with a beautiful rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow''.

After we had to pause this in-person event after 2020, we were able to hold it in person once again this year, making the event extra special.

As always, we want to extend a big thank you to all of the participants, sponsors, volunteers and organizations who helped make the 23rd annual Donor Dash a huge success! Watch the 23rd Annual Donor Dash recap video below:

Enjoy the Donor Dash 2022 Recap

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw-6bl4A2VE&t=108s[/embed]

If you couldn’t make it out to the event this year, no worries! You can show your support any time year-round by saying Yes to organ, eye and tissue donation at DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org. If you’ve already said Yes, we encourage you to share your decision with your family.

Be sure to save the date for the 24th Annual Donor Dash scheduled for Sunday, July 16th, 2023.

Book Reviews: Need Summer Reading Ideas?!

Summer is only halfway over and parents are ready for kids to be back in school! Vacations are mostly over, school supplies are on sale and back to school clothes are out in the stores. It’s also when we remember that there is probably a summer reading assignment hiding in the backpack that hasn’t been opened since May. We have a few ideas of how you can start the donation conversation and tackle that summer reading project all at the same time.

While we have a list of books written for adults and young adults on our website, we’ve never ventured into providing ideas for elementary age children. Fortunately, we have some great resources provided by the Donate Life America Youth Education Committee and a family with a Colorado connection. We also included the reading age or grade level with each book.

Honoring Their Donor with a Story about Generosity and Kindness (ages 2-8)

Clayton Sparks Leaves His Mark is inspired by the story of Clayton Sparks, a young man who became an organ, eye and tissue donor in Colorado at the age of 24. Clayton was a kind and generous person and his liver recipient’s wife, Abby, wanted to honor him by writing a book that shared about his life. Abby was expecting twins when her husband, Reid, received the news that he was to receive the gift of life, a liver transplant in 2019. Through the aftercare process, they were eventually connected with their donor’s family and learned that Reid’s liver came from a young man, Clayton Sparks.

After the transplant, Clayton’s parents and the Greys developed an unbreakable bond. The Sparks shared so many stories of what an incredible person Clayton was. Abby said, “I wanted a way to not only share his legacy with our children, but to inspire other children to give selflessly in the way that he did. I wanted to be able to read the story to my two year old twins but also open the conversation about organ donation with other families”. The book is geared towards children ages 2-8 but is a great read for anyone, and encourages others to make an impact on those around them. Abby’s hope is to inspire others to give more, and it opens the conversation about organ donation within families.

The Howl Series (3^rd grade or 630 lexile rating)

Living kidney donor, Brenda Cortez, decided to write a children’s book about her experience after reading her daughter’s college essay about donation. Her book series centers on Howl the Owl and how he and his friends find ways to Help Others With Love. Book 2 – Howl Helps Bella – tells the story of donation through the eyes of Bella as she works to understand what it means when her dad becomes an organ donor.

You can purchase one book or all eight on the Donate Life America website. Purchasing through DLA assists with their mission “to increase the number of donated organs, eyes and tissues available to save and heal lives through transplantation while developing a culture where donation is embraced as a fundamental human responsibility.” Better yet, ask your local library to purchase the books so they are available to anyone!

No matter what book you have your kids pick up this summer, each one is an opportunity to start the donation conversation. Find out more ways to talk about organ, eye and tissue donation at DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.

Are you ready for the 23th Annual Donor Dash?

We are back in person dashing for a cause and bringing awareness to organ, eye and tissue donation in the 23^rd Annual Donor Dash 5K run/walk! Thousands will join us on Sunday, July 17th at Denver’s Washington Park to honor organ and tissue donors, celebrate transplant recipients and recognize those still waiting for a lifesaving transplant. Take the time to also enjoy the Diaper Dash with your kiddos and honor your loved ones in the Donate Life Memorial Garden.

How can I join in on the celebration? Team registration closes on Sunday, July 10^th and online registration closes on Thursday, July 14^th. You can also register the morning of the race at the Registration Tent in Washington Park located near Franklin and Mississippi Streets.

We still are looking for volunteers! Want to attend the event but don’t want to run or walk? Please volunteer! We are always looking for race day volunteers to help us make the Donor Dash a success. Check out volunteer opportunities and sign up here. If you can’t help out at the event, we also have volunteer opportunities available the week leading up to the Donor Dash! To sign up for those opportunities, please send an email to donordash@donoralliance.org.

Where does the race take place? The 5K run/walk and Donate Life celebration all take place in Washington Park. The start line is located near S. Franklin St and E. Mississippi Ave. Join us for our program beginning at 9:30am on the stage in the Expo Area. Click here to view the course map.

Where can you park? Parking is available at South High School across E. Louisiana Ave. on the south side of the park (see map above). Transportation assistance will be provided for those who need it from the parking lot to the start line, near E. Mississippi St. and S. Franklin St. You can reserve transportation assistance for those who are unable to make the trek.

Important news about the balloon release: This year we have a beautiful, new element for the program to replace the balloon release. While we recognize that the balloon release has been a longstanding and impactful element of Donor Dash, Donor Alliance has decided to change this part of the program to be in compliance with Denver Parks and Recreation guidelines. We are actively evaluating more environmentally friendly alternatives to respectfully memorialize the heroic donors gave the gift of life. We invite you to participate in some of the other Donor Dash activities to honor your loved one including submitting their name for the Wall of Honor or requesting an Honorary Sign to be placed in the Donate Life Memorial Garden or along the racecourse.

Important times to know:

• 7:00 a.m. Race Day Registration/Packet Pickup
• 8:00 a.m. 5K Runners Start/Expo area opens
• 8:05 a.m. 5K Walkers Start
• 9:15 a.m. Diaper Dash in the Expo Area for ages 3 and younger
• 9:30 a.m. Program Begins at Stage in the Expo Area with speeches from donor family members and transplant recipients

Check out our FAQ page for any additional questions about the race. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Remember, if you can’t attend or volunteer at the Donor Dash this year, you can always show your support by saying Yes to organ, eye and tissue donation year-round. Signing up is easy, just go to donatelifecolorado.org or donatelifewyoming.org, anytime!

Kids Need Transplants Too: National Pediatric Transplant Week 2022

Every year during the last week of National Donate Life Month, we celebrate National Pediatric Transplant Week, a time to talk about efforts to end the pediatric transplant waiting list and recognize those that have been touched by pediatric organ, eye and tissue donation.

Throughout the week, clinical partners are encouraged to share patient stories, transplant recipients can share their gratitude, and donor families whose children have saved and healed lives through organ, eye and tissue donation are honored.

Donation & Transplantation Pediatric Stats:

Local (Colorado & Wyoming):

• 30 children under 18 are waiting for a lifesaving transplant.*
• The organ most in need for those waiting locally is the kidney.
• There were twelve pediatric donors in 2021.

National:

• 1,850 children under 18 are on the national transplant waiting list.*
• 1,766 children received transplants in 2020.
• There were 860 pediatric donors in 2020.

*as of 4/25/22

Local Children’s Transplant Center:

Children’s Hospital Colorado has helped change the lives of children through transplantation for 25 years. As the only pediatric organ transplant center in our region, Children’s Hospital Colorado has performed more than 1,000 lifesaving organ transplants since 1990, including transplants from generous living donors. Their heart, kidney and liver transplant programs achieve outcomes among the best in the nation.

Children’s Colorado is also home to the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, offering the region’s most experienced pediatric blood and marrow transplant and cellular therapy program where they’ve performed 1,000+ pediatric bone marrow transplants in their 25-year history. The hospital’s Blood Donor Center facilitates lifesaving blood and platelet donations to fulfill 95% of the hospital’s needs.

Local Students Create Children’s Books about Donation and Transplant

Through Donor Alliance’s educational partnership with the Northglenn High School STEM program, two classes of anatomy students created children’s books dealing with the themes of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. These books were presented to Donor Alliance staff and Advocates during Pediatric Transplant Week. We hope to print hard copies of these books and provide them to local transplant centers throughout the coming months.

Ways You Can Get Involved:

• • Share this article or one of the local stories above with your friends and family on your social media pages, be sure to use, #KidsTransplantWeek.
  • Have a story of your own you’d like to share? We’d love to hear it! Share here if you’re in Colorado, or here if you’re in Wyoming.
  • Remember, the best to support National Pediatric Transplant Week is to make sure you are a register donor! Sign up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor after death when you obtain or renew your driver license or any time online at org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.

As a reminder, for anyone under 18 years old, a parent or legal guardian must authorize donation. When obtaining a driver license, 15-17 year-olds may sign up with the intent to be a donor, but until they are 18, a parent or legal guardian makes the final donation decision. Have this important conversation with your teens! Share your donation decision with those you love.

Personas como yo mueren en la lista de espera todos los días, pero hoy estoy aquí gracias a mi donante de riñón.

Mi nuevo riñón me ha dado una segunda oportunidad para disfrutar la vida. Por lo tanto, este mes, en reconocimiento del Mes Nacional de Done Vida y en agradecimiento mi donante, invito a todos los residentes hispanos y latinos de nuestra comunidad a decir Sí a la donación de órganos, ojos y tejidos y a ayudar a dar esperanza a otros pacientes como yo. En este momento, en nuestra región hay alrededor de 1,500 personas esperando un trasplante que salve su vida.

Yo sabía que tenía una enfermedad renal hereditaria, pero en gran parte estaba latente. Después de venir a los Estados Unidos en el 2010, me hice un examen físico de rutina y descubrí que tenía una infección renal, lo que después conllevó a necesitar un trasplante. Después de estar en la lista de espera para recibir un trasplante, mis amigos y familiares comenzaron a hacerse pruebas para ver si podían donar en vida. Mi hermana era compatible. En noviembre, en medio de la pandemia, mi hermana viajó desde Perú para ser mi donante en vida. Estoy muy agradecida porque mi hermana pudo ser mi donante en vida, pero sé que no todos son tan afortunados como yo.

Quiero asegurarme de que la comunidad hispana/latina está al tanto de la importancia de la donación de órganos, ojos y tejidos. Quizá no todos pueden ser donantes en vida, como mi hermana, pero cualquiera persona puede registrarse para ser un donante de órganos, ojos y tejidos después de fallecer. Actualmente, un gran número de personas en la lista de espera pertenecen a comunidades de color debido a una mayor incidencia de enfermedades, como la diabetes y la hipertensión, que conducen a la insuficiencia orgánica terminal. Aunque los órganos y tejidos donados no necesitan ser trasplantados entre receptores de la misma etnia, los trasplantes de órganos realizados entre personas del mismo grupo étnico, por ejemplo, de un hispano a otro hispano, pueden ser más compatibles. Por eso es tan importante que más personas de color, incluidos los hispanos y latinos, nos registremos como donantes.

También es importante que los hispanos/latinos y los inmigrantes latinos de nuestra comunidad sepan que todas las personas de color tienen acceso equitativo a los órganos disponibles para trasplantes, independientemente de su estatus migratorio. Cualquier persona puede ser considerada para recibir un trasplante de órgano. El estado migratorio no determina si un paciente es agregado o no a la lista de espera de trasplantes o si es seleccionado para un trasplante.

El Mes Nacional Done Vida honra a las personas que han sido donantes, celebra la vida de los receptores de trasplantes y busca inspirar a la comunidad para registrarse como donantes de órganos, ojos y tejidos. Hoy comparto mi historia para ayudar a crear conciencia sobre la necesidad de más donantes de órganos, ojos y tejidos, especialmente entre los hispanos y otras comunidades de color.

Tengo la esperanza de poder ayudar a inspirar a otros a decir Sí a la donación de órganos, ojos y tejidos. DoneVidaColorado.org es un excelente recurso con la información necesaria para tomar una decisión informada sobre la donación y registrarse como donante en línea.

Guadalupe (Lupe) Kerr

Receptora de trasplante de riñón

American Transplant Foundation Offers a New Way to Find a Living Donor And Become One

Imagine you or a loved one have just found out that you need an organ transplant to survive. Well, you are in luck, because today, Living Donor Day, April 6, is a great opportunity to learn about your transplant options from our partner, the American Transplant Foundation.*

Last year, 152 people in our community died while waiting for a kidney or became too sick to get a kidney, an organ that could have been safely donated by a living person with little risk to their health (a serious complication rate of less than 1%).

In our region, it takes an average of 3-4 years to receive a kidney transplant. For some people, that is too late. In addition, transplants that come from a living donor generally have better outcomes in the long run.

On the other hand, imagine you have a desire to save a life through living donation but have so many questions and no idea where to start.

Aside from providing a comprehensive Living Donor Toolkit, the American Transplant Foundation’s Potential Living Donor Database aims to fill these gaps.

A new, one-of-a-kind free program, the Potential Living Donor Database (PLDD) is an innovative approach to bridging the gap between those who are seeking an organ donor and those who are willing to consider doing so. This completely free program, along with the Foundation’s other services, offers end-to-end transplant patient support solutions.

Take, for example, Robb. Robb is a loving father and husband from Colorado who, despite many years of battling his kidney disease, was losing the battle and his kidneys began to fail. Robb reached out to the American Transplant Foundation to have his story published through our Potential Living Donor Database.

In his own words, “A living donor will give me the opportunity to be around for my daughters as they grow up”. Thankfully, through the support of the PLDD and his American Transplant Foundation’s mentor John, Robb found a living donor and was successfully transplanted in 2021!

We have also partnered with Missy Franklin, five-time Olympic swimming gold medalist, to promote this program as she helps her father (from Colorado) and aunt (from Michigan) find living donors. Watch their story here.

POTENTIAL LIVING DONOR DATABASE SERVICES

For those interested in becoming a living donor, the database provides:

• more information and resources to determine if living donation is right for you;
• information on how to take the first step, whether you’re donating to someone you know or to a stranger;
• the opportunity to view profiles of people looking for a living donor including how to get tested to be their match, if interested;
• the ability to speak directly to another living donor for questions or support through the whole process through our free 1+1=LIFE Mentorship Program.

For those who are seeking a living donor, the database provides:

• the opportunity to have your very own webpage created on our website for potential living donors to view;
• the ability to speak directly to a mentor who has been through the transplant process and can help with answering questions, providing support, and suggesting ideas for finding a living donor through our free 1+1=LIFE Mentorship program;
• complimentary high quality “business cards” designed and mailed directly to your door with your picture, a QR code to your webpage, and a statement on your search for a living kidney donor;
• the chance to share a personal video message with our 16k+ social media followers.

If you have any questions or would like to be involved in this program, please email us at support@americantransplantfoundation.org.

Living donation is facilitated by transplant centers in our region. Learn more about our local transplant centers here.

Remember, the first and most important step, is to make sure you are a registered donor! Say Yes to organ, eye and tissue donation after death anytime online in Colorado and in Wyoming. Then make sure you share your donation decision with your loved ones.

*This is a guest article from our partner, the American Transplant Foundation.

#EnciendeUnaLuz en Abril, el Mes Nacional de Done Vida

Abril es el Mes Nacional de Done Vida 2022, un momento especial para honrar la generosidad de nuestros heroicos donantes y sus familias, celebrar la vida de los receptores de trasplantes y reconocer a los casi 1,500 habitantes de Colorado y Wyoming en espera de un trasplante que salve su vida. Inspirados por Tony, uno de nuestros voluntarios 'Advocates for Life', quien es un receptor de corazón y riñón, estamos anunciando nuestra campaña #EnciendeUnaLuz, la cual busca crear conciencia sobre la donación de órganos, ojos y tejidos

Todas las noches, Tony enciende dos velas en honor a los trasplantes- o regalos de vida- que recibió de sus donantes. Sin la generosidad de los heroicos donantes y sus familias, Tony—y muchas otras personas como el-- no estarían con nosotros en este momento.

Colorado y Wyoming sean dos de los estados que más apoyo brindan en el país cuando se trata de registrarse como donante de órganos, ojos y tejidos. Sin embargo, aún hay cerca de 1,500 personas en nuestra área, incluyendo más de 500 hispanos que esperan un trasplante que les salve la vida.

#EnciendeUnaLuz en Apoyo a la Donación de Órganos, Ojos y Tejidos

Este abril, invitamos a todos los habitantes de Colorado y Wyoming que nos acompañen y enciendan una luz para crear conciencia sobre la importancia de registrarse como donante de órganos, ojos y tejidos al obtener o renovar su licencia de conducir. Además, distribuiremos más de 1500 kits #EnciendeUnaLuz gratis en nuestra comunidad. El kit incluye una vela LED que funciona con pilas, un letrero "Yo brillo una luz por..." así como información sobre como celebrar con nosotros en el mes de abril.

Si cada uno de nosotros enciende una luz en apoyo a la donación, ya sea en la ventana de su casa o en su oficina, esto ayudará a inspirar a otros a registrarse como donantes. Un solo donante puede salvar hasta 8 vidas a través de la donación de órganos y salvar y sanar más de 75 vidas a través de la donación de tejidos. Al crear conciencia sobre la necesidad de registrarse para ser un donante después de fallecer miles de nuestros vecinos, incluyendo padres, madres, hermanos y amigos podrían ser salvados y sanados a través de la donación. Así que únete a nosotros y #EnciendeUnaLuz este abril. Así es como nos puedes ayudar:

Ordena tu Kit Gratuito #EnciendeUnaLuz

#EnciendeUnaLuz en el Mes Nacional de Done Vida. Se parte de los más de 1,500 miembros de nuestra comunidad que brillarán una luz en apoyo a la donación de órganos, ojos y tejidos. ¿Por qué 1,500? Este número representa a los habitantes de Colorado y Wyoming que continúan esperando un trasplante que salve o sane su vida. Para participar, solo:

• Pide tu kit GRATIS aqui #EncienceUnaLuz. (Incluye vela y letrero #ShineALight)
• Escribe por quien brillas una luz este abril.
• Coloque la vela LED y el letrero en tu ventana o escritorio en el mes de abril.

No olvides tomar una foto de tu letrero y vela y compartirla en nuestra Galería #EnciendeUnaLuz y en tus redes sociales para inspirar a otros a

Día Nacional Azul y Verde 2022

En el Día Nacional Azul y Verde, celebrado el 22 de abril de 2022, acompáñanos a celebrar de dos formas:

1. Iluminación del edificio de la ciudad y el condado de Denver y del Centro Cívico McNichols. Acompaños el 22 de abril a las 7:00 pm y observa cómo el edificio se ilumina de azul y verde en apoyo a la donación.
2. Muestra tu apoyo a la donación de órganos, ojos y tejidos vistiéndote de azul y verde y compartiendo tus fotos en nuestra Galeria #EnciendeUnaLuz o en la página de Facebook @DoneVidaColorado. Queremos ver todas las fotos de empresas, escuelas, hospitales, centros de trasplante, personas e incluso mascotas, ¡todos vestidos con su mejor azul y verde!

Más detalles y toda la información sobre cómo participar se pueden encontrar en nuestras páginas oficiales de celebración del Mes Nacional de Done Vida.

Staff Spotlight: Anne Gaspers

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 Anne Gaspers. Anne is the Public Education Coordinator at Donor Alliance and has been part of the team for 5 years.

This Month’s Staff Spotlight is on Anne Gaspers:

Name: Anne Gaspers

Position: Public Education Coordinator

Years at Donor Alliance: 5 years

Tell us a little about your role with Donor Alliance:

I manage the Transplantation Science program, work with the Driver License staff and train our Staff Speakers Bureau. It’s a lot of moving parts, but the best part is when I get to coordinate and present training.

What do you enjoy most about your role/what’s the most rewarding aspect of your role:

Thinking through how to educate the community about organ and tissue donation and training staff on how to present to the community are my favorite parts. I also really love any opportunity to present our High School Medical Careers presentation and get students excited about possibly coming to work for us one day.

Tell us about a time at work that really moved you, most meaningful interaction you’ve had at a Donor Alliance event? Most moving experience you’ve been a part of?:

Any time I get to present with an Advocate at my side moves me. Hearing our donor families and recipients share their stories with different groups of people and changing it to fit their audience gives me the opportunity to learn more about them, their loved ones and their experiences.

If you could change anything about your life, what would you change?:

I’m a firm believer in living in the present and not regretting anything about your life. However, I’m done with snow. I dream of living in the warmth during the wintertime again!

When you’re not working, what do you like to do for fun?:

I love to spend time with my nieces and nephews, share meals with friends, travel and make things. I’m an avid knitter, crocheter and cross-stitcher. I’ve always got 4-5 projects going.

Thanks for reading our staff spotlight!

Community Impact Report from Jennifer Prinz, Donor Alliance CEO – Saving More Lives Than Ever Before in 2021!

Community Impact ReportThank you for your partnership in saving lives and providing hope in 2021!

Hope is a word we often hear at Donor Alliance. The ripple effect of hope is intangible and hard to represent on a fact sheet. As we share the impacts made by the efforts of our dedicated staff and our healthcare partners who work tirelessly to save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation, please imagine how these efforts also provide hope to donor families. One of our Advocates for Life, Allison Vogel, describes the hope she found after the tragic loss of her son, Tanner, in a car crash:

Allison said, “Knowing that he would be able to save the lives of others gave me hope and the courage to become an Advocate for organ and tissue donation. Being a part of the Donor Alliance family has been such a blessing, as I have met so many wonderful people and made so many friends along the way. My journey into living a life without my son has been so much more meaningful knowing that I am able to continue to advocate for, and educate others about, the gift of life.”

Because of the commitment of the Colorado and Wyoming heroes who have chosen to register as organ, eye and tissue donors, Donor Alliance coordinated another record setting year for organ donation in 2021. Donor Alliance saw a 9% increase in organ donors and facilitated more transplants than ever by 3%, exceeding the 2020 record. The generosity of 234 heroic organ donors and their families provided another record setting 642 lifesaving transplants. We were able to honor the lives of 2,082 heroic tissue donors and their families resulting in over 156,150 tissue grafts becoming available for those in need of a lifesaving and enhancing transplant! In addition to facilitating local deceased donation, Donor Alliance helped coordinate 144 transplants from donors outside of our region, as well as assisting in 56 of the region’s 146 transplants from living donors.

The efforts to educate the community about tissue and organ donation and empower residents to register their donation decision resulted in Colorado and Wyoming leading the country for top donor designation rates claiming #1 in the U.S. and #4 respectively! These numbers reflect the deep community commitment to one another and support for organ and tissue donation! More than one million residents signed up to become donors in 2021, with 986,339 Coloradans and 83,227 Wyomingites adding their names to the organ, eye and tissue donor registries. With some of the highest donor designation rates, or percentage of individuals joining the state donor registries, in the country, at 67% and 62%, support for donation in Colorado and Wyoming far surpasses the national average of 49%, according to Donate Life America.

As long as there is still a need, our work continues. There are nearly 1,500 people waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant in our service area. However, through the generosity of our donors and their families, and the collaboration with our transplant center partners, there has been a dramatic 56% decrease in deaths on the Colorado organ transplant waitlist in 5 years compared to 2016. We appreciate the ongoing commitment and dedication from the Donor Alliance staff and our transplant center partners, to ensure our ability to save as many lives as possible through organ and tissue donation. The generosity of donors and their families and the determination and resiliency of the dedicated staff and volunteers offer hope to everyone touched by donation and transplantation.

Organ and Tissue Donation by the Numbers

In gratitude,

Jennifer Prinz

President and Chief Executive Officer

Ten una Conversación de “Corazón” sobre la Donación de Órganos este Día de San Valentín

En el Día de San Valentín, tradicionalmente, compartimos nuestros sentimientos de amor con cajas de chocolates en forma de corazón, tarjetas de querubines y caramelos de corazón de conversación de color pastel. Pero, ¿sabías que el 14 de febrero también es el Día Nacional del Donante? Para algunos, el legado de sus seres queridos perdura a través de la donación de órganos y tejidos y este es un día para recordar su heroico acto de registrarse como donantes de órganos, ojos y tejidos. Asi como los corazones de conversación nos motivan a compartir nuestros sentimientos de amor, el Día Nacional del Donante puede ser la ocasión perfecta para tener una conversación sincera con tus seres queridos sobre la donación de órganos. Inicia una nueva tradición y ten una #ConversacionDeCorazon este Día de San Valentín y comparte tu decisión de registrarte para donante de órganos, ojos y tejidos después de fallecer. Aquí te dejamos tres tips para iniciar la conversación.

Tip #1: Prepárate con información sobre la importancia de la donación de órganos, ojos y tejidos.

¿Sabías que un solo donante puede salvar la vida de hasta 8 personas a través de la donación de órganos y salvar y sanar a más de 75 personas con la donación de tejidos? Eso es un hecho asombroso, ¿no? Casi 2,000 residentes de Colorado y Wyoming esperan trasplantes que les salven la vida. Comparte los hechos sobre la donacion de órganos y tejidos con tu familia y no olvides incluir a tus hijos. Si están en la escuela intermedia o secundaria, pregunta si su maestro conoce el programa de Transplantation Science de Donor Alliance. Si su maestro no está familiarizado con el programa, comparte esta oportunidad del Programa STEM con ellos o con su escuela.

Tip #2: Conoce la diferencia entre registrarse como donante de órganos, ojos y tejidos y otros documentos legales

[caption id="attachment_33289" align="alignright" width="300"] “Se necesita corazón para elegir la donación de órganos, ojos y tejidos. Pero realmente se necesita mucho más para que tus seres queridos sepan tu decisión. Hay muchas oportunidades para cuestionar las decisiones tomadas al final de la vida de un ser querido. Conocer los deseos de Perri, tener esa conversación sincera, eliminó cualquier duda sobre el tema”. dijo Kelly, madre de un donante. (Perri en la foto con su hermano).[/caption]

Registrarse para ser donante de órganos, ojos y tejidos a través del registro de donantes de tu estado es la mejor manera de designar tu decisión de ser donante después de la muerte. Tomar la decisión de registrarse como donante por adelantado puede ayudar a liberar a tus seres queridos de la carga tomar esta decisión durante esos momentos difíciles o duelo. Las familias de los donantes de órganos y tejidos nos han dicho que tener conversaciones con sus seres queridos sobre su decisión de registrarse como donantes los ayudó a sentirse reconfortados durante ese momento tan difícil.

Después de inscribirte en el registro de donantes de tu estado, puedes optar por agregar tu decisión de ser donante de órganos, ojos y tejidos después de la muerte a otras instrucciones o documentos legales, como testamentos en vida o directivas anticipadas (advance directive). Recuerda, registrarse para ser un donante es una decisión es parte de la planificación para el final de la vida. Si no tienes el símbolo del corazón en tu licencia, significa que no estás registrado. La buena noticia es que puedes registrarte como donante de órganos, ojos y tejidos en cualquier momento en línea, en nuestra página, DoneVidaColorado.org.

Tip #3 Incluye a otros en tu decisión cuando tengas la #ConversaciónDeCorazón.

Una vez que hayas tenido la conversación con tu familia y sus seres queridos, también podrías considerar incluir a tu medico de cabecera, líder religioso y amigos en tu #ConversaciondeCorazon.

Comparta el amor este Día de San Valentín, toma la decisión de regístrate como donante y comparte tu decisión con tus seres queridos. Hoy y siempre, honremos a los donantes, familias de donantes, amigos y vecinos que dijeron sí a la donación de órganos, ojos y tejidos y dieron el regalo de la vida.

Staff Spotlight: Lance Griego

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 Lance Griego. Lance is a Tissue Recovery Coordinator at Donor Alliance and has been part of the team for just shy of 8 years.

This Month’s Staff Spotlight is on Lance Griego:

Name: Lance Griego

Position: Tissue Recovery Coordinator

Years at Donor Alliance: just shy of 8 years

Tell us a little about your role with Donor Alliance: As part of a team of Tissue Recovery Coordinators, My role here at Donor Alliance is to fulfill donor’s wishes to donate by surgically recovering cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and skin tissues from deceased donors for transplantation.

What do you enjoy most about your role/what’s the most rewarding aspect of your role:

The most rewarding part of my job is knowing that I have a direct impact on the community and positively changing people’s lives. Through the donation process people are able to receive life-changing tissue transplants because of the work I do at Donor Alliance. I find that extremely rewarding that not only am I able to fulfill a donor's wish to donate, but also help someone in need of those grafts.

Tell us about a time at work that really moved you, most meaningful interaction you've had at a Donor Alliance event? Most moving experience you've been a part of?:

I don't have a single moment I can think of, but I am moved daily by the people of Colorado and Wyoming’s willingness to help others through donation. I have been to conferences and spoke with many people in public about Donor Alliance or my role here, and repeatedly I hear people say that any way they can help others when they pass away, they want to be able to do that. I think that speaks volumes to the type of people in our two-state community.

If you could change anything about your life, what would you change?:

I don’t think I would change much about my life because everything in the past, good and bad helped make me the person I am today. But I wouldn’t be mad if I had won the Powerball when I was younger!

When you're not working, what do you like to do for fun?:

When I am not working, I spend all my time with my family. I have been married to my incredible wife for 10 years and we have 3 amazing kids, ages 9, 6, and 4. I coach all three of their soccer teams in the fall and spring, so they keep me busy. I enjoy playing soccer and video games, when I have time. We really enjoy travelling and vacations anywhere warm and on the beach!

Thanks for reading our staff spotlight!