Donate Life California Hits 3 Million Signups!
Governor Schwarzenegger Helps Celebrate Success
“Assemblymember Sharon Runner (R-Lancaster) awaits a double lung transplant. She and Governor Schwarzenegger encourage all Californians to sign up to give life through the DMV or online at: www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org.
More than three and a half million Californians are now on the Donate Life California Registry – giving real hope to the 20,000 people in the state awaiting life-saving organ transplants, and the tens of thousands of others needing a tissue transplant.
California hit the three million mark during April’s Donate Life Month. To help celebrate, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called a capitol press conference to praise those who have pledged to save and improve lives.
"The benefits of organ and tissue donation are simply staggering," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "I am proud of the three million Californians who have signed up to be organ and tissue donors. Each person who becomes a donor can save the lives of eight people and dramatically improve the lives of 50 people. It truly is the gift of life."
The Governor, joined by families, legislators, Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) representatives and allied health professionals, urged all Californians to follow the lead of the three million who have signed up to save lives.
The number of individuals who wait for a life-saving transplant continues to increase every day. California has the highest proportion of people on the national organ transplant waiting list, with about 20 percent of the nearly 100,000 candidates awaiting a life-saving transplant in the state.
Registered organ and tissue donors saved or healed more than 3,000 people in 2007. Anyone can sign up on the Donate Life California Registry and, unlike blood donation, there are few automatic rule-outs.
The success of the Donate Life California Registry owes much to its partnership with the DMV. The vast majority of the registry's three and a half million designated donors have signed up since the DMV began enrolling designated donors in July 2006. Due to the five-year license renewal cycle, two-thirds of California drivers have not yet had the opportunity to check 'yes' when they renew their license, and the Governor and state lawmakers urge individuals to do so.
"Those 'pink dots' are more than mere symbols; they have taken on the power of advanced directives for organ and tissue donation for any California motorist who proudly chooses to display them," DMV Director George Valverde said.
In all cases in which an eligible donor has not registered with Donate Life California, the donation decision falls on families, who consent to donation in about 60 percent of cases. When families are unsure of what their loved one wanted, they may decline to donate. Thus, the decision to be a donor can be a gift both to one's family and to potential recipients.
*Donate Life California is a nonprofit, state-authorized organ and tissue donor registry, administered by California's four nonprofit, federally-designated organ procurement organizations, each responsible for facilitating the donation process in the state: California Transplant Donor Network, Golden State Donor Services, Lifesharing and OneLegacy.
Mrs. California Uses her Title to Save Lives --
GSDS Donate Life Ambassador Tiffany Ellison Spreads Message of Donation
Mrs. California, Tiffany Ellison, speaks out for organ and tissue donation.
Mrs. California's son, Connor may need a liver transplant
Ten-year-old Connor Ellison may need a liver transplant and his mother, Mrs. California, is doing all in her power to bring about awareness of the need for donations across the state and nation.
Mrs. California, Tiffany Ellison of Folsom, believes dreams do come true. As she heads to the Mrs. America competition in Tucson, Arizona on September 2, she holds fast to her belief that she will be crowned and her 10-year-old son, Connor will be healthy again. Connor was born with a deadly liver disease – congenital hepatic fibrosis – and may need a liver transplant.
Tiffany is doing all in her power to make one dream fuel the other.
Her motivation for winning Mrs. America is to use the national platform to encourage all Americans to sign up to give life to the nearly 100,000 people – like her son, waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.
“If Connor someday needs an organ donation, I’m not just going to sit back feeling sorry, I’m doing something,” says Tiffany. “I’ll use the national stage to encourage everyone to take just one minute – one minute, that could mean years of life for others – and sign up on their state’s registry. In our state, it’s the Donate Life California registry, and people can sign up either through the DMV when they get their driver’s license or online at: www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org.”
Both Connor and Tiffany know the power of believing you can bring about positive change, simply by envisioning your goals.
For Connor, that goal has always been to play football.
“His whole life he’s dreamed of playing football,” says Tiffany. “We live in a big football town, everywhere you turn, there’s football. Every Halloween Connor is the same thing – a football player.”
Tiffany feared Connor would never be able to be able to play. But, Connor, trained by his mother, believed otherwise.
Connor and his three siblings (aged 4, 12 and 16) all have a “vision” board in their respective rooms – a cork board where they put up pictures representing the hopes and aspirations they focus on for the future. Connor filled his board with football images – he even glued his face onto a player.
His mother couldn’t bear to tell him that the dream could never come true. Now, she’s glad she didn’t.
That’s because when the local newspaper picked up the story of Connor’s possible need for a liver transplant and his dashed dream of ever playing football – the folks on Folsom’s Youth Football League took notice.
“Someone from the football league called and said ‘Connor is what a Bulldog is – someone who has team spirit and heart. We want him to be an honorary team member – where he will practice, be in the team picture, have a jersey with his name on the back. And while he can’t play in the games, he’ll be there, in uniform – a Bulldog.’ I’m so glad I didn’t stop him from putting dream on his board and believing in it.”
And now Tiffany has on her vision board – a picture of her with a “Mrs. America” sash glued on it – and right above that, a Donate Life logo.
She hopes her vision of a healthy son will become America’s vision when she competes for Mrs. America.
“I can’t imagine if you put a face to the cause, how you could not want to help. It’s the right thing to do, it’s so easy, it’s so simple. It’s about giving life – to dreams.”
212º Donation Summit Turns It Up a Degree
Many forces combined to spark an illuminating day of learning for more than 200 hospital professionals at the recent 212º Donation Summit. Included in the highlights: one marriage proposal from a tissue recipient to a Golden State Donor Services employee, a live musical performance by the “Afterburners”, a howlingly funny comedic performance by Sacramento’s Jack Gallagher, and inspirational stories from transplant recipients and donor families. One audience member described the day as, “First class! It should be mandatory for all hospital-based practitioners.”
The interactive day-long symposium was hosted by Golden State Donor Services (GSDS), in partnership with Sierra Eye and Tissue Donor Services (SETDS), and held on May 15 at the Hyatt Regency. The bi-annual mini-collaborative was fast-paced, inspirational and educational – as local, state and national experts in organ and tissue donation shared how seemingly small things – one degree – can make a tremendous difference for life. (Water goes from simply hot, at 211º to boiling at 212º. With that one degree comes steam… steam that can power a locomotive).
Medical practitioners from 25 hospitals who are on the front line in the donation process every day, listened as two dozen speakers outlined how to improve organ and tissue donation rates, and hardwire leading best practices. The hope was to develop even more champions for life within hospitals who will spark others to action.
As the nationally renowned HRSA consultant Helen Bottonfield put it, “The ability of this audience to change the rates at which organs are successfully donated is essential to the over 1,000 people who are currently awaiting a life-saving transplant in the greater Sacramento area. It’s hoped igniting these medical champions will spark others in area hospitals to action – saving even more lives.”
Tissue recipient Robert Coombs makes surprise marriage proposal to GSDS Hospital Services Coordinator Jennifer Butler, following his remarks on his “life-changing” back surgery which included a tissue transplant of bone.
Jill Thorne, a heart recipient, tells the audience how one transplant translated to three new lives – herself, her daughter Leah and new baby Nolan.
In the culmination of a strategic vision to bring all organ and tissue donation functions under one roof and into a more cohesive working unit, Sierra Eye and Tissue Donor Services is now under the same management as Golden State Donor Services.
As you’ll recall, nearly two years ago, Sierra Eye and Tissue Donor Services moved into the same building as Golden State Donor Services. This allowed both entities to work more effectively together to maximize life-saving donations.
Now, as Executive Director of both agencies, I will move the agencies toward even more integration and overlap of services. This means departments such as Recovery, Hospital Services and Public Relations can now advocate for both organ and tissue donation as they work within community. This will save time, money and most importantly lives.
One of the new programs both GSDS and SETDS are embarking on is the development of our leadership. Specifically, we are utilizing the Quint Studer’s model (author of Hardwiring Excellence) for developing bench strength within our management ranks. This fall we will host a Leadership Development Institute (LDI) for our “Life Leaders” in Nashville for all leaders within Dialysis Clinic Inc. GSDS’ Director of Public Relations, Tracy Bryan, has been appointed to head up the LDI sessions for DCIDS.
Finally, 2008 is shaping up to be a very successful year as it relates to life-saving donations in our area. Specifically, year-to-date (through July 31) Golden State Donor Services has had 34 organ donors, about 25% above last year’s 26 donations during the same time period.
GSDS and SETDS continue to explore innovative ways to work ever more collaboratively in order to fulfill our vision of becoming the leader in the donation community.
Making Sense of First Person Consents
The Donate Life California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry continues to grow (now at 3.5 million registrants) and with that success, the odds are there will be many more “first person consent” donors coming through hospital doors.
What does that mean for healthcare professionals caring for patients who progress to brain death? The short answer is that when a patient’s name and identifying information appear on the donor registry, California law states that the decision is irrevocable and not subject to approval by the next-of-kin, making it a “first person consent.” Hospitals and donation personnel must honor the patient’s decision to give life. When someone adds their name to the state's donor registry they create a legally binding document, an advance directive for organ donation. This relieves the family of the burden of making the donation decision.
More specifically, when the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) is contacted by a hospital with a donation referral, authorized organ and tissue donor personnel conduct a search of the registry database to check whether the potential donor has registered with Donate Life California (through the DMV or online).
If the patient is registered, donation personnel present the donor’s family with the Document of Gift. The OPO then consults the family about the donor’s medical/social history. If the patient was not registered, then the family is supported and approached for donation consent, as has been the practice historically. Families of potential donors are treated with care and sensitivity, whether or not their loved ones are donors.
If a registry case involves the potential of donation after cardiac death - a relatively uncommon circumstance where the patient has suffered a profound brain injury but does not progress to brain death -once the family has decided to discontinue life support, the Document of Gift is presented as evidence of the patient's first person consent to guide the family's decision to consent for donation.
Legally and ethically, it is the responsibility of hospitals to carry out the donor’s decision. Failure to honor a first person consent anatomical gift not only costs lives, but could also put health care professionals involved at legal risk because the law states that no other person can revoke this gift, either before or after the death of the donating individual. First person consent literally means the donor’s decision to give life is given first priority by all involved in the donation process.
Four hospitals within the Golden State Donor Services area have earned the Medal of Honor for Organ Donation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for substantially raising the organ donation rates of eligible donors from their facilities. The four hospitals include: Mercy San Juan (this is the second time they’ve received the honor), Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital (the fourth year they’ve won it), Sutter Roseville Medical Center (their third year) and University of California Davis Medical Center ( second year).
All four hospitals achieved a conversion rate (potential donors who become actual donors) of 75% or greater for a continuous 12-month period. The facilities will receive their national Medal of Honors from the Health and Human Services Department at the fourth annual National Learning Congress in Nashville, Tennessee on October 24th.
Working to bring Department of Motor Vehicles employees into the fold, 15 Donate Life Ambassadors (DLA) from GSDS are leading the state in stepping up to the challenge of feeding and caring for their local Department of Motor Vehicles Field Offices, strengthening relationships key to the ongoing success of the Donate Life California Registry.
Led by DLA Chair Lynn Amer, the committee is made up of volunteers Elizabeth Arteaga, Jan Barney (who passed away in June), Calvin Ballard, Nancy Krueger, Judy Regnier, Jim and Sue Plank, Heidi Cheney, Bob Jennings, Allison Doughty, Barbara Doughty, Chip Atkin, Tom Hobday, Tom Inks and Tim Crompton. These committee members meet with the manager and staff of their assigned DMV every three to four months. During the visits, DMV employees are given new materials, posters, updates and information. The Ambassadors also use their time to learn more from DMV staff about what Registry issues come up with the public as they serve them day-to-day.
Adopt a DMV Ambassadors also work to discover who has been impacted by the gift of life in their adopted field office… finding new connections to our purpose. In several cases, they have learned of DMV staffers who are recipients themselves, or have loved ones who received the gift of life. Many times their fellow employees never knew about it. The sharing has brought them all closer and even more committed to the cause of saving lives.
This past spring, our Adopt-a-DMV Ambassadors requested their local city leaders to proclaim April as Donate Life Month. Eleven cities complied, and the DLA’s presented the proclamations to the DMV Field Office Managers. In some instances, the DMV Managers attended the City Council meetings with their Adopt a DMV Ambassador. The proclamations now hang at a dozen of our local DMVs.
Donate Life Ambassador Judy Regnier accepting City Proclamation from Jackson Mayor and Council members.
Four Donate Life Ambassadors from GSDS/SETDS went for the gold in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the 2008 US Transplant Games (July 11-18). Competitors heart/kidney transplant recipient Lacey Wood and kidney recipient Neal Bazarnik brought home three medals between them. Donor families Barbara Woolen and Senova LaMothe cheered the athletes onto their victories.
The US Transplant Games are held annually to celebrate the success of transplantation, and are open to anyone who has received a life-saving organ or bone marrow transplant.
Heart/kidney recipient, Lacey Wood, is a Gold Medal winner in the 100 Meter Backstroke at the US Transplant Games.
Fantastic Finish for Team “Got the Pink Dot?”
Team “Got the Pink Dot?” made a great showing at the recent Sacramento National Kidney Foundation Walk – coming in as the second top fundraising team for the event, with $3,400. Thirty two GSDS/SETDS staffers, family members, and friends walked and ran in the 5K event, which raised a total of $33,765. Congratulation Team “Got the Pink Dot?”!
Pink donor dots ruled the baseball field on Saturday, July 19th at the River Cats Donate Life Night. River Cat’s mascot, Dinger, donned a huge pink donor dot, and 100 Donate Life Ambassadors followed suit by wearing their pink dot T-shirts. Liver transplant recipient, 15-year-old Samantha Blair, threw out the first pitch of the evening, just after the Donate Life Public Service Ad played on the Jumbotron. By the time the night was over, fans were more informed about the life-saving opportunities opened up by donation – and they were seeing pink!
River Cats mascot “Dinger” dons the pink dot and rounds the bases.
Fifteen-year-old liver transplant recipient Samantha Blair throws out first pitch on behalf of Donate Life Ambassadors at the River Cats game.
National Donor Sabbath
November Marks National Donor Sabbath
National Donor Sabbath marks a special time across the country when clergy and their congregation unite to increase awareness of the critical need for organ and tissue donation.
Although November 14 – 16th marks the official weekend of National Donor Sabbath, faith leaders are encouraged to observe it anytime throughout the entire month of November, or even at some other time in the year. Specifically, GSDS provides area faith leaders with free materials and sample sermons as well as curriculum, allowing them to increase awareness of the life-giving possibilities opened up by donation.
Nearly all religions in the United States support organ and tissue donation as one of the highest expressions of compassion and generosity. Yet, a common reason families give when they choose not to donate is “donation is against my religion.”
Although specific beliefs differ from denomination to denomination, the underlying theme is the same: organ and tissue donation represents one of the highest forms of compassion and giving. These are basic principles upon which all religions are based.
Churches, temples, mosques and other places of worship that observe the National Donor Sabbath do so each in their own fashion. A free resource kit from GSDS is available to fully support efforts.
It is easy to participate. Here are a few ways you can help make a difference for life:
For the sake of all those waiting, we urge all Californians to enroll during November in California’s Organ and Tissue Donor Registry at www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org It is a confidential database that documents a person’s decision to give the most blessed gift of all – the gift of life.
For more information about National Donor Sabbath and to have a free resource kit sent to your place of worship, please contact Vicky Owens at (916) 473-0876 or vowens@donatelifecalifornia.org
You have the power to save lives. Sign on today to the California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry: www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Congratulations to double lung recipient, 31-year-old Carrie Shellhammer, who recently married Zachary Chown on the shores of Lake Tahoe. It was a day of real joy and talk of miracles. That’s because just five years ago, when she was dying in the hospital, Carrie and her mother were planning her funeral – and even chose songs they wanted there. But, on August 9, those songs were instead played at her wedding. Congrats, Carrie and Zachary!
Double lung transplant recipient Carrie Shellhammer went from planning her funeral, to planning her wedding, thanks to the gift of life.
Our sincere thanks to the sponsors of our recent 212º Donation Summit. Your financial helped made the educational symposium for medical professionals a huge success. Our gratitude goes to: Silver Sponsors Sutter Health and RTI Donor Services, as well as Bronze Sponsor, the International Institute for the Advancement of Medicine. Thank you!
Our heartfelt thanks to the friends of family of Donate Life Ambassador and DMV Employee, the late Jan Barney, for their generous donations to GSDS following Jan’s unexpected death. The contributions are being used to further Jan’s vision of the Adopt-a-DMV program. Jan – you are missed.
Congratulations to Donate Life Ambassador, Sheryl Ellison, who recently won Mrs. California International. Like her sister-in-law Tiffany Ellison, (Mrs. California America) she will use her platform to raise awareness of the life-saving possibilities opened up by organ and tissue donation. Her nephew, Connor Ellison, may need a liver transplant.