Of course everyone’s story about the struggle and strength of undergoing an organ transplant is so important for the public to hear as it helps spread the word and personalize the need to register as an organ donor. But obviously it really helps the cause when someone so well known speaks out about organ donation as their reach is so far and their voice is heard loudly.

Jobs first underwent surgery for a rare form of cancer in 2004 and then  had his liver transplant in March 2009, traveling to a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, because no compatible liver donors were available in his home state of California.

According to a recent Bloomberg Newsweek article about Jobs, the experience prompted the normally very private Jobs to talk publicly about his transplant. In March he reached out to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to back new state legislation aimed at encouraging organ donations.

Jobs said at a March 19 event at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California that he was lucky to get a liver in time as there were not enough livers to go around.

People on the Apple campus are seeing more and more of Jobs as he gets healthier. They are also noticing his creativity and energy are back which is probably pretty obvious with the release of the Apple iPad!

So whether you are a Mac or PC, please continue to use your voice (and your computer!)  like Jobs and the many other heroes who speak on behalf of organ donation to help promote the gift of life every day.

Ooops I missed it as I had family in town on Sunday night – well I can catch it online tomorrow. Oh darn, this episode wasn’t available yet on Monday morning. I can catch it Tuesday – nope, too tired to watch a show that night. Wednesday – oh I have a meeting….Thursday?? What? No specific conflict? Nothing to make up? So I halfheartedly typed www.abc.com to see if it was available. Yep, it’s out there and yep it’s streaming to my computer and yep, 2 minutes later I was crying like a baby.

Within moments of the opening, we hear that baby Jhett had been in cardiac arrest 6 times before receiving his life-saving heart. His family lost him six times!

He was basically waiting on his death bed until that miracle heart came to him. As Jhett’s mom puts it, “because someone gave their heart, he is still here today.” I don’t care how many times we hear that phrase at Donate Life, it never gets old. It still sends chills down your spine and makes you wonder in amazement at the hardships people have to endure and at the same time appreciate the generosity of perfect strangers.

We want to thank ABC for promoting the important message of registering to be a donor. Seeing the Donate Life registration and posters on the show makes us appreciate that the producers didn’t just create a show to make their viewers get sucked in and cry; they wanted the public to take action. Ty Pennington actually encouraged everyone to register on the Donate Life donor list.

One of the other organ recipients on the show said, “This is a celebration of my 10 years with a donated kidney and pancreas, but another family is feeling the sorrow all over again as they remember the loss of their 13 year old son. By making this thoughtful and caring decision to donate his organs, I have my life”.

So yes, I may have cried my eyes out once again, but I only had to avoid the pain of watching and feeling for these amazing people, I didn’t have to experience the true pain and joy of this gift of life.

Thank you to all of you who share so deeply with all of us so we can continue to promote and support this beautiful gift.

If you have some spare tissues, check it out for yourself at http://abc.go.com/watch/extreme-makeover-home-edition/92244/254210/the-skaggs-family

While in B.C., Chris took some time from his training to visit  B.C. Transplant, a local organ donor organization, and made sure to promote organ donation as part of his role in the spotlight.

When he was on the waiting list for a new liver, Klug made a commitment that if he received a second chance, he would use it to promote organ donation. He devotes a lot of time to educating people about organ donation, and he set up a charitable foundation, the Chris Klug Foundation (CKF), in 2004 as well as his “Donor Dudes” program  which educates high school and college aged kids about the importance of organ and tissue donation, and increases the number of people who are taking action

“I’m here today because of it, and the impact one donor can have is so significant,” he said. “The way I look at it is why not help someone else if I’m not here anymore?”

Klug also said,

“I think it’s a really great opportunity for me to really trumpet that cause. (Being here) certainly highlights the heroes organ donors are and hopefully encourages people to consider it, know the facts and share that decision with their family.”

Here’s to all of our heroes – the organ donors – who gave of themselves to bring life to someone else!

Now let’s continue to spread the word!

You may have viewed this yourself on the recent episode of  “Undercover Boss” featuring Joseph DePinto, CEO of 7-Eleven.  Joseph was filmed working incognito as an entry-level employee at several  7-Eleven stores. In the process, he became acquainted with an employee in need of a kidney transplant and vowed to help.

If you missed it, watch it now at http://www.cbs.com/. It was very refreshing to see a large company  promoting not only good business, but but also good corporate citizenship. It reminds us  that people really do want to help, they just need to know our stories so they can.

As DePinto fumbles through coffee-making 101, he is also quite charmed by the coffee maker, Delores, in their Shirley, NY location. She knows all of the customers by name and DePinto is convinced the customers do not come here for the coffee; they come to say “Good Morning” to Delores. When he finds out Delores is in need of a kidney transplant yet continues to maintain an upbeat personality and hard working attitude, he decides to create a program in her honor to help find her the kidney she needs.

DePinto’s segment with Delores ends with “Delores, you’re amazing”. Joseph, we think you’re amazing too. Thank you for understanding and promoting this very special need.

Klug will be one of the most experienced athletes at the Games, with Olympic competitions in 1998, 2002, and 2010.  In 2006 he put together a training group called America’s Snowboard Team and won a spot on this year’s U.S. team.  He recently finished eighth in parallel giant slalom at a World Cup event.

We’ll be glued to the TV February 27^th cheering on this amazing athlete, celebrating his life, honoring his donor and offering hope to the thousands of people in the U.S. awaiting an organ transplant.

According to CBS, “THREE RIVERS is a medical drama that goes inside the emotionally complex lives of organ donors, transplant recipients and surgeons at the preeminent transplant hospital in the country, where every moment counts.”

Please tune into CBS on Sunday, October 4th at 9pm and watch “THREE RIVERS”. Then complete a brief online survey to share your opinion of the show’s first episode. The survey will be posted at www.donatelifehollywood.org but is not accessible until after the show airs.

We are especially interested in capturing the opinion of people who have been personally touched by donation, work in the area of organ/tissue donation and transplantation, are in the medical field or partner with promoting state donor registries, . We will share the results of this survey with CBS and on www.donatelifehollywood.org after the data is collected. Thank you for your participation in this effort!

Go to www.donatelifehollywood.org after the show to complete the survey.

Misperceptions, sometimes suggested or strengthened by TV dramas, continue to serve as barriers preventing the public from registering as donors.  People who are undecided about registering as a donor are most vulnerable to the influence of what they view.

A 2009 online survey for Donate Life America revealed 51% of people who are undecided about donation incorrectly believe doctors may not try as hard to save their lives, or are unsure they will, if they know their patient wishes to be a donor.

The sources of this misperception likely are varied, but I’m interested in whether you think it reflects a lack of education about the donation and transplantation process or a general distrust of the medical system. Secondly, how can we correct this misperception and effectively convey the message the “doctor’s priority is to save your life?”