As we enter the final week of National Donate Life Month, we would like to thank all of the donor families and transplant recipients who have shared their story with the community. Their strength, honesty and openness helps start the miracle and spreads the gift of life to others.

Below are two submissions for the Threads of Life quilt that Donate Life Northwest displayed throughout the region. One is from the giving mother of an organ donor and the second is from a grateful recipient. Please read their stories from their own words:

Submitted by:            Dotty Pantle, mother
In Memory of:            Paul Pantle
September 18, 1971 – May 22, 2007
Organ and Eye Donor

The Donor Program has given us more than I ever could have thought. Paul saved four lives through organ donation and gave two people sight. I have communicated with three of his recipients and can only imagine that being given a second chance at life is a gift beyond expression. I wish only the best for those Paul’s life has touched – so many in so many ways…

When Paul entered a room, you did not need to see him to know he was there. His laughter preceded him, and he always wanted everyone to be having a good time. He had a deep passion for life. Paul’s desire to be a good father was at the center of his life. His soul mate and wife Dawn completed him and he loved his children also. Family reunions, karaoke, Halloween, ATV’s and just having fun were some of the things that gave him so much pleasure.

If Paul called you friend, he would be there for you and do what he could to help.

The flame is gone but we cherish the light and joy of Paul’s memory and see him in all five of his children. Often I still find myself thinking of something I want to tell him only to realize I can’t. We will never forget.

Donor or recipient, reach out and tell your story. It helps with the healing. Others are blessed by each one. This way the gift is paid forward endlessly.

Designed and Submitted by: Signe Wallis, Kidney Recipient
In Memory of:  Her Anonymous Donor

I am a 67 year old great-grandma from Portland, Oregon. To my great surprise, I received my kidney September 4, 2009. Because I have many antibodies in my blood, I wasn’t hopeful.  The kidney is a “perfect” match, and I feel like I’m 40 years old.

I made my quilt square to honor my anonymous donor. I chose the Ohio Star pattern because my kidney came from Cincinnati, Ohio. The material reminds me of fireworks and celebration, and, boy, do I have a lot to celebrate! Last, and most important, the heart in the middle represents my generous donor and family. I am so grateful to this person, and wanted to honor them in some way. I appreciate this opportunity to do so.

Once again, we thank and honor these special people who gave so much of themselves to save another life. What they did was amazing and beyond generous and kind. They started a miracle.

To continue honoring Donate Life Month, we want to share more information about  the public’s attitudes toward donation and related actions.

Donate Life America, in partnership with Astellas Pharma US, Inc., commissioned an online survey of 5,100 adults in the United States. Fielded by Survey Sampling International in January 2010, and compared to the February 2009 survey, findings revealed both positive signs as well as barriers among the public.

Signs of Hope

• A majority of U.S. adults now wish to be organ or tissue donors –56 percent versus 50 percent in 2009.
• Among adults who have registered to be organ or tissue donors, 19 percent were previously reluctant or hesitant to do so.
• Three-fourths (75 percent) of those surveyed want their donation wishes fulfilled regardless of family desires, up from 2009.
• The percentage of adults who believe the organ and tissue allocation system is fair has increased in the past year – 37 percent versus 32 percent in 2009.

Challenges Ahead

• 52 percent of people incorrectly believe that doctors may not try as hard to save their lives if they know they wish to be organ or tissue donors.
• 19 percent of people are not sure they would be acceptable donors.
• Approximately half of adults (48 percent) believe a black market exists in the U.S. for organs and tissue, up from 44 percent in 2009.
• While only 16 percent believe a regular funeral is not possible following donation, this percentage is up from 13 percent in 2009 and 1 percent in 2004.
• 61 percent mistakenly believe it may be possible for a brain dead person to recover from his or her injuries.
• Despite the strong desire for first person consent, many barriers, including lack of urgency, exist regarding registration. 27 percent “just haven’t done it” or “gotten to it.”
• Among adults who wish to donate all or some of their organs or tissue but have not registered to do so, just over half (53 percent) say they do not know how to register, while another 25 percent are neutral.

With this knowledge we see that we have come very far, but  we still have a long way to go. We are more determined than ever to continue to educate and enroll the Pacific Northwest into our state donor registries and  bring new life and new hope to patient’s in need.

April is National Donate Life Month and what better way to celebrate than to reflect on how far we’ve come and where we need to go.

According to a new survey by Donate Life America, 43 percent of people are undecided, reluctant or do not wish to have their organs and tissue donated after their deaths.  This number still sounds high to me, but it is an improvement over findings from last year where 50 percent reported the same.   This statistic shows the critical need to continue to increase the level of support for organ donation to save the lives of the more than 105,000 adults and children on the transplant waiting list in the U.S., an average 18 of whom die each day waiting.

Locally we have increased our registered donors by 2% over last year which is great news! However, the need has also increased at a rapid rate as well.

Locally have 645 people on the organ waiting list

• 500 people are waiting for a kidney transplant
• 124 people are waiting for a liver transplant
• 1 person is waiting for a pancreas transplant
• 8 people are waiting for a combined kidney/pancreas transplant
• 12 people are waiting for a heart transplant

After reading the most recent National Donor Designation Report Card, I am reminded that tremendous strides have been made in transplantation. Did you know that in the early days only siblings (specifically twins) could donate? Today, deceased and living donation among strangers is the norm. Our age criterion has been extended with donors as old as 92 on record! And donation after cardiac death (as opposed to brain death) is sometimes possible which expands the number of organs that can be donated.

The National Donor Designation Report Card states, “Still, with the miraculous success of transplantation, the need for donors continues to increase. In order to meet this need, it is essential that millions of people step forward to register as donors, and that the thousands of people who are asked to make the decision for their loved ones say ‘yes’ to donation.”

So with that, let’s continue to celebrate the great advancements we’ve made and push ourselves to go the next mile until we can meet the local needs of our 645 people and hit that national goal of registering 100 million designated donors!

I am not one to normally watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Not because I don’t like the show, but because I cry so hard I can’t bring myself to watch it. So even though I wanted to see last Sunday’s episode featuring the Skaggs family whose young baby boy, Jhett, was saved because of a heart transplant, I kept avoiding it.

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

The Olympics may be over, but many of us are still buzzing about our favorite snowboarder, Chris Klug, three time Olympian and first transplant recipient to participate in the Olympics. Chris may have come in 7^th in this year’s Mens Parallel Giant Slalom, but he is number 1 in spreading the news about the positive impact of organ donation.

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!

No need to feel too guilty about getting your Big Gulp fix at 7-Eleven. You can actually feel good that you are supporting a company that is now promoting organ donation! With Donate Life America’s assistance, 7-Eleven will be instituting a corporate campaign to educate employees and franchisees about the importance of registering to be organ, eye and tissue donors. They will use their online communications tools, such as email and newsletters, to promote a special website, developed by DLA, to monitor employee traffic to donatelife.net.

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.

Chris Klug, liver recipient and three-time Olympic snowboarder in the men’s parallel giant slalom, competes in the 2010 Olympic Games Saturday, Feb. 27^th. With roots in Aspen, Colorado and Sisters, Oregon, the 37-year old trains on Mt. Hood and Mt. Bachelor half the year.

Rebounding from a liver transplant in 2000, Klug won the 2002 bronze medal in parallel giant slalom, and is a role model for organ transplant recipients. He was the featured speaker for Donate Life Northwest’s Lifesavers Breakfast in 2006 and promotes organ and tissue donation nationally through The Chris Klug Foundation.

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.

The holidays are such a busy time of year. But each year, my family takes a moment to give thanks for what we have by making a financial gift to Donate Life Northwest to support its programs.

It is a cause very close to my heart. My daughter Brooke was diagnosed with a rare liver disease when she was just two months old. Six months later, when doctors believed she just had only days to live, she received her donated liver.

Brooke is now 15 and my family is so lucky for her transplant. We will be forever grateful for her donor’s lifesaving decision to help Brooke.

It really is amazing to think of how many people one person can help just by taking five minutes to sign up on the donor registry. One person can save eight lives through organ donation. That same person can enhance up to 50 more lives through tissue donation. And it is nearly impossible to count the number of individuals affected when their loved one get’s the transplant they have been waiting for.

It’s sad to think about the 2,500 sons, daughters, fathers, mothers and loved ones still waiting for a transplant in the Pacific Northwest. The key to saving lives starts with Donate Life Northwest’s lifesaving education programs which motivate people to sign up as donors.

This holiday, I encourage all you bloggers and supporters to make a financial gift to Donate Life Northwest. As we all know, it takes just one person, one gift, to make a difference.

Safe and happy holidays to you all.

Rodney Whitaker

Donate Life Northwest Board Member

Transplant Recipient Father

GoRecycleYourself.com

Donate Life Northwest recently launched this new microsite targeting 15-29 year olds.  Beginning with the name, the site is designed to have a little attitude, be a little edgy, infuse a little humor in a “green” state – all to ENGAGE, EDUCATE and MOTIVATE.

Why target this audience?

• The lowest percentage of donor registrations is the 15-29 year old age group
• Nationwide they comprise about 30% of deceased organ donors
• As of January 2008, 15-17 year olds can put a “D” code on their Oregon driver’s permit or license. They do not need parental permission.  However, if they actually become potential donors before age 18, their parents must give consent for donation to proceed.
• This age group visits DMV more frequently than any other, and 97% of donor registrations occur at DMV.

GoRecycleYourself.com connects with its audience where they live and work – on the internet.  Scalpel Pal is a game with a Facebook app, design-your-own merchandise is fast and affordable, ads are on Facebook and Pandora, signing up on the donor registry is just a mouse-click away.

Rather than being disrespectful or insensitive about the realities of organ, eye and tissue donation, GoRecycleYourself.com is meant to face the reality of too few donor organs available for those on the growing UNOS transplant waiting list.

Check it out.  Send us your feedback.

Today is a very exciting day for Donate Life Northwest and we’re going to tell you why!  So sit up, scoot closer, quit your online chats and get ready to be amazed…

We are proud to announce the launch of our brand new website GoRecycleYourself.com!  Go ahead, click that hyperlink and give it a whirl.  The website became officially “live” this afternoon and you can be one of the first to check it out!

Created by the media masterminds at DHX Advertising, this website will provide its viewers with fun, interactive ways to learn about donation.  Viewers can also help us spread the word by posting website activities on their Facebook pages, as well as designing their own custom gear to wear around town.  What’s more stylish than internal organs on a t-shirt?

As if all of these treats weren’t enough to send you racing to the site, anyone who plays Scalpel Pal (the website’s interactive game) can enter to win a $50 iTunes gift card!  So please, click here, enjoy our new creation and help us spread the word!