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| Vol. 23, No. 9 |
| May 15, 2001 |
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FROM THE PRESIDENT It's one of the hardest questions a health care worker has to ask and one of the most difficult for a family to answer - "Do you wish to donate the organs of your loved one?" Often the answer is "Yes," but not often enough. In this country, 75,000 patients are waiting for organ transplants. Six thousand Americans, 16 people a day, died last year because there were not enough organs available. We all want to make a difference, to contribute something during our lifetime. What better way than to donate what we no longer need, but which may make a difference between life and death for someone else? During National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week April 15 to 21, LifeGift (a federally designated, not-for-profit organ procurement organization) and the Heart Exchange Support Group unveiled a new license plate that will increase the awareness about the need for organ donation. The license plate features a green ribbon and reads "Give Life. Be An Organ Donor." Becoming a donor involves two simple steps. First, fill out a donor card, available from LifeGift Organ Donation Center at (713) 523-GIFT on the Web at http://lifegift.org. Second, discuss your decision with your family. Do not neglect this most important step in the organ donor process - tell your family. During the last six years, LifeGift has generated a 51 percent increase in organ donors. Congratulations to LifeGift for its success in raising public awareness of this important issue, and congratulations to Memorial Hermann Hospital, which was named the top hospital in organ donations in the country last year. Memorial Hermann is now serving as a model for the implementation of similar programs at other Level 1 trauma centers in Los Angeles, New York and Seattle. Just one organ and tissue donor can provide seven life-saving organs and tissues to enhance the quality of life for many people. Organs include heart, lungs, kidneys, and pancreas. Tissues include bone, skin, eyes or corneas, and heart valves. All are invaluable in overcoming disease, accidents and birth defects. Sharing your decision to be a donor will give your family peace of mind, and touch the lives of many. One family's affirmative response to a difficult question can often spell the difference between life and death for many and an improved life for more.
©2006 Texas Medical Center E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/05_15_01/page_17.html |