MEDIA RELEASES
Record Year for Life-Saving Organ Transplants
More People Giving the Greatest Gift of All – the Gift of Life
Local Woman Holds Out New Hope
(Sacramento/Santa Rosa) Golden State Donor Services (GSDS)* reached a milestone in 2005. For the first time in its 20-year history, the organization had 61 donors in the area it serves (Sacramento and ten surrounding counties, plus the community of Santa Rosa), representing a nearly 22 percent increase. This, in turn, saved 202 lives – almost one every 36 hours – by providing organ transplants to the 570 people on the area’s waiting list. In comparison, GSDS had 48 donors in 2004. (The agency’s previous record of 52 donors occurred in 2003.)
Collaboration with Hospital and Transplant Centers
Success can be credited to the Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative, a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiative that develops and shares best practices among donor hospitals, organ recovery organizations and transplant centers throughout the U.S. HHS recently recognized GSDS hospital, Santa Rosa Memorial, for their outstanding work with the Collaborative program, specifically it achieved a donation rate of 75%. Helen Nelson, Executive Director for Golden State Donor Services explains, “By sharing and learning from others, we have been able to greatly increase our conversion rates, which in turn saves more lives.” (Conversion rates measure the percentage of actual donors to potential donors and the effectiveness of organ donor programs.)
Focus on Donor Families
“Our first focus is on the donor family,” says Nelson. “Even in times of extreme sadness, families find it within their hearts to give life to others. Many tell us they find comfort and consolation knowing they saved lives by choosing to donate.”
A New Tool for Increasing Donations
Golden State Donor Services has also taken a lead role in launching the first ever statewide organ and tissue donor registry, Donate Life California. Since its online inception on April 4, about 210,000 Californians have signed up to give life. As Tracy Bryan, President of Donate Life California and Manager of Public Relations for GSDS states, “We expect the number of people signing up to give life to grow exponentially when the Department of Motor Vehicles begins collecting donor designation information from all drivers license applicants on July 1, 2006. That partnership will provide real hope to the 19,000 people in our state now waiting for a life-saving transplant.”
Hope for Those Waiting for a Second Chance
Thirty-seven-year-old Sonja Powell of South Sacramento hopes the Breakthrough Collaborative, along with the continued focus on donor families and the Donate Life California registry will bring in even more donations in 2006. The single mother of a six-year-old daughter, Precious, waits for a life-saving heart and kidney transplant.
“I want my transplant for the sake of my child – because I’m the only Mommy she has,” says Powell. “I pray to God to let me raise her until she’s grown.”
Life for Sonja Powell has never been easy. She contracted strep throat when she was 10-years-old, damaging her kidneys and requiring her to go on dialysis. She ultimately received a kidney transplant at age 15. Powell’s first kidney didn’t last and in 1992, she required a second one – this one came from her brother – one of sixteen siblings. That kidney lasted nearly ten years, until Powell had her daughter in 2001. Complications during that pregnancy, damaged the second kidney and her heart. Now, Powell must undergo dialysis three times a week, four hours at a time, and her heart works at just 20 percent capacity. Her energy draining, she waits for the ultimate gift - the gift of life.
What can you do?
To get the facts or sign up to become an organ and tissue donor donor, visit: www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org.
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*GSDS is a private, nonprofit agency facilitating organ donation and transplantation in Sacramento and 10 surrounding counties, as well as Santa Rosa.
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