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CommentAuthoradmin
- CommentTimeMar 10th 2010
Kathy Hafer, whose son Jacob Hafer received a life saving heart transplant speaks about the importance of organ donations. This year, Jacob, now a healthy 14 year old will participate in the U.S. Transplant Games in Madison, WI. Jacob played in the 2008 games and captured a gold medal in basketball for Team Philadelphia. Photo by John Strickler
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CommentAuthoradmin
- CommentTimeMar 10th 2010
LIFESHARERS
" Jacob Hafer was very lucky to get a Heart transplant. Over 50% of Americans on the national waiting list will die before they get a transplant. Most of these deaths are needless. Americans bury or cremate 20,000 transplantable organs every year.
There is a simple way to put a big dent in the organ shortage – give donated organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die.
Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. People who aren't prepared to share the gift of life should go to the back of the transplant waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs.
Anyone who wants to donate their organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers. LifeSharers is a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. Membership is free at www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. There is no age limit, parents can enroll their minor children, and no one is excluded due to any pre-existing medical condition. LifeSharers has over 13,600 members, including 395 members in Pennsylvania.
Please contact me - Dave Undis, Executive Director of LifeSharers - if your readers would like to learn more about our innovative approach to increasing the number of organ donors. I can arrange interviews with some of our local members if you're interested. -
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CommentAuthoradmin
- CommentTimeMar 10th 2010
philvs
" Regarding the comment from David Unis of Lifesharers, luck had nothing to do with Jacob receiving a transplant. It had to do with the generosity and compassion of the donor and their family.
The comment from Mr.Undis should be ignored. Mr. Undis travels the Internet trying to promote a scheme that has been widely dismissed. Those of us who work in the legitimate organ donation and transplantation system urge every American to join the 85 million Americans who have already signed up on recognized state donor registries. They can do that by going to www.donatelife.net.
Mr. Undis has spent more than 6 years convincing just over 13,000 people to join his "organ donor club". The chances of any of them receiving an organ sooner because they're members of his club are nonexistent. And, the odds that there will ever be two lists: a preferred list of registered organ donors, and a "you get the leftovers" list of those who haven't registered, is even smaller. Americans want to help save lives, not punitively deny organs to people who, for whatever reason, may not have registered.
Phil Van Stavern
LifeShare of Oklahoma
(22-year kidney recipient) -
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CommentAuthoradmin
- CommentTimeMar 10th 2010
Mum's support for organ donor appeal
A mum-of-two whose two kidney transplants "changed her life" and enabled her to have children is backing an appeal to get more people to sign the organ donor register.Suzanne Sharp, 48, of Park Walk, Brigstock, was born with organ damage and was told she would probably never have children.She now lives a full and healthy life and has two children Kristian, 17, and Zara, 5.
Last month the Evening Telegraph backed Kettering General Hospital's appeal for people to come forward to help run a new organ donation
committee to promote the importance of organ donation in the community.
Mrs Sharp is one of five volunteers for the committee, which the hospital says is a "fantastic response".
She said: "As the years progress you expect the number of donor cards
to go up but that has not happened. I'm staggered about how low the uptake has been. It simply hasn't moved on.
"It is very positive because it helps people live full and healthy lives.
"Having both of these transplants has enabled me to have two children. I was brought up believing I would never be able to have children so it has changed my life. I'm very fit and healthy and live a normal, hectic life.
"People just need to know how successful it can be and how it is a case of just signing a card. It is just about them signing on the dotted line."
Last week the Evening Telegraph reported how Paul Davies, of Thrapston, has also signed up to the committee to promote organ donation.
He is set to donate one of his kidneys to his son Jordan, 14, who needs a transplant.
The hospital has also appointed a co-ordinator, Angela Waterhouse, who will promote organ donation and liaise with key staff at the hospital.
Currently 10,000 people in the UK need an organ transplant to save their lives but last year only 3,500 operations were carried out.
Research shows that 90 per cent of people are in favour of the principle of organ donation but only 27 per cent actually sign up. -
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