Category Archives: Social Media

SAN DIEGO, Calif., Nov. 26, 2013 – Donate Life California has launched a #GivingTuesday campaign to channel the generous spirit of the holiday season by inspiring others to save lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. #GivingTuesday is a first-of-its-kind effort to transform how people participate in, promote, and celebrate the American tradition of giving. Taking place December 3, 2013, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, #GivingTuesday harnesses the power of social media to create a national movement around the holidays dedicated to giving, similar to how Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become days that are synonymous with holiday shopping.

For Donate Life California, #GivingTuesday aims to inspire a surge of sign-ups on California’s organ and tissue donor registry, generate funds to support statewide education and outreach programs, and to create a heightened awareness for how giving the gift of life saves and improves lives. Right now, more than 120,000 Americans are waiting for life-saving organ transplants; more than 21,000 live in California.

“Last year, more than 28,000 Americans and their families gave thanks to organ donor heroes and their families who saved their lives because they chose to give the gift of life,” said Charlene Zettel, CEO of Donate Life California. “But more than 120,000 Americans still need life-saving organ transplants and the list keeps growing. By supporting Donate Life California on #GivingTuesday, you are helping us save lives, keep families healthy and create a healthier community, country and world.”

There are several ways to support Donate Life California on #GivingTuesday:

– Reserve a Pink Dot Plate for your car or reserve one as a gift for a loved one for the holidays. The Pink Dot License Plate is the perfect way to honor organ and tissue donors and recipients and to promote organ, eye and tissue donation. Proceeds will help support Donate Life California’s education and outreach efforts.
– Make a direct contribution to Donate Life California. Your gift goes towards fulfilling our mission to save lives by inspiring people to sign up with the state organ and tissue donor registry.
– If you haven’t already, register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. For Donate Life registries in other states, go to www.donatelife.net.
– Start an eCampaign to encourage your friends and family to register as organ, eye and tissue donors.
– Share the opportunity to give the Gift of Life by sharing this link – http://bit.ly/I5xOr9#sthash.TOqfgEBL.dpuf – with your friends and family. Post it on Facebook, Twitter, your personal blog – or wherever you know it’ll be seen. The Gift of Life is a gift that keeps on giving!

About Donate Life California:
The Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry is the nonprofit, state-authorized organ, eye and tissue donor registry, which records the decision to donate in a confidential database that is searched by authorized organ and tissue recovery personnel at the time of an actual donation opportunity. It is administered by Donate Life California and California’s four nonprofit, federally designated organ recovery organizations: Donor Network West , Lifesharing, OneLegacy and Sierra Donor Services. As a state-authorized public service, the registry assures that all personal information is kept confidential and stored in a secure database, accessible only to authorized organ and tissue recovery personnel.

For more information about the Donate Life California Registry, how donation saves and improves lives, and to sign up, please visit www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or in Spanish at www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org.

Fast Facts from Donate Life California:
– One in five on the U.S. organ transplant waiting list lives in California.
– Last year, nearly 1,100 people died in our state waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.
– All major religions support or permit organ, eye and tissue donation.
– Anyone can register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor regardless of age, ethnicity or medical history.
Please visit Donate Life California’s Stories of Hope web page to read inspiring stories about organ and tissue donors and recipients from around the state.

About #GivingTuesday:
#GivingTuesday is a movement to celebrate and provide incentives to give. It will culminate with a global day of giving on December 3, 2013. This effort harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners, charities, families, businesses and individuals to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season. #GivingTuesday will inspire people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they celebrate and help create a better world. #GivingTuesday will harness the power of social media to create a global movement that is dedicated to giving around the world. A team of recognized experts and influencers, initially convened by leaders of 92nd Street Y and supported by a core group of founding partners, originally spearheaded this effort. Founding partners in 2012 included United Nations Foundation, DonorsChoose.org, Mashable, Blackbaud, charity: water, GlobalGiving, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Kiva, Darden Restaurant Group, Groupon, Unilever and VentureThree Capital. Leaders in philanthropy, social media, innovative giving, grassroots organizing, marketing and communications are providing counsel and resources to help build this movement.

To learn more about #GivingTuesday, participants and activities or to join the celebration of giving, please visit:

Website: www.givingtuesday.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday
Twitter: twitter.com/GivingTues

Contact:
Brianne Mundy
Program Manager
Donate Life California
brianne@donateLIFEcalifornia.org

###

High concentration of Azithromycin in infected tissues is also caused by the fact that phagocytes and macrophages transport it to the site of infection and release in the area of inflammation. Azithromycin is prescribed in case of illness or injury at the time.

SAN DIEGO, Calif., Sept. 15, 2013 – Donate Life California is encouraging Hispanics throughout the United States to register as organ, eye and tissue donors during National Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. National Hispanic Heritage Month commemorates and celebrates the contributions made by Hispanics across the United States and provides the perfect opportunity to make a life-saving difference by registering as a donor.

Alfonso Garcia

Alfonso Garcia was 15 years old and training to be an amateur boxer when he got sick. His eyes and skin changed to a mustard-yellow color and he was so tired he couldn’t get out of bed. Doctors discovered the Northern California teen had a genetic disorder that caused his liver to shut down and if he didn’t get a liver transplant very soon he would die. About 24 hours after asking his father to call a priest to administer the last sacraments, a donor liver became available. A 22-year-old man had died as a result of a sinus infection. His liver saved Alfonso’s life – and other organs saved two others.

“I was on the edge of dying and, through a miracle, I am alive today,” said Alfonso. “It’s because of a donor and his gift.” Watch Alfonso’s story here or (English) here (Spanish).

Myths regarding donation continue to be major barriers preventing Hispanics from becoming registered donors and saving lives. Donate Life California has created a webpage dedicated to National Hispanic Heritage Month to encourage the Hispanic community to get the facts about organ, eye and tissue donation, talk about it with their family and friends, and help raise awareness using various social media tools.

Statistics

• Nationally in 2012, the lives of nearly 4,000 Hispanics were saved through organ donation and transplantation; about 1,100 of those were in California.
• Many thousands more Hispanics had their sight, health or mobility restored through corneal or tissue transplants.
• Nearly 22,000 Hispanic patients are currently on the U.S. organ transplant waiting list; more than 8,000 are in California.

“Sadly, Hispanics are three times more likely than Caucasians to suffer from end stage renal failure and diabetes. Lack of available organs means longer waiting periods on transplant lists, years spent on dialysis, and sometimes death,” said Charlene Zettel, CEO of Donate Life California. “As with other minorities, Hispanics have the best chance for a successful organ transplant if the donor is of the same ethnic background.”

To register as a donor or for more information about how to get involved please visit www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org.

About Donate Life California:

Donate Life California is the nonprofit, state-authorized organ and tissue donor registry which records the decision to donate in a secure, confidential database that is searched by authorized organ and tissue recovery personnel at the time of an actual donation opportunity. It is administered by Donate Life California and California’s four nonprofit, federally designated organ recovery organizations: Donor Network West , Lifesharing, OneLegacy and Sierra Donor Services.

Contact:
Brianne Mundy
Program Manager
Donate Life California
619-563-5137
brianne@donatelifecalifornia.org

# # #

High concentration of Azithromycin in infected tissues is also caused by the fact that phagocytes and macrophages transport it to the site of infection and release in the area of inflammation. Azithromycin is prescribed in case of illness or injury at the time.

SAN DIEGO, Calif., August 1, 2013 – Donate Life California celebrates August 1^_7 as National Minority Donor Awareness Week. The nationwide observance aims to educate minorities of the desperate need for organ, eye and tissue donors within multicultural communities. The observance also encourages people from all racial and ethnic groups to become donors by registering at Donate Life California, talking about it with their family and friends, and helping raise awareness by using the social media tools found at www.donatelifecalifornia.org/nmdaw.

Minorities make up 56 percent of the nearly 120,000 men, women and children on the national organ transplant waiting list. In California, minorities make up 72 percent of the nearly 21,000 people on the state’s transplant waiting list.

Ernesto Bravo Chavez, 12, of Palm Springs was just a young boy when he got a kidney transplant in 2005. His donor, Gabriel Barajas of Los Angeles, was a part of the Special Forces team that captured Saddam Hussein. Barajas had returned from three tours in Iraq when he was killed in a car crash. Ernesto says, “My mom always said she wanted to be buried just the way she was born. But now she has changed her mind. She wants her body to help all people, and my dad thinks the same way.”

Minorities are disproportionately affected by illnesses, like hypertension and diabetes, which can lead to end-stage renal disease and the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant, contributing to the higher number of minority patients on the national organ transplant waiting list.

This makes the need for more donors from ethnic minority groups critical. In California in 2012, 2,018 minority patients received organ transplants from 454 minority deceased donors and 311 from minority living donors.  The wait is long and, sadly, 18 people die every day across the U.S. because the transplant they so desperately needed did not come in time.

“Donated organs are matched to recipients by compatible blood type, not race or ethnicity,” says Charlene Zettel, CEO of Donate Life California. “However, certain blood types are more common in ethnic minority populations, which is why increasing the number of minority donors can increase the frequency of minority transplants. Everyone waiting for an organ transplant will have a better chance of receiving one if there are more donors from their racial/ethnic background.”

To register as a donor or for more information about how to get involved please visit www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org.

The Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry is the nonprofit, state-authorized organ and tissue donor registry which records the decision to donate in a secure, confidential database that is searched by authorized organ and tissue recovery personnel at the time of an actual donation opportunity. It is administered by Donate Life California and California’s four nonprofit, federally designated organ recovery organizations: Donor Network West , Lifesharing, Sierra Donor Services, and OneLegacy. For more information about the Donate Life California Registry, how donation saves and improves lives, and to sign up, please visit www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org  or www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org.

High concentration of Azithromycin in infected tissues is also caused by the fact that phagocytes and macrophages transport it to the site of infection and release in the area of inflammation. Azithromycin is prescribed in case of illness or injury at the time.