April 29, 2014 – The poem below, “To be of use” by Hind Baki, was submitted to Donate Life California in the week leading up to the Donate Life Run/Walk at Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, April 26, 2014. It was written after an article in the Los Angeles Times by Anh Do that described the final hours in the hospital for Kim Pham, the young woman killed in a beating outside a Santa Ana nightclub on January 18, 2014, and how Kim’s choice to be an organ donor saved several lives. Nearly 100 of her family and friends walked in her honor at Saturday’s Donate Life Run/Walk. The family was presented a copy of the poem. We’re now sharing it with the Donate Life Community, with permission from the author.
To be of use
By Hind Baki
(Copyright April 2014)
In the country where I was born,
when all the neighbors came to mourn
they would fill our grieving days,
murmuring this Arab phrase: “may the life be yours”
I didn’t understand it then,
but now that grief has come again,
I see the line continue,
connecting us like sinew. What remains endures.
And that is why I cling to this,
my time on Earth, my right to bliss.
I will use each inch of me,
savor every memory. All else will be yours.
Through the years, and what they’ve taken,
worn down, misused, pushed and shaken:
when it’s time to meet my fate,
I won’t need a single crate. I will be just fine.
Take all of me that others need,
this skin, these eyes that loved to read.
I borrowed them; they’re on loan
just like this tissue and bone. For a while, they’re mine.
Not yet—I still have much to do:
delight in songs, and dance with you,
words to write, and lips to kiss,
you under my fingertips. My, how life’s divine!
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.
Donate Life California and California Highway Patrol Launch Special License Plate
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 24, 2013 – With shared missions to save lives, Donate Life California and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) announced today a special license plate to spread the life-saving message that organ and tissue donation saves lives. The license plate features the Pink “DONOR” Dot, which also appears on driver licenses and ID cards across the state, along with the message “Save Lives! Be an Organ & Tissue Donor.”
Reservations are officially open for the new Pink Dot Plate. All Californians are encouraged to consider reserving one today to show support for this life-saving endeavor. As soon as 7,500 paid reservations have been obtained, production of the colorful special license plates can begin. Proceeds from the license plates will save lives by supporting Donate Life California’s statewide outreach and education programs on organ and tissue donation.
“My husband, Kenyon, was a registered organ and tissue donor. He believed in helping people which is why he was a CHP officer. When he died and became a donor, I knew that’s what he wanted. He saved lives even at the end of his,” said Karen Youngstrom. “I will think of Kenyon every time I see a Pink Dot Plate driving down the highway. I hope it will serve as a reminder how precious life is.”
Officer Kenyon Youngstrom was shot and killed in the line of duty on Sept. 4, 2012 on Interstate 680 in Alamo, California. Through the gift of organ donation, he saved the lives of four people waiting for the gift of life.
“Because of Officer Youngstrom’s decision to register as a donor at the DMV, his wish of helping others continues even after his tragic death. The recipients of his organs have the gift of time and can lead normal lives again,” said Lisa Stocks, President of Donate Life California. “We hope our new Pink Dot Plate will inspire others to consider registering as organ and tissue donors as the special plates drive throughout California.”
”The CHP’s mission is, and always will be, to save lives,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “We are proud to remember Officer Kenyon Youngstrom as a hero in life and after his life ended. His decision to register as an organ and tissue donor will have lasting impact to those who now have a ‘tomorrow’ because of him. It is with great pride that we sponsor this life-saving initiative to support Donate Life California and to encourage Californians to sign up to be organ and tissue donors.”
Currently, more than 21,000 people need life-saving organ transplants in California. One person can save up to eight lives through organ donation and improve the lives of 50 others through tissue donation. Californians can register online at www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or by checking “YES!” at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Media Contacts:
Brianne Mundy, Program Manager, Donate Life California, 515-988-0476, brianne@donatelifecalifornia.org
Fran Clader, Director of Communications, California Highway Patrol, 916-843-3310
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.
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 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. 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.
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.
The Donor Network West (formerly CTDN) has announced that a Bay Area heart transplant recipient will represent Northern California on the 2014 Donate Life Float in the New Year’s Day Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.
Arthur “A.J.” Reyes, 28, joins organ and tissue transplant recipients from across the country aboard the Donate Life float. This year’s theme, “Light Up the World” recognizes the gift of life provided by organ and tissue donors. Read more about Reyes, the 2014 Donate Life Float and CTDN here.
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.
April 29, 2014 – The poem below, “To be of use” by Hind Baki, was submitted to Donate Life California in the week leading up to the Donate Life Run/Walk at Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, April 26, 2014. It was written after an article in the Los Angeles Times by Anh Do that described the final hours in the hospital for Kim Pham, the young woman killed in a beating outside a Santa Ana nightclub on January 18, 2014, and how Kim’s choice to be an organ donor saved several lives. Nearly 100 of her family and friends walked in her honor at Saturday’s Donate Life Run/Walk. The family was presented a copy of the poem. We’re now sharing it with the Donate Life Community, with permission from the author.
