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Donate Life California Legislative Action Days 2014

In support of April as Donate Life Month, Donate Life California, along with staff and volunteers from California’s four organ recovery organizations, visited Sacramento on April 7-8, 2014 for a series of events designed to educate and generate awareness of the need for organ and tissue donation.

The events kicked off on Monday, April 7, as Assembly Speaker John Pérez proclaimed April as Donate Life Month from the Assembly floor of the California State Capitol Building.

Donate Life California later hosted a reception at the Capitol to recognize three California state legislators: Assemblyman Rocky Chávez and Assemblyman Dr. Richard Pan received the “Legislator of the Year” Award for their leadership and steadfast support of saving lives through organ and tissue donation. Assemblyman Jim Frazier was the recipient of the “Rising Star” Award for his efforts over the past year.

Donate Life Ambassadors, Donate Life California Board Members and staff from the organ recovery organizations attended the reception and marked a new milestone of 11 million on the state registry. Jean Shiomoto, DMV Director and Sarah Grassinger, mother of 3-year old liver recipient Riggs presented at the reception which was also attended by California State Legislators and their staff.

On Tuesday, April 8 Donate Life California held a news conference to announce that through its partnership with the DMV, the state organ, eye and tissue donor registry had reached 11 million. Assembly Speaker John Pérez, DMV Director Jean Shiomoto, Donate Life California Board President Cindy Siljestrom, heart transplant recipient Dr. Kevin Anderson, and Katie Salcone mother of 4-year old liver recipient Luca Salcone, spoke at the event.

Small groups then broke off to visit the offices of 32 state Assemblymembers and Senators to educate them about organ and tissue donation. Volunteers with a personal connection to donation – as a donor family member, living kidney donor or transplant recipient – shared their story to give a face and a name to lives saved by organ donation and transplantation.

California Assembly Speaker John Pérez with Donate Life California Board Members, volunteers and staff on the Assembly Floor.

California Assembly Speaker John Pérez with Donate Life California Board Members, volunteers and staff on the Assembly Floor.

 

 

Sarah Grassinger and son and liver recipient at the Donate Life California Reception at the State Capitol.

Sarah Grassinger and son and liver recipient at the Donate Life California Reception at the State Capitol. Sarah shared her family’s story at the awards reception.

California Assembly Speaker John Pérez, DMV Director Jean Shiomoto, Senator Art Torres and the Donate Life California Board of Directors.

California Assembly Speaker John Pérez, DMV Director Jean Shiomoto, Senator Art Torres and the Donate Life California Board of Directors

Volunteers and staff from OneLegacy at the Donate Life California "Legislator of the Year" and "Rising Star" award ceremony at the State Capitol.

OneLegacy volunteers and staff at the Donate Life California “Legislator of the Year” and “Rising Star” award ceremony at the State Capitol.

Katie Salcone and her son and liver recipient at the Donate Life California News Conference at the State Capitol. The Donate Life California Donor Registry reached 11 Million.

Katie Salcone and her son and liver recipient at the Donate Life California News Conference at the State Capitol.

Dr. Kevin Anderson, heart transplant recipient

Heart recipient Dr. Kevin Anderson speaks at a Donate Life California news conference on April 8, 2014 at the State Capitol.

 

Donor father Keith Crawford

Donor father Keith Crawford with Malaika Singleton of the Senate Office of Research and Juan Reyes of Assemblywoman Shirley Weber’s office.

Donor sister Ruby Fernandez, donor son Alex Parajon, and OneLegacy team member Lizbeth Fiesler at the April 7 Donate Life California Reception at the State Capitol.

Donor sister Ruby Fernandez, donor son Alex Parajon, and OneLegacy team member Lizbeth Fiesler at the April 7 Donate Life California Reception at the State Capitol.

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.

New National Record: 11 Million Californians Say “YES!” to Saving Lives as Registered Organ, Eye & Tissue Donors

SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 8, 2014 – 11 MILLION CALIFORNIANS are registered organ, eye and tissue donors. With this new milestone, California broadens its footprint as the largest organ, eye and tissue donor registry in the country and the world.

Donate Life California, which manages the state-authorized donor registry, joined the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) today to announce this milestone and to kick off National Donate Life Month. Each year in April, Donate Life organizations in all 50 states participate in a nationwide campaign to inspire their communities to register as organ, eye and tissue donors to save and improve lives.

“Today, we celebrate and thank each and every one of the 11 million people in our state who have signed up on the Donate Life California Registry,” said Cindy Siljestrom, Donate Life California Board President. “Your registration gives hope to the 21,000 people who wait for the gift of life in California. Some will die waiting for an organ transplant that doesn’t come in time due to the lack of available organs. Our hope is everyone will choose to be a donor to save lives. Even with our milestone number of 11 million registrations, only one out of every three adults in California is a registered donor. I encourage all Californians to register today to give hope to those who wait.”

The continued growth of the registry gives hope to the countless families who depend on the altruistic kindness of strangers to extend the lives of their loved ones.

Luca Salcone, liver recipient

Luca Salcone, liver recipient

“An organ donor hero saved my son’s life,” said Katie Salcone of Folsom. “We almost lost Luca, but thanks to a liver transplant in the eleventh hour, we get to watch him grow up. I don’t know how we’ll ever adequately thank our donor or his/her family. We share our story with the hope that everyone will register as a donor at the DMV or online – it’s truly a life-saving opportunity.”

Three years ago, Katie and Chris Salcone were told their 18-month-old son, Luca, needed a liver transplant immediately. Without it, he had only days, if not hours, to live. But, his chances of a liver match being found in time were very, very slim. Against all odds, a match was found that very night, thanks to someone saying “yes” to organ donation.

In California, residents can join the registry by checking “YES!” at the DMV or signing up online at www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org.

“The DMV is proud to partner with Donate Life California. Organ and tissue donation gives people from all walks of life a second chance at life,” said Jean Shiomoto, DMV Director. “The ability to impact organ and tissue donation through the DMV process is our privilege and responsibility. We are honored to be an instrumental part of saving and healing lives.”

The DMV is an important Donate Life California partner, with 95 percent of California’s 11 million registered organ, eye and tissue donors having checked “YES!” while applying for or renewing their California driver license or ID.

California Assembly Speaker John Pérez also joined Donate Life California and the DMV in celebrating the 11 million registry milestone. Speaker Pérez is a long-standing supporter of Donate Life California and a proud donor son. His father became an organ donor when he passed away a few years ago.

“I am deeply grateful for the work that Donate Life California and their volunteers do every single day,” said Speaker Pérez. “The work they do makes a profound difference in the lives of the people on the waiting list and their families. Our state has the largest population of folks needing an organ transplant, and Donate Life California helps spread the message that all of us have the opportunity to give someone a new lease on life by becoming an organ donor. I am proud of the work they do to spread this vital message to every Californian.”

Fast Facts:

  • In 2013, organ, eye and tissue donors in California saved more than 3,000 lives, and improved thousands more with eye and tissue donation.
  • 18 people across the country die each day awaiting life-saving organ transplants.
  • More than 21,000 people (about 20 percent of the national list) who wait for a life-saving organ transplant live in California.

About Donate Life California:

The Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry is the nonprofit, state-authorized organ, eye and tissue donor registry. As a 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 at the time of an actual donation opportunity. The registry is administered by Donate Life California and California’s four nonprofit, federally designated organ recovery organizations: Donor Network West (formerly CTDN), Lifesharing, OneLegacy and Sierra Donor Services. For more information about Donate Life California; how organ, eye and tissue donation saves and improves lives; and to sign up, please visit www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or in Spanish at www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org.

More Fast Facts from Donate Life California:

  • All major religions support or permit organ, eye and tissue donation.
  • You’re never too old to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor.
  • Do not rule yourself out! People with all medical conditions are potential donors.

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.

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 Shares its Mission of Saving & Healing Lives at 51st California Hospital Volunteer Leadership Conference

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 21, 2014 – Donate Life California, the nonprofit state-authorized organ and tissue donor registry, participated in the 51st California Hospital Volunteer Leadership Conference hosted by California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (CAHHS) in Sacramento, Calif., Feb. 18 – 21, 2014. Along with the state’s four federally authorized organ procurement organizations (OPOs), Donate Life California called on hospital volunteers to support its mission to save lives by inspiring Californians to register as organ, eye and tissue donors by demonstrating:

– How hospitals can and do support organ, eye and tissue donation.
– How volunteers can inspire Californians to save lives by registering as organ, eye and tissue donors.
– What transplant recipients and donor families need from hospital volunteers.

Donate Life California hopes volunteers will:

– Register as organ, eye and tissue donors at www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org and encourage five others to sign up as well.
– Contact their local OPOs to get involved.
– Utilize Donate Life California resources.

“We are grateful to CAHHS for this opportunity to educate hospital volunteers about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation,” says Charlene Zettel, CEO of Donate Life California. “More than 21,000 Californians are awaiting life-saving organ transplants. Sadly, many will die waiting. But through our partnership with CAHHS, we can give hope to those on the transplant waiting list.”

About Donate Life California:
The Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry is the nonprofit, state-authorized organ, eye and tissue donor registry. Registrations are recorded in a confidential database that is only 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 (formerly CTDN), Lifesharing, OneLegacy and Sierra Donor Services.

Fast Facts from Donate Life California:
– One organ donor can save up to eight lives, one tissue donor can enhance the lives of 50 people.
– 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 to read inspiring stories about organ and tissue donors and recipients from around the state.

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.