Tag Archives: Gift of Life

29 Jul

Donate Life California Responds to Recent Media Coverage: Reaffirming Our Commitment to Transparency, Trust, and Life-Saving Facts

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – In light of recent articles published by The New York Times and other media outlets, Donate Life California is reaffirming its commitment to serve the people of California with clear, accurate information about organ, eye, and tissue donation.

“Donation is a deeply personal decision,” said Jim Martin, Chief Executive Officer of Donate Life California. “Our role is to ensure every individual has access to the facts they need to make that decision with confidence and trust.”

Since the publication of the July 20 article by The New York Times, Donate Life California has experienced a significant increase in public inquiries and concerns. In just a few days, more than 2,500 individuals across California have removed themselves from the state’s organ donor registry—a sobering reminder of how misinformation can influence decisions with life-or-death consequences.

“The stories as reported do not reflect the work Californians organ procurement organizations do each day to honor donors and save lives,” Martin continued. “Key facts about donation procedures and safeguards were omitted, leading to public confusion and fear.”

Currently, more than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for a life-saving transplant. Nearly 20,000 of them reside in California. Every person who unregisters as a donor represents a missed opportunity to save or heal lives.

The articles in question highlight donation after circulatory death (DCD), a carefully regulated medical practice rooted in ethical standards and clinical rigor. DCD allows more families to carry out their loved ones’ wishes and increases the chances of saving lives. Like all forms of donation, it is based on the foundation of informed authorization and governed by strict protocols.

“We support transparency and accountability in all aspects of our work, including in response to media coverage,” said Martin. “We welcome open dialogue and are here to answer questions about how donation works and how it saves lives.”

Donate Life California encourages members of the public with questions or concerns to visit www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or contact the organization directly at info@donatelifecalifornia.org. For those seeking more information about DCD or the donation process in their region, a list of local Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) is available at: https://donatelifecalifornia.org/about-us/local-donation-resources.

“Organ donation is one of the most meaningful gifts a person can give,” said Martin. “As we navigate these conversations, we do so with a deep sense of responsibility to educate, advocate, and uplift the truth—because lives depend on it.”

Media Contact:

Jim Martin
CEO
Donate Life California
jim.martin@donatelifecalifornia.org
916-678-6044

25 Apr

By
Lacey Wood

in
Events Press Release

Watch LIVE at 10am PST the 18th Annual Donate Life Run/Walk

Facebook Live Broadcast this Saturday, April 25, to Feature ABC7 Anchor Phillip Palmer, Grammy Award-Winning Music Group All-4-One, NASCAR Racer and Donor Son Joey Gase, and Many More

LOS ANGELES-Continuing its mission to inspire local communities to donate life through meaningful events, and in response to the current COVID-19 state and federal recommendations to shelter in place, OneLegacy’s Donate Life Run/Walk is going virtual in 2020. The first Donate Life Virtual Run/Walk will include a special broadcast on YouTube and Facebook Live this Saturday, April 25, at 10 a.m. PDT.

The Donate Life Run/Walk goes virtual this Saturday, April 25, to celebrate 18 years of inspiring local communities to donate life. To participate, register at http://donateliferunwalk.org/.

As the largest event of its kind in the nation, the Donate Life Run/Walk gathers over 12,000 participants at Cal State Fullerton every year to celebrate the power of donation and transplantation. The first virtual run/walk is inviting organ, eye and tissue donation advocates, as well as health and wellness enthusiasts, to join the live broadcast from home and participate in their own way.

“Whether they eat their breakfast from their couch, run or walk around the block, or pace from the hallway to their kitchen, we want participants to join us on YouTube or Facebook Live for a unique experience tailored to these unique times,” said Kathleen Hostert, executive director of the run/walk and public education manager for OneLegacy, the nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in the seven-county greater Los Angeles area. “For the last 17 years, we have gathered thousands of participants and volunteers at Cal State Fullerton to share the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. My husband, Craig, and I look forward to our 2020 virtual run/walk, expanding our reach beyond Southern California to several states in the U.S. and countries around the world. This will be a wonderful event to honor the power of organ, eye and tissue donation.”

A moving opening ceremony will start the broadcast, co-hosted by ABC7’s news anchor Phillip Palmer as well as longtime Donate Life Run/Walk host Jim Rhoads. Special appearances include Grammy award-winning music group All-4-One; NASCAR racer and donor son Joey Gase; and dozens of organ, eye and tissue donation advocates who will open their homes to share their experience and inspire those watching the virtual event.

A VIRTUAL EVENT FOR DONOR FAMILIES, RECIPIENTS AND DONATION ADVOCATES

For the 18^th consecutive year, hundreds of donor family members will participate to honor the memory of their loved ones. More than 200 donor family teams will join 22 hospital teams and nearly 2,500 participants that include dozens of hospitals; organ, eye and tissue recipients; health and fitness enthusiasts; and corporate and community groups to celebrate the gift of life.

Since 2007, team Schreiber has gathered every last Saturday in April to honor the life and legacy of David Schreiber. David was 43 when, in 2005, he suddenly passed away from a massive stroke. He was a Long Beach native who believed in family and community. He left behind a wife, an 18-year-old daughter, a 3-day-old son, a brother, sister, niece and nephew. It was his wish in life to donate upon his death, and OneLegacy helped fulfill that wish for David when the time came. David donated his liver, tissue and corneas.

Sharon remembers her first Donate Life Run/Walk, “My son, Aaron, was a toddler when we participated in our first run/walk; and our daughter had just graduated high school. Alexandria as an adult never misses the chance to attend the run/walk to honor her father, and Aaron is now 14 and has not missed one yet! The Donate Life Run/Walk is a special event for us to remember David’s life and for Alex and Aaron to learn more about their dad’s story and the many lives David healed and saved through organ, eye and tissue donation.”

The Donate Life Virtual Run/Walk is produced by OneLegacy, the largest organ procurement organization in the U.S. dedicated to saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in seven Southern California counties.

“Donate Life Month is celebrated every year in April, and we are excited to expand our reach on our first Donate Life Virtual Run/Walk,” said Tom Mone, CEO of OneLegacy. “We look forward to inspiring those who join us on social media, whether they belong to the communities we serve or are joining us from cities across the U.S. and beyond, to register as donors and help save the lives of nearly 113,000 people across the country who are currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant.”

All proceeds from the Donate Life Virtual Run/Walk benefit the OneLegacy Foundation, with a goal to enhance OneLegacy’s public education efforts to inspire others to donate life and conduct research studies to improve the lives of recipients and optimize the organ, eye and tissue recovery process.

The 2020 sponsors for OneLegacy’s first Donate Life Virtual Run/Walk include ABC7, Albertsons, Vons, Pavillions, W.L. Butler, The Whole Enchilada, CareDx, Cedars-Sinai, Century 21, UC Irvine Health, Skechers, R. J. Noble, Tangent Systems, Greystone, CRCA (Consumer Reporting Compliance Associates) and Wescom.

For additional information and to register online to participate in this year’s Donate Life Virtual Run/Walk, visit DonateLifeRunWalk.org, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

To register to become an organ, eye and tissue donor, visit https://donatelifecalifornia.org/OneLegacy or http://doneVIDAcalifornia.org/OneLegacy.

About OneLegacy

OneLegacy is the nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in the seven-county greater Los Angeles area. With more than 200 hospitals, 10 transplant centers and a diverse population of 22 million, OneLegacy is the largest organ, eye and tissue recovery organization in the world.

For more information about OneLegacy, visit OneLegacy.org, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

09 Nov

By
Ruy Laredo

in
Events News

November 9th Marks the Beginning of National Donor Sabbath

Beginning today November 9^th and thru November 11^th, Donate Life California invites you to join us in celebrating National Donor Sabbath! Every year, we celebrate National Donor Sabbath for persons of all faiths to honor donors who have saved lives through organ, eye and tissue donation.

Along with taking a moment to pause and honor all the donors who have saved lives, National Donor Sabbath also looks to spread the word about the importance and need of organ, eye and tissue donation across all faiths and congregations. With over 114,000 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, the need for new organ donors remains critically important.

National Donor Sabbath Encourages Education on Organ Donation

When it comes to registering as an organ and tissue donor, many mistakenly believe that their religion prevents them from being an organ and tissue donor. In fact, most religions support and even encourage organ donation.

Over the past five years, key religious figures such as Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama have vocally expressed how organ donation is one of “the greatest service(s) to mankind.” Many religions believe organ donation to be a final act of kindness and generosity. If you are interested in checking out the views of various religions on organ donation, please click here.

National Donor Sabbath encourages all faith leaders and followers to research his or her religious group’s tradition and position on organ and tissue donation and transplantation, as well any other ethical issues that may be of concern. In addition, each faith leader should be mindful of any new resolutions or positions adopted at his or her religious group’s national assembly. The group’s position is also subject to change at any moment.

How You Can Help This National Donor Sabbath

For all those attending religious congregations on this National Donor Sabbath weekend, we encourage you to strike up conversations about organ and tissue donation with your fellow parishioners. Additionally, discussing the matter with your leaders of faith may encourage them to bring up the topic of organ, eye and tissue donation during your service. And as always, we encourage you to share our message of saving lives through your own social media outlets. For additional information on National Sabbath, please click here.

Before we let you go, here are some quick facts on organ donation that you can share with members of your congregation:

Almost 35,000 patients began new lives in 2017 thanks to organ transplants (about 92 every day).
Nearly 22,000 people in California – over 114,000 people nationally – are currently waiting for an organ transplant.
Sadly, over of 20 people die every day while waiting, because the organ they needed is not donated in time.
A living donor can save a life by donating a kidney or a portion of their liver, lung, pancreas or intestine. For more information on living kidney donation, go to Living Donation California.
On average, there are more than 30,000 tissue donors and more than 1 million tissue transplants are performed each year; the surgical need for tissue has been steadily rising.
Approximately 40,000 patients have their sight restored through corneal transplants each year.