Give the Gift of Life: Become an Organ Donor

Dear Church Family,

As a member of the FUMC, I want to make each of you aware of the facts about transplantation. If you want to hear my story, please be sure to attend services on Donor Sabbath, November 14, or you can read my full story online at: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=352567871115

Our congregation supports and encourages organ and tissue donation as the ultimate gift from one person to another. For more information, please contact the California Transplant Donor Network at 888-570-9400. You can sign up to be an organ and tissue donor at: www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org, or www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org.

Sincerely,

Bob Young

Transplantation Facts

· All major religions support organ, eye, and tissue donation as an unselfish act of charity.

· Approximately 78 organ transplants take place every day in the U.S.

· On average, a single tissue donor can save or enhance the lives of up to 75 people.

· More than 28,000 patients began new lives last year thanks to organ transplants.

· Approximately 33,000 patients had their sight restored last year through cornea transplants.

· Living donors can provide a kidney, or a portion of their liver, lung, pancreas, or intestine.

· Almost two-thirds of all living donors are relatives of their recipient, most commonly siblings.

· The number of unrelated living donors has more than tripled since 1998.

· To learn more about living donation visit www.transplantliving.org/livingdonation.

· One in 10 deceased donors is age 65 or over.

· Sadly, an average of 18 patients die every day while waiting, simply because the organ they needed did not become available in time.

· On average, 133 people are added to the nation’s organ transplant waiting list each day—one every 11 minutes.

· People of all ages and medical histories should consider themselves potential donors. Your medical condition at the time of death will determine what organs and tissue can be donated.

· More than 99,000 people in the U.S. are currently waiting for an organ transplant. More than 600 of them are 5 years old or younger.

· Annually, there are more than 25,000 tissue donors and 40,000 cornea donors.

· More than 1 million tissue transplants are done each year, and the surgical need for tissue has been steadily rising.