Cobertura Reciente en los Medios

YOU Can Shine A Light On Donation at Home For Blue & Green Day!

On Friday, April 12th, supporters of organ, eye and tissue donation across the United States will celebrate National Blue & Green Day as part of National Donate Life Month!

Why it’s Important:

Today there are nearly 115,000 people in the U.S. awaiting a lifesaving organ transplant and millions more awaiting lifesaving and healing tissue grafts. In Colorado and Wyoming, there are nearly 2,000 people awaiting a lifesaving transplant.

While 69% of Coloradans and 60% of Wyomingites have already signed up on the Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming Registry, April 12^th is the perfect time to show your support and help educate and inspire people to sign up.

How to Participate:

• Change your porch lights - this year, it’s as easy as switching out a light bulb! Just swap out your current porch lights for blue and green ones. You can find the colored lights at your local hardware store for under $5! Get in on the fun and let your neighbors know that YOU support organ and tissue donation! Don’t forget to share your photos with us on social media using #ShowYourHeart and #BlueandGreenDay!

• As always, you can show your support by donning your favorite blue and green outfit! Take a picture, share it on social with why you support organ, eye and tissue donation… and don’t forget to tag Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming!

• #ShowYourHeart project - find our decorating stations and decorate an inspirational cork heart. Remember, you can bring these hearts to participating restaurants or movie theaters and redeem for freebies! Also, be sure to share a picture with you and your cork heart on social media with #ShowYourHeart (while wearing your blue and green, of course)!

• Donate Life America photo contest - wear your best outfit, get a group together for a picture, make your best blue and green food… the options are endless. Just follow the link above to learn how to submit your best #BlueandGreenDay pictures!

• Sign up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org!

What is a Donate Life flag raising ceremony and what does it mean?

Have you ever seen a Donate Life flag raising ceremony? Ever wondered what the Donate Life flag represents? In this post, we’re breaking down what the ceremony means and why they are held, what the flag stands for, and how you can continue to show your support for organ, eye and tissue donation.

National Donate Life Month is just around the corner!

This month-long celebration in April honors the generosity of organ, eye and tissue donors and their families and commemorates all transplant recipients and those still waiting for a lifesaving transplant.

What is a Donate Life flag raising ceremony and what does it mean?

If you have never been a part of a flag raising ceremony or you have driven by a local hospital and witnessed the Donate Life flag flying on their flagpole in April, you’ve probably wondered what it means.

Each year, hospitals across the United States raise Donate Life flags and fly them all month long as part of National Donate Life Month (NDLM). NDLM is a time to spread awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation and to honor those who gave the gift of life. Donate Life flags have served as a nationwide display of unity, remembrance, and hope, while honoring those touched by donation and transplantation since 2006.

Flag raising ceremonies, though unique to the attendees and the hospitals hosting them, is a display of honor and support for organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

Beginning next week, numerous hospitals in our region will raise the Donate Life flag in a ceremonial fashion. To find an event near you to attend, visit our event calendar.

Each ceremony is unique to the attendees and hospital, but the display of honor and support for donation and transplantation holds true across Colorado and Wyoming.

What Does the Donate Life Flag Represent?

Since 2006, Donate Life flags have served as a nationwide display of unity, remembrance and hope. They are a symbol to honor heroic organ, eye and tissue donors.

While Donate Life flag raising ceremonies are often held in April for National Donate Life Month, the Donate Life flag can actually fly all year long.

In Colorado, many hospitals fly the flag every time someone has given the gift of life through organ and tissue donation. Flying that flag is a small yet powerful way to honor selfless donors and their families.

What Can You Do to Show Your Support?

Now that you know what the Donate Life flag represents and why flag raising ceremonies take place in Colorado, we encourage you to keep an eye out for the Donate Life flag when you drive by a local hospital. Some even hold a small moment of silent reverence for donors and their family whenever they see the Donate Life flag flying high.

This April, be sure to #ShowYourHeart in honor of National Donate Life month. Getting involved is easy! Upload a photo, customize it with a heart that represents the gift of life, then share that photo, and why you signed up as a donor, on social! Help us reach 2,000 photo submissions in April to represent the number of people in our local area waiting for a lifesaving transplant.

One way you can show your support and honor all those who have given the gift of life all year long, is to sign up as an organ, eye and tissue donor. You can sign up online anytime at Donate Life Colorado or at the Driver License Office, when you renew or obtain your driver license or state I.D.

If just 2,000 of us inspire one person to sign up, thousands of Coloradans could be saved through organ, eye and tissue donation. Just like to Donate Life flag spreads awareness and honor for the gift of life, you can spread awareness too to help save lives – the lives of our neighbors, friends and loved ones.

Join the celebration this year by signing up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming. Then checkout all the other ways you can celebrate National Donate Life Month with us and #ShowYourHeart!

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Colorado and Wyoming Shine A Light on Donation for National Donate Life Month

#ShowYourHeart for National Donate Life Month this April and help shine a light on donation!

As part of the #ShowYourHeart Project, Donor Alliance teamed up with area hospitals and organizations to help spread awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation.

You're encouraged to get involved and show your support for the nearly 2,000 people in Colorado and Wyoming waiting for a lifesaving transplant.

Check out some of our initiatives this April:

Illumination Project

NEW this year: Participating hospitals across Colorado and Wyoming will be awash with blue and green lights throughout National Donate Life Month to raise awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation!

How it works:

Community members are encouraged to view the #ShowYourHeart Illumination Project. Be sure to snap a picture of the light and share it on social media with #ShowYourHeart!
Hospitals participating in our #ShowYourHeart Illumination Project:

• Cheyenne Regional Medical Center
• Lutheran Medical Center
• The Medical Center of Aurora
• UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies
• UCHealth Memorial Hospital (Colorado Springs)
• North Colorado Medical Center
• North Suburban Medical Center
• Parker Adventist Hospital
• Penrose Hospital
• Porter Adventist Hospital
• Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center
• Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center
• Saint Joseph Hospital
• Sky Ridge Medical Center
• St. Francis Medical Center
• St. Mary’s Medical Center
• Swedish Medical Center
• UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital
• Wyoming Medical Center

Want to shine a light on donation at home? Take part in the fun on National Blue & Green Day by swapping out your regular outdoor lights, for blue and green ones!

#ShowYourHeart Project

#ShowYourHeart with us! Decorate hearts with personalized messages of inspiration to show appreciation for those who have signed up to become organ, eye and tissue donors and inspire others to do the same.

How it works:

Locate a decorating station in your area by checking our map:

Decorate your heart and share on social media with #ShowYourHeart. You're also encouraged to share why organ, eye and tissue donation is important to you!

Decorated hearts can be saved and redeemed for free promotions. Simply take your decorated heart, or show the heart on your driver license, to a participating restaurant or movie theater for special discounts.

More Ways to Get Involved

• Attend one of our events in April
• Check out our online toolkit for free National Donate Life Month Resources
• Follow us on Social Media!

Remember, you can ALWAYS #ShowYourHeart and your support year-round by signing up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org. Then share your decision with your family and loved ones.

Colorado y Wyoming se Iluminan en Apoyo a La Donacion durante el Mes Nacional de la Donacion

#MuestraTuCorazon en el Mes Nacional de la Donación este Abril y enciende una luz por la donación!

Como parte del proyecto #MuestraTuCorazon, Donor Alliance se asoció con hospitales y organizaciones del área para ayudar a difundir el mensaje de la donación de órganos, ojos y tejidos. Te invitamos a participar y mostrar tu apoyo a las casi 2,000 personas en Colorado y Wyoming que estan esperando un trasplante de órganos que les salve la vida. Echa un vistazo a las actividades que temos planeadas para el mes de abril:

Proyecto de Iluminación #MuestraTuCorazon

Varios hospitales participantes en Colorado y Wyoming estarán iluminados en en luces azules y verdes durante todo el Mes Nacional de la Donacion para crear conciencia sobre la importancia de la donación de órganos, ojos y tejidos!

Cómo funciona:

Invitamos a todos los miembros de la comunidad a ver el proyecto de iluminación #MuestraTuCorazon. ¡Asegúrate de tomar una foto de un hospital iluminado y compartirla en las redes sociales con #MuestraTuCorazon

Los hospitales que participan en nuestro Projecto de Iluminacion #MuetsraTuCorazon incluyen:

• Cheyenne Regional Medical Center
• Lutheran Medical Center
• The Medical Center of Aurora
• UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies
• UCHealth Memorial Hospital (Colorado Springs)
• North Colorado Medical Center
• North Suburban Medical Center
• Parker Adventist Hospital
• Penrose Hospital
• Porter Adventist Hospital
• Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center
• Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center
• Saint Joseph Hospital
• Sky Ridge Medical Center
• St. Francis Medical Center
• St. Mary’s Medical Center
• Swedish Medical Center
• UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital
• Wyoming Medical Center

¿Quieres mostrar tu apoyo a la donacion iluminando tu casa? ¡Unete a la diversión en el Día Nacional Azul y Verde cambiando tus luces exteriores normales, por las azules y verdes!

#MuestraTuCorazon con nosotros!

Decora corazones con mensajes personalizados de inspiración como una muestra de agradecimiento a todas las personas que se han inscrito para ser donantes de órganos, ojos y tejidos e inspirar a otros a hacer lo mismo.

Cómo funciona:

Localiza una estación de decoración en tu área revisando nuestro mapa: Decora tu corazón y comparte en las redes sociales con #MuestraTuCorazon. ¡También te invitamos a compartir por qué la donación de órganos, ojos y tejidos es importante para ti! Los corazones decorados se pueden guardar o canjear por promociones gratuitas. Simplemente lleve tu corazón decorado, o muestra el corazón en tu licencia de conducir, en cines o restaurantes participantes para obtener descuentos especiales.

Más formas de participar

• Asiste a uno de nuestros eventos en abril.

• Echa un vistazo a nuestro kit de herramientas en línea para obtener los recursos del mes nacional de Donate Life gratis

•¡Síguenos en las redes sociales!

Recuerda que puedes #MostrarTuCorazon y tu apoyo durante todo el año registrandote como donante de órganos, ojos y tejidos en DonateLifeColorado.org o DonateLifeWyoming.org. Una vez que te registres, no olvides compartit tu decisión con tu familia y seres queridos.

Donation 101: Focus on Relationships

Throughout April, our team of Donation Consultants will be coordinating a variety of hospital activities in celebration of National Donate Life Month. Some of these events include flag raising ceremonies to honor organ and tissue donors and illumination displays to raise donation awareness. Through critical care rounds, lunch and learns, hospital leadership presentations, and donation booths, we will share stories that highlight the lifesaving and healing gifts of organ and tissue donation.

Through the continued collaboration with our hospital partners, and generosity from our donors and their families, we’re able to work towards achieving our mission, to save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation, every day. Last year, we recovered a record number of organs and tissues for transplantation! Our hospital development team recognizes that donation does not happen in a vacuum. Our relationships with hospitals, coroners, funeral homes, and other key partners in the donation process makes the critical difference!

We hope to see you at our donation awareness events. Please stop by to say hello! To find out more about events planned in your hospital contact your local Donation Consultant, visit our events page or send an email to Kim Robuck at krobuck@donoralliance.org.

National Kidney Month: The Importance of Donation

In honor of National Kidney Month this March, we're reminding Colorado and Wyoming residents to think about the health of their kidneys and urge all residents to sign up as organ, eye and tissue donors.

Kidney Disease:

Did you know that 90% of those with kidney disease don’t even know they have it? Kidneys work as the body’s chemical purifier, filtering waste from 150 quarts of blood a day and performing vital functions that help direct red blood cell production and regulate blood pressure. Over time, the kidneys can become damaged with little or no physical symptoms.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, roughly 30 million Americans suffer from kidney disease.

Taking Care of Your Kidneys:

According to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), one in three Americans are at-risk for kidney disease. As mentioned above, since many don't know they have kidney disease, NKF has created a quiz to see if you're at risk.

Early diagnosis is key, so make sure to visit your doctor once a year; general health screenings monitor for kidney function. There are also a few simple steps you can take to help protect your kidneys, including reducing the amount of processed foods in your diet, exercising regularly and staying hydrated.

Local Stats/Facts:

In Colorado and Wyoming, there are nearly 2,000 people on the waiting list for lifesaving organ transplants – and more than 80% of them are awaiting a kidney. Kidneys are the most transplanted organ and the average time a patient spends on the waiting list is 3-5 years. Kidneys are one of several organs that a living donor can give – allowing folks that are able to be a living donor to make a huge impact through organ donation while they are still alive.

For more information on living donation, click here.

Remember, while not everyone can be a living donor, everyone CAN sign up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor after death. Sign up anytime online at Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming.

Does my religion support organ, eye and tissue donation?

Have you ever wondered what your religion says about donation and transplantation? No doubt, this is one of the questions that often comes up when discussing donation and transplantation. The good news is that all major religions support organ, eye and tissue donation, and see it as an act of compassion and love.

In fact, many religions have made statements addressing donation and transplantation. Some religions openly support organ, eye and tissue donation and encourage their followers to consider “paying it forward” by giving the gift of life. Other religions leave the decision to the individual.

Here are two easy ways for you to learn more about your faith’s view on organ, eye and tissue donation:

• Become familiar with your faith’s doctrine

Most people are not aware of their faith’s position regarding organ and tissue donation. Becoming familiar with your faith’s perspective on organ, eye and tissue donation after death will help clear up some of your questions and concerns. You can visit our Faith and Donation page to read statements made by different faith leaders addressing donation and transplantation. These resources include statements made by most religions practiced in the United States.

• Discuss donation and transplantation with your leaders

Another way for you to learn how donation and transplantation is viewed by your faith is to talk to your leaders. By discussing organ, eye and tissue donation with your faith leaders and addressing specific questions, you’ll have a better understanding of your faith’s traditions, ceremonial requirements, and how these are or can be compatible with donation and transplantation. Being informed can provide additional assurance and peace of mind when making the decision to become a donor.

The need for transplantable organs and tissues affects people from all backgrounds regardless of age, race or religion. You have the ability to leave a legacy of love through organ, eye and tissue donation and save lives. You can sign-up anytime online at Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming. Remember, once you’ve signed up, share your decision with your loved ones.

Frequently Asked Student Questions

Through Transplantation Science, an award-winning, free program for 7^th through 12^th graders, many thousands of students throughout Colorado and Wyoming are able to get new perspective on organ, eye and tissue donation. The 50-90 minute workshops at schools throughout the region, aim to give students a better understanding of what it means to be a registered organ, eye and tissue donor and how transplantation works.

During and after these sessions, our educators receive a number of great questions from students. You have probably had similar questions! Checkout the most frequently asked questions and their answers below. If you have a question about organ and tissue donation that is not answered here, review the full FAQs on the Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming registry websites.

Does the family get to meet who they’re donating to?

Sometimes. Soon after donation occurs, the family of a donor will be given general non-identifying information about their loved one’s recipient(s), including age, gender, region of residence, and hobbies/interests. Donor families and recipients may correspond with each other at any time, and this process is facilitated by Donor Alliance and transplant centers in a way that ensures donor and recipient confidentiality. If correspondence continues over time—and both parties agree—they may begin to communicate directly. Some go on to meet each other in person, while others may be more comfortable communicating without direct contact. It is also possible that either party may decline to correspond or meet for various reasons. To learn more about process, visit our corresponding with recipients FAQ.

How does donation impact the donor’s family?

Every family deals with grief differently. However, many families find that donation creates something positive out of one of the most difficult moments of their lives. To read more about how donation has touched some of the lives of donor family members, visit our Donor Family Stories page.

How do the doctors feel in that situation?

This is a personal question dependent on each doctor, and one that we are not able to answer. What we can tell you is, the doctors who care for a patient in the hospital are not associated with the doctors who perform the recovery and transplant surgeries on donors. Medical professionals always try all lifesaving measures and death is declared prior to and independent of donation.

How does the life of the donor change after donating their organs or tissues?

The majority of transplanted organs are provided by deceased donors. However, about 25 percent of organs provided for transplant in Colorado are provided by living donors, or people who donate one of their kidneys or a piece of their liver to someone else. Although living donation requires major surgery—and all major surgery comes with some risks—the vast majority of living donors go on to live a full and active life, with no complications from surgery. It is important to note that signing up on the Donate Life Colorado/Wyoming Organ & Tissue Donor Registry does not pertain to living donation, only to donation after death. Learn more about what you are committing to when you say Yes at the DMV here.

How can I help besides by being a donor?

There are a number of ways to help beyond registering to be a donor.

• #StartTheConversation: Most importantly, we encourage you to talk to your family about your decision regarding donation. Whether someone is signed up or not, it is tremendously helpful for the grieving family when they know what their loved one wanted.
• Volunteer: You may also consider volunteering. We have many events that we staff with our volunteer program, Advocates for Life. The focus of this program is to educate the public about what organ and tissue donation is so that they are able to make an educated decision about being a donor.
• Donate Life Materials & Observances: At our community events, Transplantation Science classes, and local DMV locations, you can get a Donate Life item to showcase your support. In Colorado, consider raising awareness for organ and tissue donation every day by getting a Donate Life license plate at the DMV. We celebrate national observances in our local communities and you can join in on the fun too! Check out the upcoming events and observances in your area.
• Living Donation: Last but certainly not least, consider a living donation. Learn more about living donation here. Remember not everyone can be a living donor, but anyone can sign up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor after death.

What advances have been made through organ transplants?

As in any medical field, there are constant advances and innovation in organ donation and transplantation. We encourage you to do additional research for information on this topic, and choose sites that come from reputable medical resources.

Can you provide any information about the people whose organs students see in Transplantation Science sessions?

In order to protect the families of the donors whose organs are available for our Transplantation Science program, we are given limited information. The information that your educator gave you included all of the details that we have. The important thing to remember is that those donors were people who decided to donate their organs for educational learning.

What happens to the donor after all of the organs and tissues to be donated have been recovered?

Our donors and their families are treated with great care and respect throughout the entire donation process. Following the recovery of organs and tissues from the donor, the donors are returned in a presentable state to their families, often via funeral homes or services. It is the family’s responsibility to make arrangements with a funeral home. Donor Alliance is not involved in the decision-making process when selecting a funeral home, but will work closely with the staff of the funeral home of choice or the coroners to coordinate where the donor will go post recovery.

How do autopsies affect organ and tissue donation?

Autopsies do not prevent organ and tissue donation. Donor Alliance coordinates closely with the coroner’s office to make sure that donation does not interfere with death investigations. If the coroner is aware that it was the wish of the deceased and/or their family to be an organ and tissue donor, they will work to perform an autopsy within a time period that allows for donation.

Thank you to all of the students who continue to share their questions and comments with us! Organ and tissue donation and transplantation can be difficult to understand and talk about, but it is important to ask questions when you don’t understand something. We continue to be grateful to all of the schools and teachers requesting Transplantation Science to help their students gain a better understanding of donation and transplantation.

To learn more about Transplantation Science and schedule your FREE class today, click here.

Can transplanted organs be donated again?

The essential gift of organ donation is the ultimate act of “paying it forward” with the donation of healthy organs and tissues. But what if that gift didn’t have to stop at just one transplant? What if healthy organs could save more than one life? For some on the waiting list for kidney and liver transplants, that dream could become a reality with some transplanted organs now able to be donated again

A new, emerging practice in transplantation allows for the successful transplantation of an organ in more than one recipient. Last year, Doctor Jeffrey Veale, director of the UCLA Kidney Exchange Program made news for successfully transplanting a healthy kidney into a second patient, after the first recipient’s tragic death in an auto accident.

We continue to learn more about transplantation, how the body handles it, and how recovery works. In the case of many recipients, a healthy organ - even one that has been transplanted before - can still make a big impact. Last year’s procedure by Dr. Veale and his team successfully re-transplanted a donated kidney into a 70-year old woman who had been waiting for a new kidney while on dialysis for close to 10 years.

“I don’t want to see a healthy kidney that was functioning well after a transplant go to waste,” Dr. Veale says. “About 20 to 25 percent of patients who have a kidney transplant die with a functioning kidney. There are so many years left on those kidneys that could save other people.”

The opportunity to expand the viable donor pool could help hundreds of lives each year, estimates Dr. Veale. “Even if we do this and save five lives, it’s worth it.”

There are nearly 115,000 people in the U.S. waiting to receive a lifesaving organ transplant, nearly 2,000 of which are in our community. Signing up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor is quick and easy to do by saying Yes at the driver license office or Driver Services, or anytime at Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming.

Living Donation: How Can I Help?

Nearly 2,000 Colorado and Wyoming residents are waiting on a lifesaving transplant. While Donor Alliance works exclusively with deceased donors and their families, living donation is another way people can help save lives and spare many of the individuals on the transplant list from what can be a lengthy wait.

Local Need:

Of those in Colorado and Wyoming waiting for a transplant, more than 1,400 are in need of a kidney and just over 350 are waiting on a liver, both of which can be donated by living donors.

There are four transplant centers within our region that work with living donors: Porter Adventist Hospital, Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center, Children’s Hospital Colorado and University of Colorado Hospital.

Three Ways Living Donors Can Help:

1.) The most common type of living donation is called directed donation. In a directed donation, the donor names the specific person to receive the transplant, whom is often a family member, friend, coworker or acquaintance.

2.) Some people wish to be a living donor even though they do not personally know someone in need of a transplant. This is known as a non-directed donation. In a non-directed donation, the match is arranged based on medical compatibility with a patient in need.

3.) A third living donation option is called paired exchange. When blood tests reveal that a donor is not compatible for a directed donation with their intended recipient, both the donor and recipient may choose to exchange or “trade” with another incompatible donor-recipient pair. A living donor advocate can discuss this option with donors and recipients if they are not a match.

[caption id="attachment_15909" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Source: UNOS[/caption]

2018 Living Donation Stats:

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), there were nearly 6,900 living donor transplants in 2018 - the most since 2005, increasing 11 percent over 2017!

[caption id="attachment_21111" align="aligncenter" width="472"] Source: UNOS[/caption]

Learn more about living donation, here or contact your local transplant center.

Remember, while not everyone can be a living donor, everyone CAN be a donor after death. To sign up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor after death, visit your state registry website, DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming,org.

Advocates for Life Recognized at Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast

Every year Donor Alliance celebrates our Advocates for Life and all of their efforts at a Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast. This year, more than 150 advocates and their family members attended the breakfast at the Denver Zoo for a morning filled with food, awards, prizes and catching up… followed by an afternoon of walking through the Zoo!

About our Advocates:

Our Advocates for Life put in over a thousand volunteer hours every year helping us out at hundreds of events throughout Colorado and Wyoming. Advocates for Life help with everything from running an information table at a small event, to speaking at a larger event, to helping out in our office, to even sewing together quilts for donor families. We have a hearty group of talented, committed volunteers that truly help Donor Alliance accomplish their mission of saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation.

Our Advocates for Life program is comprised of donor family members, transplant recipients, transplant candidates, living donors and others who are passionate about supporting organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. Donor Alliance Advocates are the heart and soul of our efforts to inspire the public about the importance of signing up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor in Colorado and Wyoming. So, on Saturday, February 9^th, we celebrated them and all they do for us!

Advocate Awards:

Every year we recognize a handful of volunteers that went above and beyond for that year!

For their outstanding work in 2018, we recognized the following:

• Advocate of the Year: Randy Schrantz
• Most Volunteer Hours: Donor Family Quilt Project: Elaine McFarlane, Cheryl Walters, Marilyn Anderson & D’Anne VanGilder.
• Rookie of the Year: Stephanie Burnett
• Uniting Communities: The Tellez Family

Get Involved!

Have a connection to donation and transplantation? Are you a supporter of the cause? We’d love to have you join our Advocates for Life Program. Click here to get started!

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Donación de Órganos y Tejidos: Como Iniciar la Conversación

¿Has hablado con tu familia sobre tu decisión de ser donante de órganos, ojos y tejidos? Iniciar la conversación sobre este tema puede ser un tanto difícil. Es por eso que te presentamos algunos consejos para ayudarte a hablar sobre este tema y compartir tu decisión con tus seres queridos.

Primero que nada, ¿Qué significa registrarse como donante de órganos, ojos y tejidos?

Registrarse como donante de órganos, ojos y tejidos significa que has tomado la decisión de donar tus órganos y tejidos en el momento de tu muerte. Es muy importante compartir tu decisión de ser un donante con tu familia, ya que tu decisión tendrá prioridad sobre las preferencias de su familia.

Tomar la decisión de registrarse como donante y compartir tu decisión con tu familia los libera de tener que tomar esa decisión cuando tu ya no estes aquí, lo cual puede ayudarlos durante esos momentos tan difíciles. Ademas, hablar sobre la donación con tus seres queridos les ayudará a sentirse seguros y preparados cuando se les presente la información sobre el proceso de donación. ¡Así que #InicialaConversacion hoy y comparte tu decisión heroica de salvar y sanar vidas con tus seres queridos!

Aquí hay algunos consejos para ayudarte a iniciar la conversación:

• UTILIZA TU LICENCIA DE CONDUCIR O ID

¡Tu licencia de conducir o identificación es un excelente inicio de conversación! Verifique si el símbolo de designación de donante (un corazón en escala de grises con una "Y" para Colorado y dos corazones rojos para Wyoming) está en tu licencia o identificación. Puedes hablar con tu familia sobre lo que significa el símbolo en tu licencia y preguntarles si ellos tabien tienen uno. Aprovecha y pideles que compartan contigo cuál es su decisión y por qué.

• COMPARTE UNA HISTORIA SOBRE LA DONACIÓN

¿Conoces a una persona que recibió un trasplante o a una familia de donantes? La donación de órganos, ojos y tejidos toca a miles de personas en nuestra comunidad cada año. Comparte una historia sobre alguien que tomó la decisión heroica de ser donante y, como resultado, su decisión salvó la vida de una persona. Puedes encontrar historias locales de Colorado aquí y de Wyoming aquí.

• INFORMATE Y COMPARTE

Un solo donante puede salvar hasta ocho vidas a través de la donación de órganos y salvar y sanar a más de 75 vidas a través de la donación de tejidos. En nuestra comunidad hay casi 500 hispanos esperando un trasplante de órganos que les salve la vida. Informate sobre la donación de órganos y tejidos y comparte tu conocimiento con tus seres queridos.

Inicia la conversación este Día Nacional del Donante, celebrado el 14 de febrero de cada año. Esta fecha brinda una oportunidad perfecta para compartir el amor al registrarse como donante de órganos, ojos y tejidos y luego compartir tu decisión con tu familia. Comparte tu decisión en las redes sociales con #IniciaLaConversacion y e invita a otros a hacer lo mismo. Recuerda que puedes registarte como donante en cualquier momento en línea en Done Vida Colorado.