Cobertura Reciente en los Medios
Get the Facts: I’m Already Registered. Do I Still Need to Say Yes?
You may be positive you have already signed up and have the heart on your driver license, but you still need to say Yes to becoming an organ, eye and tissue donor whenever you’re asked. Your most recent designation is what counts.
According to independent research that we conducted in 2017, 90 percent of Coloradans and Wyomingites support organ, eye and tissue donation, compared to the 68 percent of Coloradans and 59 percent of Wyomingites that are actually currently registered donors. Many residents report never having gotten around to it or not having thought about registering as the top reason they aren’t registered.
To help fill that gap, there are more ways for residents to sign up to become an organ, eye and tissue donor than ever before. Residents in both states can sign up in minutes online at Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming, or in-person at their nearest driver license office. iPhone users—and, soon Android users—can now also sign up as a donor through the iPhone Health app. It’s as easy as launching the app, scrolling down and selecting the red “Sign up with Donate Life” icon and filling out the form.
We encourage residents to sign up using whichever process is easiest for them, but it’s important to remember to always say Yes each time you are asked at the Driver License Office. In Wyoming, residents are required to confirm the choice to sign up each time they renew their license or state ID. Even in Colorado where the registry has moved to a yes-carryover process, if you are asked if you would like to become a donor and know you are already registered, say Yes.
If you are interested in becoming a donor at the time of your death and want more information about the process and all the reasons to say Yes, visit our “Why Donate?” page.
In 2017, we conducted a study examining Colorado and Wyoming residents’ sentiments surrounding organ, eye and tissue donation. Throughout the year, we have been sharing some of the results on Donation Essentials to educate on the donation process, barriers to registration and what exactly the little heart on your driver license means.
COPD: Prevention is Key
Millions of Americans suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a chronic lung disease that worsens over time. As of November, 2018, there are 41 people in our region waiting for a lifesaving lung transplant and of those 41, 20 have been diagnosed with COPD. 
Those living with COPD have an increased risk of developing heart disease and lung cancer. While there is no cure for the disease, it can be treated and more importantly, prevented. With November being COPD Awareness Month, it’s the perfect time to talk about how to prevent COPD and stay healthy!
Symptoms: The two most common conditions that contribute to COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Some of the symptoms are shortness of breath, constant coughing, lack of energy, chest tightness, blueness of the lips or fingernail beds, unintended weight loss and/or frequent respiratory infections. The symptoms often impact work, exercise, sleep and every day activities.
Cause(s): More often than not, lung damage that leads to COPD is caused by long-term cigarette smoking. In some cases, second-hand smoke exposure, cigar smoke or air pollution can play a role in developing COPD, but tobacco smoking remains the number one cause.
With COPD, prevention is key. The best way to prevent COPD is to never smoke, or stop smoking right now, but if you are a smoker, listen to your lungs, and seek treatment if necessary.
This month, take the time to educate yourself about COPD and how to prevent it by checking out these great tools on the American Lung Association’s website.
For more information on how you can help reduce the organ transplant waiting list and to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor, visit DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org. Talk with your family about your decision to donate.
Additional Resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/features/copd-awareness-month/index.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/copd/symptoms-causes/syc-20353679
Advocate Spotlight: Patricia (Pat) Thomas
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Patricia (Pat) Thomas, Donor Mother[/caption]
Donor Alliance volunteers and advocates are the heart and soul of our efforts to inspire and inform our community about the importance of registering as organ, eye and tissue donors in Colorado and Wyoming. Each of our volunteers and advocates has their own unique and inspiring story to tell. This month, we are featuring Patricia (Pat) Thomas, a Donor Mother.
What is your favorite memory volunteering for Donor Alliance? As a Donor mother, my favorite memory while volunteering is when moms register their children to be organ donors and when folks tell me their connection to organ donation stories.
What is your proudest accomplishment? My proudest accomplishment is being the mother of my two great kids!
What song would you sing at karaoke night? Hah! That's quite a question!
What are some of your favorite hobbies? Quilting, walking with my two Westie dogs, and different craft projects!
If you could take an all-expenses paid vacation, where would you go? Since I recently went to the Netherlands and Belgium, I would like to visit Italy.
What is the last book you read or movie you saw? Would you recommend it? The last book I read was Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger. It was very good. I would recommend it.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? "Don't worry so much - it doesn't do any good!"
Staff Spotlight: Keenan Heyde
We’re so proud to work with each and every one of our staff members here at Donor Alliance. In our Staff Spotlight, we like to take a minute to let you learn more about who we are and why we work at Donor Alliance. Keenan Heyde, a Donor Alliance Donation Consultant, has a rich personal and professional history with helping others through donation. Keenan works with many of hospitals in our area and says that he sees "the beautiful" in every day working at Donor Alliance.
Name: Keenan Heyde
Position: Donation Consultant
Years at Donor Alliance: 14
Why I chose to work at Donor Alliance: I worked for Bonfils Blood Center and had been a long time blood and platelet donor and wanted to broaden my experience in the donation world by working with tissue donor families. I was hired as a Tissue Donor Coordinator is March 2004.
Why do I like working at Donor Alliance: I work with so many talented and passionate people at Donor Alliance and my donor hospitals. I learn so much from those colleagues and am inspired by the incredible stories of our donors, their families and recipients. It seems as if every day sees some sort of beautiful and inspirational story at Donor Alliance.
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Keenan Heyde, Donation Consultant, enjoying a day with his son.[/caption]
What does donation & transplantation mean to you? I think of the Donor Family Tribute (DFT) and its theme “lives transformed.” Our donor families are often going through one of the most difficult moments in their lives. The loss of a beloved family member or friend can be devastating and traumatic. Organ and tissue donation can alter their experience by helping them support a legacy of the life of their loved one and the gifts they give to others. On the transplant side, the recipients receive these incredible gifts from these donors and families and complete the cycle of the donation.
Any direct connection to donation & transplantation? I was a long time platelet donor when I was asked to do a granulocyte donation. I was basically a direct match to a child undergoing cancer treatment who needed this particular type of white blood cell infusion. Knowing my blood cells were going to a specific recipient, especially a child, was an “a-ha” moment for me. That is when I really saw the connection between donors and recipients and changed the course of my life. It was at that point I made a commitment to find a career in the transplant world.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? I like to hike, walk, ride my bike and spend time with my wife, son, friends and three dogs.
Donate Life Float Partner Rose Dedication Program
Donor Alliance is proud to collaborate with the Donate Life Rose Parade float on its Partners Rose Dedication Program. The initiative offers Hospital CEOs, Transplant Center Administrators and all donation community partner organizations an opportunity to hand write a rose dedication to be placed on the Donate Life Float.
As a key partner in our mission in saving lives through donation and transplantation we'd like to invite hospitals, transplant centers, DMVs, coroners, funeral homes and all our donation community partner organizations to to craft a personal message in appreciation of organ, eye, and tissue donors to be displayed on the 2019 Donate Life Rose Parade Float, themed Rhythm of the Heart. Upon request, Donor Alliance will provide key partners with a rose vial that contains the tag for writing a personal message. To order a vial for your organization and obtain additional instructions, please contact Karan Collins at 303-329-4747 or kcollins@donoralliance.org.
Our Donation Consultants list our mission of “saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation” as one of their top reasons for working at Donor Alliance. Their ability to accomplish this meaningful goal would not be possible without the support, collaboration, and relationships with our hospital and other key partners. Together, we follow the donation process to fulfill the wishes of families and registered donors to save lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation.
Learn more about the Donate Life Rose Parade float at DonateLifeFloat.org.
Stefan Wilson, IndyCar Driver, to Celebrate DMV Appreciation Week in Wyoming
The annual DMV Appreciation Week, observed nationally, aims to celebrate and honor the hard work of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMVs), administrators and licensing partners across the nation for their partnership and commitment to educating and registering each customer as an organ, eye and tissue donor.
In Wyoming, 60% of those with a driver license or state ID say “Yes” at Driver Services to organ, eye and tissue donation. Wyoming consistently ranks in the top ten among all states for the highest donor designation rate.
Joining the celebration this year is IndyCar driver and recent Indy 500 15th Place Finisher, Stefan Wilson, who is a spokesperson for organ, eye and tissue donation. The brother of a donor, Stefan is a passionate advocate for the cause. He was touched by donation when his older brother Justin died tragically in a racing accident in 2015. Justin was a registered organ, eye and tissue donor and was able to save five lives through donation.
Hoping to inspire and encourage all Wyoming residents to sign up to become organ, eye and tissue donors at the time of their death, Stefan will sign autographs, pose for pictures and meet with the public in the Cheyenne Driver Services office from 1:00pm – 3:00pm. Stefan will be available for interviews with media prior to the event.
Also joining the celebration, Lucy Williamson, a local Cheyenne resident and liver recipient will share her lifesaving story and connection to organ, eye and tissue donation. Lucy is an proud Advocate for Life and passionately advocates for the cause.
Stefan Wilson Meet & Greet
Where: Cheyenne Driver Services
When: Friday, September 28, 2018 from 1pm – 3pm
The DMV Appreciation Week Celebration in Wyoming is hosted by Donor Alliance. Donor Alliance honors the efforts of all staff at the 29 Driver Services offices. This year, thank you cards from transplant recipients, donor families, and wait list candidates will be shared with staff.
Nearly 99% of those on the Donate Life Wyoming registry come through Driver Services. Say thank you this week to your local staff. You can register anytime to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at Donate Life Wyoming.
National DMV Appreciation Week – September 24-28, 2018
National DMV Appreciation Week is a time to recognize and thank the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Driver License offices in Colorado and Driver Services partners in Wyoming for their commitment to supporting Donor Alliance’s mission to save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
According to Donate Life America, “More than 95 percent of donor registrations come through DMV and driver license transactions.” In Colorado and Wyoming, that amounts to the question, “Would you like to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor?” being asked about 1.5 million times each year. Donor Alliance greatly values our partnerships with the DMV and Driver Services. Through training and provision of educational materials to all offices as well as participation in National Donate Life month in April, the DMV and Driver Services work with Donor Alliance to educate and inspire the public to register every day.
During the week of September 24-28, Donor Alliance will be showing appreciation of our Driver License Partners by saying thank you to the hard-working staff and leadership through local events and outreach. Please take the opportunity to reach out to your local Driver License office and thank them! To find the location nearest you, click here for Colorado and here for Wyoming. You may also consider posting a positive comment on their social media pages: facebook- @ColoradoRevenue @WyomingDeptofTransportation (please mention Driver Services); twitter- @CO_Revenue
To register your decision to become an organ, eye and tissue donor, go to Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming.
Transplantation Science: A FREE Program for Grades 7-12
School is in full swing in Colorado and students are getting ready to go back after Labor Day in Wyoming! At Donor Alliance, we know that teachers have been working hard for weeks: setting up classrooms, planning curriculum and looking for new and innovative ways to teach students about their content.
For those innovative teachers looking for more interactive ways to engage their students while teaching practical information, Donor Alliance has a free school curriculum program that teaches the science behind organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation, Transplantation Science. In addition to requesting our traditional, hands-on, in-classroom instruction easily online, the Transplantation Science team has also been hard at work over the summer creating new materials for the program. Take a look at some of the items available this school year:
- BRAND NEW video for Colorado: Advocate for Life, Maurisa Mounger, hosts a new video that has updated interviews with current families, explains when students will have the opportunity to register as a donor and reminds them about the facts about donation.
- English Language Learner (ELL) workbooks: We invited several teachers to assist us in re-creating the middle school workbook into an ELL-friendly version. With so many opportunities to teach children of immigrants in Colorado and our goal of educating members within our key multicultural communities, we identified this need and created the new workbook. The workbooks should be available by request on October 15.
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Transplantation Science Traveling Trunk[/caption]
- Transplantation Science Traveling Trunk: Donor Alliance collaborated with students in the Northglenn High School STEM program to create a traveling trunk for our Transplantation Science program. We now have a way to provide the program to teachers with small classes that are located more than 200 miles from our Educators.
To learn more about Transplantation Science including any of the new facets mentioned here, or to request a class visit: www.DonorAlliance.org/TransplantationScience.
Tissue Recipient Meets His Donor’s Mother
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Annette and Phil smile while sharing stories of her son Marcos during their initial meeting in Colorado Springs.[/caption]
Tissue Recipient Meets His Donor's Mother
AlloSource and Donor Alliance worked together to introduce Phil, a cartilage recipient, to his donor’s mother, Annette. A former Division I soccer player and active father, Phil attributes his mobility to the generosity of his tissue donor, Marcos.
Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness: Wyoming
In 2017, we conducted a study examining Colorado and Wyoming residents’ awareness of organ, eye and tissue donation. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing some of the results on Donation Essentials. Our goal is to address and educate the public on the donation process, barriers to registration and all of the ways that residents can say yes to giving the gift of life by becoming a donor at the time of their death.
All of the key findings for Wyoming can be found in the infographic below. You can see the findings on Colorado residents’ awareness of donation here. Check back for a more in-depth look at the findings overall.
Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness: Colorado
In 2017, we conducted a study examining Colorado and Wyoming residents' awareness of organ, eye and tissue donation. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing some of the results on Donation Essentials. Our goal is to address and educate the public on the donation process, barriers to registration and all of the ways residents can say yes to giving the gift of life by becoming a donor at the time of their death.
All of the key findings for Colorado can be found in the infographic below. Check back for the findings on Wyoming residents' perception and awareness of donation as well as a more in-depth take on what the research revealed overall.
Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness
Team Rocky Mountain Excels at Transplant Games of America 2018
The Donate Life Transplant Games of America were held in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 2-7, 2018. Occurring every two years, the games bring together people all around the nation who have been touched by organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation.
Representing Colorado, Wyoming and Montana, Team Rocky Mountain, was comprised of 25 recipient participants and 3 living donors. The team had a blast this year and proudly took home many medals. They competed in a variety of events ranging from running, to track and field, to ballroom dancing and Texas Hold’em. Members of the team finished the games taking home 27 Gold medals, 20 Silver medals, and 12 Bronze medals between them.
Team Rocky Mountain also participated in setting a new Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of solid organ transplant recipients in one place with 540 recipients! The cheers were deafening as all the recipients stood together taking in their special moment!
Most Rocky Mountain Team members reside in Colorado, with a new addition this year of a recipient and his living donor from Jackson, Wyoming. Team Rocky Mountain doubled in size since the last Transplant Games in 2016. It was exciting to see the camaraderie develop among the team and their loved ones. Many members of Team Rocky Mountain expressed how touching the experience of the Transplant Games was for them to be with over 3000 people who are connected by their stories and so grateful to be alive. Many made new friends all over the nation and friends they hope tp meet again at the next games.
A complete list of results can be viewed here. If you are interested in attending the Transplant Games of America as a participant, please visit the Transplant Games of America website or email Michael Wells with Team Rocky Mountain at michael1999dec2@yahoo.com.
Learn more about donation and transplantation here. To register as an organ, eye and tissue donor, please visit DonateLife Colorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.