Cobertura Reciente en los Medios

Do you know what the heart on your driver license means?

Celebrating National Donate Life Month in Wyoming

National Donate Life Month was a huge success in the state of Wyoming this year! Natrona County DA and heart recipient, Mike Blonigen, helped us kick off the month with a flag raising ceremony at Wyoming Medical Center. Elsewhere across the state, there were celebrations and tributes recognizing the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. National Donate Life Month Banners could be seen flying high over Cody and Powell, and in Buffalo, high school students participated in our Transplantation Science program where they learned first-hand about the science behind the transplantable organs and how they function.

In Casper, we partnered with Keep Casper Beautiful, to plant 10 trees in Meadow Park in honor of organ, eye and tissue donors. We had a great turnout with several dozen people showing up to lend a hand, including heart recipients Mike Blonigen and Jason Wynia, and their friends and family. Participants noted that it was a wonderful way for them to give back and honor the generous gifts of organ, eye and tissue donors.

We rounded out the month with the Wyoming Donor Dash in Casper. Despite the cold, snowy weather, nearly 130 people gathered to run or walk in honor of organ, eye and tissue donors and recipients. Before the race, participants heard from donor and recipient families, and released green and blue balloons in memory of their loved ones.

To close out the festivities, we were joined by several donor families at the Wyoming Medical Center to lower the Donate Life flag and reflect on the mission of Donate Life Wyoming. In all, April presented many opportunities to inspire others and bring awareness to the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. We would like to sincerely thank everyone that helped to make National Donate Life Month such a success. We couldn't do it without you!

Día del Nino: Celebrate the lives of children saved by organ, eye and tissue donation

Día del Niño (Children’s day), a Mexican observance celebrated on April 30^th, is dedicated to honoring and appreciating children. At Donor Alliance, we are celebrating the lives of the more than 47 thousand children in the U.S. who have received a second chance at life through organ, eye and tissue donation. In our community alone, the lives of 50 children were saved or healed in 2015 thanks to the generosity of the donors who said yes to organ, eye and tissue donation.

Lella, from Delta, CO is one of the children whose life was saved thanks to a liver transplant she received in 2008. At two months old, baby Lella was diagnosed with Biliary Artresia, a rare condition that closes the tube that drains the bile from the liver into the intestine. Doctors told Lella’s parents that her case was particularly rare. After enduring a five-hour surgery – that did not fix the problem – and several additional complications, at just six months old, Lella was put on the transplant waiting list.

In August of 2008, her parents received the call that they had been waiting for. A liver was available for Lella. After undergoing a 10-hour transplant surgery, Lella was finally on the road to recovery. Initially, Lella was required to take 16 medications following her transplant. Now, seven years later, she is down to only taking one. Lella is now the picture of health; an exceptionally happy and active child. She plays t-ball, swims competitively and loves reading. Her mother Lyndall jokes that you wouldn’t even know that Lella had had a transplant unless you saw her in a swimsuit.

Today, we also remember the 17 children in our community and the more than 1,900 children around the country who are still waiting for a lifesaving transplant. Registering to become an organ, eye and tissue donor could help save the lives of children like Lella. Talk with your family about organ, eye and tissue donation, and register today at DonateLifeColorado.org.

Connor – Two Time Heart Recipient

Connor was diagnosed with a deadly heart disease that required 2 life-saving heart transplants by the time he was 11 years old. Today Connor is an active 24-year-old studying economics and politics. He’s also a musician and plays drums in a punk band. “I hope my story helps people understand that members of their community can and do live long and healthy lives through the miracle of organ donation,” Connor says. “Every day I am profoundly grateful to be alive, and I am powerfully aware that I am because of the generosity of two donors and their families.”

Transplant recipient letter to the editor: Celebrate National Donate Life Month

We thank Nieves, of Alamosa, for sharing her heartfelt advocacy for the cause of organ, eye and tissue donation with her hometown newspaper, The Valley Courier, earlier this month. Nieves is a liver transplant recipient; read her message:

Letter: Celebrate National Donate Life Month this April at Alamosa Tree Planting

After being diagnosed with kidney disease, I was on dialysis for four years when my sister offered to be a living donor and give me one of her kidneys. She was a match, but about a year after testing, due to other health complications was no longer a viable donor.

After hearing the bad news, I decided to ask my doctor if I could get placed on the transplant waiting list. After being on the list for a year, I received the call that a kidney had become available. In October 2013, my daughter and son-in-law drove me from Alamosa to the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, but when we got there, I was told there was something wrong with the kidney and it was no longer viable for a transplant. We were on our way back to Alamosa, after hearing the bad news, when I got another call from the transplant center. Another kidney had become available and seemed to be a perfect match. We returned to the hospital and my long-awaited transplant finally took place.

It has been almost three years since my transplant and I am doing really well. I am now able to enjoy time with my family, go to church and care for my grandchildren. My new kidney has given me a second chance to enjoy life. So, this April, in celebration of National Donate Life Month and in memory of my donor, I will be giving life by planting a tree in Carroll Park at 10AM on Saturday, April 30.

I invite my community of Alamosa residents to help me raise awareness for this important cause by attending my tree dedication or joining in on the month’s other celebrations, especially National Blue & Green Day, which takes place on Friday, April 15. On this day, the public is encouraged to wear blue and green in an effort to promote the success of organ, eye and tissue transplantation and the need for registered donors.

Saying yes to organ, eye and tissue donation saves lives. Transplants offer patients a new chance at healthy and productive lives, returning them to their families, friends and communities. At the time of their death, just one donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and save or heal more than 50 lives through eye and tissue donation.

Colorado residents can register their decision to be organ, eye and tissue donors at the time of death by saying ‘yes’ each time they obtain or renew a driver’s license or state ID, or at www.DonateLifeColorado.org. Anyone can register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, regardless of age, race, medical history, religion or income. Even those with chronic conditions, such as hepatitis and diabetes, can register to give the gift of life at any age.

Natrona County DA speaks about his heart transplant

Colorado Springs organ donor’s family honored at “National Donate Life Month” ceremony

Every year, countless lives in Southern Colorado are saved and improved through the gift of life: organ, eye and tissue donation. Penrose-St. Francis Health Services held their flag raising ceremony on Thursday, April 21st to honor organ, eye and tissue donors, families and recipients and observe April as National Donate Life Month. Among the crowd at the hospital was Sheryl Marlor, an R.N. with Penrose-St. Francis Health System. Sheryl knows just how life-saving and healing donation can be. The gift of life has touched Sheryl personally. Last year when her husband Dave passed away, he made it clear that he wanted to be someone's hero. Dave said yes to donation. Click here to watch the story from KRDO-13 in Colorado Springs.

Paint the Town Blue and Green

Did you notice a your neighborhood dressing more colorful than usual last week? On April 15th, people all over the country celebrated Blue and Green Day by breaking out their best blue and green outfits to show their support for and bring awareness to organ, eye and tissue donation. Colorado and Wyoming were no exception, with thousands of people wearing their colors in support. From babies and puppies to news anchors, hospitals and offices, we were flooded with photos from people eager to show what donation and transplantation means to them!

On behalf of all of us at Donor Alliance, we want to thank everyone who made Blue and Green Day so special this year. But it doesn't have to stop in April! We encourage everyone to wear your pins, shirts and other Donate Life apparel anytime to help bring awareness to the 2,400+ people in Colorado and Wyoming who are currently waiting for a life-saving transplant. Thank you for all of your support!

Step-Daughter Gives Step-Dad the Gift of Life

April is National Donate Life Month, a celebration of those who have saved lives through the gift of organ, eye and tissue donation. It's also a reminder that there are nearly 200 people in Wyoming waiting for a life-saving transplant. One Casper man was on the list, waiting for a kidney for nearly five years. But his wait was cut short when his step-daughter surprised him with an unexpected gift.

Dean Bicknese adopted Shea when she was four years old. Little did he know then about the blood bond he and his adopted daughter would share someday. "I literally woke up one morning, and it was the first thing on my mind. And throughout the day, i would just kind of notice that it was my go-to thought. And that could be nothing other than god putting it on my heart to do it,” says Shea Bicknese. Dean's kidneys shut down. He was in need of a kidney. After four-and-a-half years on the transplant wait list, Shea decided to donate one of her own kidneys. Click here to watch the story from KCWY 13 in Casper, WY.

Donor Alliance Named a 2016 Top Workplace In Colorado By The Denver Post

Donor Alliance has been awarded a 2016 Top Workplaces honor by The Denver Post for the third consecutive year. The notable list is ranked solely on employee feedback in a survey administered by WorkplaceDynamics, LLC, a research firm that specializes in organizational health and workplace improvement. Several aspects of workplace culture were measured, including Alignment, Execution, and Connection, just to name a few.

We are incredibly proud of this three-time distinction, a testament to our fantastic team and the rewarding, mission-driven culture we strive towards fostering every day.

One hundred companies were selected for the 2016 Top Workplaces award, which The Denver Post published a complete list of on April 10^th.

Wyoming Heart Recipient Raises Flag for National Donate Life Month

For over 30 year, Natrona County District Attorney Mike Blonigen has done his part to keep the streets of Casper safe. The prosecutor is known for his strong and eloquent demeanor in the courtroom. What many people don't know, is that Blonigen faced the biggest battle of his life not in a courtroom, but in a hospital bed. In late 2015, he received a badly needed heart transplant. On April 1st, the DA took the time to reflect on his transplant during a flag raising event at the Wyoming Medical Center to kick off National Donate Life Month. Click here to read the story from the Wyoming Medical Center.

Donor Alliance Motored to the 2016 Denver Auto Show!

Donor Alliance had a great presence as an exhibitor at the Denver Auto Show – and this year Donor Alliance was surrounded by Camp Jeep to one side, and luxury marquees (with at least two one-million dollar cars on display) on the other. The new booth area helped to increase awareness of and dialogue around donation as we talked to upwards of 18,000 people from March 16^th to the 20^th! We had one of the most popular booths at the show with a line almost the whole time to talk to our dedicated Advocates for Life! Donor Alliance once again partnered with the DMV, who encouraged the public to renew their driver licenses and plates online (where people can say ‘yes’ to being an organ, eye and tissue donor).

The Denver Auto Show is one of the largest events in Colorado. This allows Donor Alliance Advocates and staff at the booth to answer the public’s questions about donation, share inspirational stories and relay the correct facts about donation and how it impacts our local community – currently, there are nearly 2,700 people in Colorado waiting for a lifesaving transplant and many more in need of lifesaving and healing tissue. And knowing that everybody likes give-aways, there was plenty of items to spin-and-win – t-shirts, foam ‘stress’ cars, litter bags and more.