Partnering to Save and Improve Lives

Jennifer TislericsSpecial Events & Partnerships Coordinator

jtislerics@giftoflifemichigan.org734-922-1048 or 800-482-4881, ext. 1048

• Federally designated organ and tissue donation program for Michigan since 1971.

• Liaison between 175 critical care hospitals and 8 transplant centers

• Strong partner with the Michigan Eye-Bank and Michigan Secretary of State

• Independent, non-profit based in Ann Arbor

• Maintains the confidential Michigan Organ Donor Registry

What is Gift of Life?

What is Gift of Life?

Organ & Tissue Recovery

• Obtain consent & work with donor families on-site or by phone

• Locating, matching, tissue typing for organ transplants

• Recover organs & tissues for transplantation, therapy, education and research

Education

Educate hospital staff, funeral homes, driver ed students, the public

Maintain the Michigan Organ Donor Registry, in cooperation with the Secretary of State

Why Donation Matters

http://youtu.be/U965-6o4WXE

Which Organs Can Be Donated?

• Heart• Lungs• Pancreas• Liver• Kidneys• Intestines

• More than 119,000 Americans are waiting for a transplant

• 3,200 Michigan residents need an organ transplant

• One donor can save up to 8 lives

Who Needs Organ Transplants?Organ transplantation is the last available option for people with end-stage organ failure.

Sherry had genetic cardiomyopathy. Thanks to a generous Michigan family

Sherry received a heart transplant, allowing her kids to keep their mom.

Organ Donation

• 77 patients get a transplant each day in the USA.• However, 18 people die each day while waiting for an

organ transplant.• More than 119,000 people are waiting for an organ

transplant nationally.

That’s enough to more than fill Michigan Stadium!

Which Tissues Can Be Donated?• Bone• Heart Valves• Veins• Tendons• Nerves• Skin• Cornea• Sclera

• Nearly 900,000 tissue transplants are performed in the United States each year.

• One in 20 Americans will need some type of tissue transplant.

• More than 50 recipients can benefit from one single tissue donor.

How is Tissue used?

Tissue grafts are widely used in the fields of sports medicine, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, cardiovascular surgery, plastic surgery, dentistry and podiatry.

Kristin received a bone transplant in her arm (replacing cancerous bone) at age 13, allowing her to continue playing sports and

following her dreams.

Thanks to her donor family, Kristen is able to serve her community as a police officer.

BEFORE AFTER

The Gift of Sight

After a basketball injury damaged her eye, Gina

received a cornea transplant. Being able to see kept her on the court, and helped her earn both basketball and academic scholarships to college. “I am forever grateful to my cornea donor.”

-Gina Gonzales

The Gift of Sight

Call to Gift of Life• Organs: When clinical triggers reached, or brain death testing begins• Tissue: After death has been declared

Authorization & Medical Suitability• First Person Authorization, or• Family approached if wishes unknown• Organs: Gift of Life staff go on-site to review files,

determine eligibility, talk to hospital staff• Tissue: Gift of Life staff contact families by phone

Medical/Social History• Family provides• Hospital records• Laboratory testing of blood samples

Matching & Viral Testing• Gift of Life’s

histocompatibility lab

Recovery• Current hospital

or surgical center• After recovery,

the body will be taken to the funeral home

The Donation Process

Working Across the U.S.A.

Organs are allocated based on:• Severity of illness• Blood type• Size• Antigens (HLA)• Geography• Time Waiting

First Person Authorization

• Michigan law passed in 2003

• Signing the back of your license or joining the Michigan Organ Donor Registry is a legally binding contract

• Next-of-kin can only override the decision if there is proof that the patient changed his/her mind or did not want to be a donor.

First Person Authorization means that the Donor Registry is binding.

Of course, the family’s comfort and cooperation are still very important.

Michigan Organ Donor Registry

Mobile Website

Why does organ donation affect ethnic minority communities more?

African Americans are more likely to…• Have Increased Risk for:

Heart Disease Diabetes, and Other conditions that can lead to organ failure

• Find a genetically compatible match within their own racial or ethnic group

Chef Oliver recently

received his second kidney

transplant.

Why does organ donation affect ethnic minority communities more?

African Americans are…• 12% of the U.S. population

• (14% in Michigan)• 12% of the donors nationwide

• (20% in Michigan)• 35% of the national waiting list for kidney

transplants• 47% of the kidney waiting list in Michigan

Andrea received a kidney and pancreas transplant.

• Provides a positive outcome in response to an unexplainable loss.

• Offers a rare and unique opportunity to save and improve the quality of someone's life.

• Provides an avenue for the decedent to "live on through the lives of others.”

• Leaves a lasting legacy.

Why Do Families Choose to Donate ?

Chase’s brothers created a triathlon team in his memory, promoting

donation in all 50 states.

Donor Family Follow-Up

• Certificate of Appreciation• Gift of Life medallion• Donor Family Gathering• Donor Family Quilts• Volunteer opportunities• Correspondence with recipients• “The Next Place” book, courtesy of MTF

Common Misconceptions

Doctors won’t try as hard to save my life

if they know I signed up.

Gift of Life is not contacted until every attempt to save the patient’s life has been tried.

The hospital staff trying to save your life are completely and legally separate from the transplant team.

Common Misconceptions

I’m too old to donate.

The oldest organ donors (so far) have been 93 years old.

The oldest tissue donor was 103.

Common Misconceptions

I have [insert name of any disease], you don’t want my organs.

Your medical history at the time of donation will determine what can be transplanted.

People with cancer, hepatitis, HIV, diabetes and lupus have become donors!

Common Misconceptions

I signed the back of my license, so I’m all signed up.

Donation Facts

• There is no cost to donate.

• Funeral arrangements and open casket viewings need not be affected by donation.

• Most major religions approve of donation and consider it an act of charity.– Almost all others support the individual’s right to decide

• Wealth and social status do not play a factor in the waiting list.

• The donor’s family can designate a particular waiting list candidate to receive the organs or tissues, if it’s a good medical match.

Donation Facts

FAQs

• I'm only 17, do I need parental consent? – Minors can join the Donor Registry. If still a minor at the time of

donation, LNOK can override that decision.

• My home is in [state/country] and I am only here for 2 years for school, can I still join the registry? What does that mean once I go home?– Donor Registries are state-by-state, but we work cooperatively.

People from all 50 states and Canada are in the Michigan Organ Donor Registry.

FAQs

• Can I specify which organs I want to donate?– The Donor Registry is not able to track specifications like these, because

medical technology advances rapidly and what can be donated in the future may not be known today.

However, a “Peace of Mind Registry” is being developed, where you can upload all your end-of-life decisions, including limitations to organ, tissue or eye donations.

• Can I get off the registry at a later date? – Sure, just send us a letter in writing.

More Information

We publish a monthly list

of Michigan patients

currently waiting for

organ transplants, and

many other statistics.

GiftOfLifeMichigan.org

Running a Drive in Your Library

Volunteer Suggestions

• Librarians and library staff

• High school students

• Local Gift of Life volunteers

• Greek system – service clubs

• FRIENDS of the library

• Boy/Girl Scouts seeking community service

Registration Tables

• Computer connected to the internet• Volunteer to assist registration process• Literature about organ, tissue & eye donation• Table FAQs and materials to help volunteers

answer questions• Paper registration forms• Swag (hearts, cups, pens, etc.)• Donor quilts

Table Setup Ideas

Table Setup Ideas

Table Setup Ideas

Table Setup Ideas

Table Setup Ideas

Table Setup Ideas

Donor Quilts

• Donor families have an opportunity to create a quilt square to honor their family member.

• Quilts and stands can be shipped to your library free of charge

• Contact Jennifer Tislerics to reserve a quilt

www.giftoflifemichigan.org/donor_quilts/

Donor Quilts

Registration URL

http://bit.ly/ML4Life

Website

https://sites.google.com/site/michiganlibraries4life/

Facebook

www.facebook.com/ML4Life

Tracking Statistics

• Registered at the table

• Already registered

• Just picked up information or asked questions

Send the above stats to Kate at the close of your drive (kmacdoug@umich.edu)

Thank You for Giving the Gift of Hope!