A Quarterly Newsletter of LifeShare Of The Carolinas

VOLUME 20

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ISSUE 4

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WINTER 2017

IN THIS ISSUE:

1 Thank You Bob!

2 Donor Families ProvidingSupport

3 Everything is Coming UpRoses

4 Donation Makes It AllPossible — 2017

6 Friendship Quilts Donatedto LifeShare

7 Donor Statistics byHospital

8 Holiday Wishes fromLifeShare

A Donate Life Organization

Thank You Bob!A Tribute to Donor Families

Good evening. My name is Zeata. It’s Italian but I’m not.

I am very honored to represent not only the other recipients

here tonight but all those across North Carolina. Each one

has a wonderful story that they could tell.

I am here to tell you about my hero. He came into my life

on August 10, 2010. I don’t know much about him—I don’t

even know his name. So, I just call him BOB. I do know that Bob was 38 years old.

I don’t know if he was black or white or brown; If he wore a coat and tie to work or

maybe a uniform; if he was married or had children; if he played sports or how he spent

his spare time; if he was an Atlanta Braves fan like me or surely he wasn’t a Mets fan. I do

know that he was kind and thoughtful and that he had a family who cared about others.

I was a 64 year old grandmother of five who was in fairly good health. I just got

tired easily. I went to the doctor for a routine colonoscopy and they found my blood

platelet level was extremely low. They kept testing and re-testing until finally a year

and a half later, the doctor said, Zeata, we have not checked your liver.

I have never smoked or drank. After a liver biopsy, it was discovered I had non-

alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver and was sent to Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte

for MORE tests. After nine months of getting sicker and sicker, I received a gift that I

will spend the rest of my life trying to deserve.

Every day I talk to my hero, Bob. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of his family—

wondering if they are OK and would they be pleased that it was ME that received this

life changing gift. Like all of the recipients here tonight, we are doing everything in

our power to try to make a difference in our corner of the world.

I know that Bob’s family like many of you here, in your time of great grief and suffering

made a decision—a decision that affected the lives of many, many people. You chose

not to allow your loved one’s passing to be just another tragedy but to allow them to

live on. To make a difference.

You don’t have to be Superman, Wonder Woman or Batman and Robin to be a

Hero. It’s people like you who are the REAL heroes. On behalf of the many recipients—

those who are here tonight and those who are out there somewhere—who have not

had the opportunity to say, “Thank you” themselves, THANK YOU.

Thank you for stopping in your time of great sorrow to think of someone else.

Thank you for helping someone to be able to continue a life. Thank you for paying it

forward and not keeping this wonderful way of saving a life a secret, for telling others

that they too can make a difference. Thank you for being a HERO.

PS: If you ever run into Bob’s family let them know that I’m looking for them.

The above speech was delivered by Zeata at LifeShare’s 2017 Annual Donor Ceremony

in Asheville. We are printing it with her permission.

2 L I F E S H A R E O F T H E C A R O L I N A S

LifeShareOf The Carolinas

1-800-932-GIVE

www.lifesharecarolinas.org

Editor

Debbie Gibbs

Associate Editor

Ben Martin

O U R M I S S I O N

Improving lives through organ,

eye and tissue donation.

OU R V I S I O N

We envision a day when everyone

who needs a transplant will be

able to get one.

Just in time for the new year, LifeShare has created its first Donor Family Council.

Jesse Roberts, LifeShare’s Continuing Care Counselor, says the purpose of the group

is to better support the organ, eye and tissue donor families we have the honor of serving.

Among their first projects are evaluating ways that LifeShare currently provides

services to local families and developing new and innovative ways to continue the

process of caring for them after donation has taken place. The Council will also

review donor family and recipient family meeting applications and play an active

role in planning LifeShare’s annual Donor Family Remembrance Ceremonies.

Four donor family members have been appointed to the Council for the 2018 calendar

year. They are: Vivian Carr, Ed Maciejewski, Libby McCraw and Kelly Stafford.

2017 UNOS National Donor Memorial Award for Excellence

In related news, we are pleased to announce that Kelly Stafford recently received a

special honor from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). She was one of 37

people nationwide considered for the UNOS National Donor Memorial Award of

Excellence “showcasing the extraordinary volunteer work being done on behalf of

organ, eye and tissue donation.”

Kelly and her family have created a Foundation to assist families who have been

impacted by organ donation. To date, they have hosted golf tournaments, toy drives

and other programs for pediatric patients in the Levine Children’s Hospital and for

the families of our youngest donors.

Kelly and her husband, Chris, lost their daughter two years ago to a horseback

riding accident and made the courageous decision to donate her organs to help

others in need. Destiny is gone but she has not been forgotten.

Donor Families Providing Support

Dr. Ted Frank, a Sanger Clinic cardiologist, showed a lot of heart when he ran FIVE marathons inFIVE days in November. His goal was to raise $15,000 to help heart transplant patients with non-medical expenses. To date, he's more than $7,000 over goal. Thank you to everyone whosupported him.

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Number of Candidates on theNational Transplant Waiting List

Kidney 96,125

Liver 14,050

Pancreas 906

Kidney-Pancreas 1,688

Heart 3,938

Lung 1,374

Heart-Lung 42

Intestine 255

NATIONAL TOTAL 115,757

North Carolina 2,965

South Carolina 1,008

Based on OPTN data as of December 15, 2017.

Everything is Coming Up RosesStrike up the band! Sam Wyche, the former NFL Player and Coach, is headed to

California to represent the Carolinas in the 2018 annual Rose Parade. He is among 13

transplant recipients from across the country who have been selected to ride on the

Donate Life float on New Year’s Day.

Diagnosed with heart failure several years ago, Sam was able to go on with his

daily activities until his health deteriorated to the point that the only option for seeing

his next birthday was a heart transplant. His chances were best described as the

medical equivalent of a “Hail Mary” football pass.

Sam was placed on the waiting list at Carolinas HealthCare System and without a

donor heart available, he was about to be sent to Hospice care when the call came

that a donor heart was available.

The transplant was successful and

within a couple of weeks, he was

back on his bicycle riding the back

roads of Upstate South Carolina

where he lives.

He continues to show his

gratitude for his donor and for the

gift he has been given by speaking

to groups around the Carolinas,

the national media and anyplace

where he can spread the good

news about the benefits of

donation and transplantation.

He is excited that Rod Carew, another legendary athlete, will be joining him on the

float this year. In 2015, Rod suffered a massive heart attack and like Sam, received a

heart transplant in 2016. The difference is Rod, a baseball Hall of Famer, received a

heart and a kidney transplant. His donor was Konrad Reuland, ironically also a former

professional athlete with the Baltimore Ravens.

At 72, Sam and Rod will be the oldest riders on the Donate Life float. They are

proof that you are never too old to donate or in many cases to receive a transplant.

As they both had to wait their turn, they are also an example of the fact that one’s

status on the waiting list has nothing to do with wealth, race or celebrity.

A special web page dedicated to Sam’s participation on the float has been created

by Carolinas HealthCare System. Take a look to follow him as he prepares and travels

out to California. The link is: https://www.carolinashealthcare.org/MakeTheWinningCall.

The 129th Rose Parade is scheduled to air at 11 a.m. EST on Monday, January 1,

2018. All of the major networks will carry it live. LifeShare, along with Carolinas

HealthCare System, Donate Life SC and Sharing Hope SC are proud to sponsor Sam’s

participation on the float. We’ll be watching and hope you will too!

W I N T E R I S S U E – 2 0 1 6

CALENDARof events

January 1, 2018Donate Life Float

at Annual Rose Parade

Check your local TV listings

February 14, 2018National Donor Day

UNC Charlotte

April, 2018National Donate Life Month

April 13, 2018National Donate Life Month

4 L I F E S H A R E O F T H E C A R O L I N A S

* The names listed here are from November 1, 2016 through October 31, 2017. Donors after this date will be included in next year’s Winter newsletter.

REMEMBERING THE ORGAN, EYE AND TISSUE DONOR

Aaliyah Abbi Aditya Alan Albert Alexander Alfred Alva Amy-Leigh Atemise Austin Avayah Bambi Barbara Belkis Belle Benjamin

Brainard Brandon Brenda Brian Brittany Brooke Bruce Bryant Ca Cherie Cheryl Christian Christina Christopher Cindy Claire Clarenc

Cristina Cynthia Daijion Dana Daniel Danny Daphne Daquan Dianne Don Donald Donna Doreen Doris Douglas Doyle Dua

Floyd Frank Frederick Fulton Garwin Gary George Gerald Gera Heidi Hiowana Howard Israel Jack Jackson Jacob Jaleyha Jam Jayendrakumar Jean Jeff Jeffrey Jennifer Jenny Jeremiah Jerem

Johnnie Jon Jordan Jordon Josef Joseph Joshua Joyce Jua Kenneth Kevin Kimberly Laila Landon Lanita Laraine Larry Lawre Luis Lynda Lynn Malcolm Marcella Marcus Margaret Marilyn Ma Mary Matthew Melinda Melissa Melodie Melvin Michael Mildred Norman Omar Oscar Otha Pamela Parisha Patricia Paul Paula Randy Raven Raymond Rebecca Reid Rhonda Richard Rick

Roy Royce Ruby Rudolph Ruth Ryan Sabas Sabrina Samantha Sherry Shirley Stacie Stacy Stephanie Stephen Steven Suelle

Theodore Theron Thomas Tim Timothy Tina Tishera Todd Toni Vincent Virginia Wallace Walter Wanda Warren Wayne Wesle

Donation makes

5W I N T E R I S S U E – 2 0 1 6

S OF 2017*. THEY ARE GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN...

Andrew Angel Anita Anna Anne Anthony Arnate Arthur Ashley n Bernadine Betty Beverly Billie Billy Blanche Bobby Bonnie

ade Candice Carl Carole Casey Catherine Catina Charis Charles ce Clarke Claude Cody Connie Corey Cornelius Craig Crawford

Darlene Darnell David Dawn Deborah Debra Dennis Derrick ane Dylan Edward Elizabeth Ella Enrique Eric Ethan Florence

aldine Gerardo Gloria Grant Gregory Griffin Guy Harold Heather mes Jamison Janet Janice Jared Jasmine Jason Jasten Jayden

my Jerod Jerome Jerri Jessica Jessie Jimmy Joan Joel John an Judy Julia Julie Kandy Karen Kathy Kay Kelly Kemmy

ence Lee Leslie Lewis Linda Lisa Logan Lonnie Lorraine Lucio ario Mariya Marjorie Mark Marquelle Martha Martin Martis Marvin Millicent Milton Miriam Mitchell Mort Myra Nancy Nelson Nina Peggy Phillip Rachel Ralph Ralpheal Randal Randall Randolph Rickey Ricky Rita Robert Rodney Roger Ronald Ronnie Rosa

a Sammie Samuel Seana Shane Shannon Shawn Sheila Shelby en Susan Sylvia Taloria Tammi Tara Teresa Terry Thaddeus Tony Travis Tyrell Valarie Vanessa Vicente Vickie Vicky Victor

ey Willa Willard William Willie Zachery Zavier Zemmie Zoe

s it all possible!

@

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STAY UP TO DATE

It’s our desire to stay in touch with you

and to help save the environment too!

If you would like to get our newsletter

in your in-box instead of your mail-box,

you can read it online at

www.lifesharecarolinas.org/resources.

To unsubscribe to the print version in

favor of the online one, contact

ben.martin@lifesharecarolinas.org.

Let us know the best way to

communicate with you!

PLEASE CONSIDERMAKING A FINANCIALCONTRIBUTION

By making a donation to LifeShare,

you can help to save lives by raising

organ and tissue donation awareness.

You may contribute in several ways.

In lieu of flowers, LifeShare may

be designated as the organization to

receive memorials for funerals.

Contributions may also be made in

the name of a transplant recipient,

donor or other loved one. Each person

who makes a contribution to LifeShare

receives a thank you letter. A separate

letter is sent to the family or person in

whose honor the donation was made.

Please mail your check, payable to

LifeShare, to the address on the back

of the newsletter. All contributions

are tax-deductible and are used for

public education purposes.

L I F E S H A R E O F T H E C A R O L I N A S

Friendship Quilts Donatedto LifeShareNice people do nice things. And no one is nicer that the Quilting Ministry at

Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte. They recently donated hand-made

quilts to LifeShare to be given as a source of comfort to our donor families in hospitals

throughout the region.

Each quilt is as different as the woman who created it and will be a priceless

memorial to the donor in whose memory it is given.

Rev. J.R. Covington, Jr., Associate Pastor at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church,

introduced the Quilting Ministry to LifeShare. He has been supportive of our program

for years, giving the invocation at our annual Donor Ceremony in Charlotte and on

occasion, ministering to potential donor families in area hospitals. He said of the

quilts, “Every stitch affirms their love and support for the donor families.”

The largest African-American Baptist Church inNorth Carolina, Friendship has also been a long-timesupporter of the National Donor Sabbath and hasinvited LifeShare to participate in health fairs andother programs. The church’s Quilting Ministry hasbeen making quilts together for 17 years.

In addition to LifeShare, they have also donated them to other causes and individuals.

The most famous are the individual quilts they made for President Obama, his wife,

daughters and his mother-in-law.

If you or your congregation would also like to donate quilts of comfort for donor

family members, contact Susan Galbraith with LifeShare at (704) 512-3303 or

sgalbraith@lifesharecarolinas.org.

Members of LifeShare'sFamily Support Staff werehonored to receive quilts ofcomfort from the QuiltingMinistry of FriendshipMissionary Baptist Church inCharlotte. We know thatevery donor family thatreceives one will feel thewarmth and love with whichthey were made.

W I N T E R I S S U E – 2 0 1 6

LifeShare is pleased to offer

donor family members a

special way to remember

their loved ones—through

our memorial quilts, the

Quilts of Life.

We display the quilts in our

office and at special events

designed to promote organ

and tissue donation. Squares

are added to the quilts at

least once a year, usually in

the spring in time for

National Organ and Tissue

Donation Awareness Month.

If you would like to add a

square in memory of your

loved one, visit our web site

at lifesharecarolinas.org for

size dimensions, a release

form and other details. You

may also call us for additional

information at (704) 512-3303.

We look forward to receiving

additional squares and to

sharing the memory of your

loved one with others.

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Quiltof Life

LifeShare gratefully acknowledges the commitment of all nurses and other medical personnelwho help to further the ideals of organ and tissue donation. It is through their efforts and thegenerosity of donor family members that donation occurs. When comparing statistics, please

note that not all hospitals have the same donor potential.

DONOR S TAT I S T I C S BY HOSP I TA L

July–September 2017

Hospital Eye Organ Tissue

Angel Medical Center 0 0 0

Asheville Specialty Hospital 0 0 0

Blue Ridge Healthcare Hospitals 0 0 2

Broughton Hospital 0 0 0

CarePartners Rehabilitation Hospital 0 0 0

Carolinas ContinueCARE Hospital - Kings Mountain 0 0 0

Carolinas ContinueCARE Hospital - Pineville 0 0 0

Carolinas ContinueCARE Hospital - University 0 0 0

Carolinas Medical Center 18 14 20

Carolinas Medical Center - Mercy 1 0 1

Carolinas Rehabilitation - Charlotte 0 0 0

Carolinas Rehabilitation - Mt. Holly 0 0 0

Carolinas Rehabilitation - NorthEast 0 0 0

CaroMont Regional Medical Center 14 2 14

CaroMont Regional Medical Center - Mt Holly 0 0 0

Cherokee Indian Hospital 0 0 0

CHS - Anson 1 0 1

CHS - Behavioral Health - Randolph 0 0 0

CHS - Cleveland 2 0 0

CHS - Harrisburg 0 0 0

CHS - Huntersville 0 0 0

CHS - Kannapolis 0 0 0

CHS - Kings Mountain 0 0 0

CHS - Lincoln 2 0 0

CHS - NorthEast 11 1 8

CHS - Pineville 5 2 5

CHS - Southpark 0 0 0

CHS - Stanly 2 0 1

CHS - Steele Creek 0 0 0

CHS - Union 3 0 4

CHS - University 0 0 0

CHS - Waxhaw 0 0 0

Harris Regional Hospital 1 0 2

Haywood Regional Medical Center 2 0 2

Highlands-Cashiers Hospital 0 0 0

Lake Norman Regional Medical Center 1 0 1

Mission Hospital 6 6 7

Murphy Medical Center 0 0 0

Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center 1 0 1

Novant Health Matthews Medical Center 2 0 4

Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center 2 1 3

Pardee Hospital 1 0 0

Park Ridge Health 0 0 0

Rutherford Regional Health System 0 0 0

St. Lukes Hospital 0 0 0

Strategic Behavioral Center - Charlotte 0 0 0

Swain Community Hospital 0 0 0

Transylvania Regional Hospital 1 0 1

VA Medical Center 0 0 0

LifeShareOf The Carolinas

5000-D Airport Center ParkwayCharlotte, NC 28208