A Quarterly Newsletter of LifeShare Of The Carolinas

VOLUME 17

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ISSUE 3

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FALL 2014

IN THIS ISSUE:

1 The Nicholas Effect

2 Around and About...Celebrating Life

3 The 2014 TransplantGames of America

4 National Donor Sabbath

5 Taking Donation to NewHeights

6 Federal GovernmentRecognizes Local Hospitals

7 Donor Statistics byHospital

8 Help Us CommunicateBetter

A Donate Life Organization

The Nicholas Effect20 Years LaterIt’s difficult to believe that 20 years have

passed since that fateful day in October, 2004.

It was the day that seven-year old Nicholas

Green was shot and killed in a botched

robbery as his family vacationed in Italy.

The story of the little American boy

whose organs and corneas were donated to

seven Italians touched the hearts of people

everywhere and within days “the Nicholas

Effect” became a worldwide phenomenon.

Pope John Paul II sent a magnificent bell to

Nicholas’ parents, Reg and Maggie, as the centerpiece for a tower they built to

memorialize children who have died. More than a hundred streets and schools were

named after him in Italy and CBS even produced a movie of the week about the

tragedy, which has been seen by over 100 million people.

A lot has changed in the 20 years since Nicholas died. The teenager who received

his liver is approaching middle age and now has two kids of her own. One of them is

called Nicholas. Reg and Maggie had twins who are now 18 and just starting college.

Eleanor, Nicholas’ sister who was in the backseat of the car with Nicholas but

escaped uninjured, has graduated from college and has given many speeches to raise

donor awareness, including a media tour of Italy.

Still, Nicholas has not been forgotten. To commemorate the 20 year anniversary of

his death, Reg is touring key cities in Italy and writing a tribute that is being shared

with the media and throughout the donation community. He wrote this specifically

for LifeShare readers:

“Through the story of one small boy, millions of people around the world saw

vividly for the first time the power of transplantation to save multiple lives. In Italy

alone, donation rates have tripled and thousands of people are alive who would have

died. LifeShare has worked with us since the early days, using this story to remind

people that a simple decision can save families just like their own from devastation.”

LifeShare has a few copies of the Nicholas Effect, the book written by Reg Green.

As our way of celebrating the 20 year anniversary, we are going to give copies of the

book to the first ten people who request one by calling our office at (704) 512-3303.

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

Gary Burris

. . . . . . . . . . . .

OU 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.

Rick Stone, a living donor, andhis wife, Toy, were among theCharlotte-area delegationattending the Transplant Gamesof America. Congratulations toRick for winning a gold medal inracquetball.

Team North Carolina proudlymarched into the stadium carryinga flag that had been signed bydonor family members, trans-plant recipients and healthcareprofessionals from across thestate. The people who attendedfrom this area were TomAspenwall, Gary Simmons andRick Stone.

The guy wearing this t-shirt at theTransplant Games is unidentified.The caption however says it all!

Lots of LifeShare staff havevolunteered for the bike ride overthe years. Pictured here are fromleft to right: Yolanda Moore, Ben

Martin, Gary Burris, Tom Aspenwall,Debbie Gibbs, Jennifer McCarn and

Tucker Knox. Unfortunately thiswas the final year for the

Collier Lilly Ride 4 Life.

Around and About...

3

Number of Candidates on theNational Transplant Waiting List

Kidney 101,260

Liver 15,770

Pancreas 1,181

Kidney-Pancreas 2,055

Heart 4,043

Lung 1,639

Heart-Lung 52

Intestine 261

NATIONAL TOTAL 119,547

North Carolina 3,342

South Carolina 858

Based on OPTN data as of August 29, 2014.

THE TRANSPLANT GAMES OF AMERICA

As Seen Through the Eyes of Tom Aspenwall

TOM WROTE THE PIECE BELOW AS A THANK YOU TO LIFESHARE STAFF, HOSPITAL

NURSES, PHYSICIANS AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WHO HELPED TO

FINANCE THE TRIP TO HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY. TOM WAS ONE

OF 10 PEOPLE WHO COMPETED AS PART OF TEAM NORTH CAROLINA.

If you are a transplant recipient, organ donation is an emotional event. Your life was

saved by a patient. The worst happens. The donor and his or her family says yes to

donation and then that patient saves others.

At the Transplant Games, imagine being surrounded by transplant recipients and

their families full of gratitude, thankfulness and living life, competing in athletic

events, something many have not been able to do for several years. There I saw

babies, toddlers, teens and adults, the oldest of whom was 85 years young. The age

of the transplant recipient didn’t matter. What they had in common was that they

were able to be at the Transplant Games because of the gift of organ donation.

Donor families were there too supporting the recipients of their loved ones organs,

watching them compete and cheering them on. In case you’re not aware, I took silver

in shot put, bronze in discus and fourth in long throw.

If the games ever get close to Charlotte in the future, please go! While I was at the

closing ceremonies, they took time to recognize the great work of all of you. Organ

donation could not take place without you all. I want you to know you received a

standing ovation!

I love my job at LifeShare, taking care of donor families, best of all, working with

such a great group of people! Again, thank you so much for supporting my family

and me going to the transplant games. We could not have done it without you.

F A L L I S S U E – 2 0 1 4

National DonorSabbath MaterialsAvailable Now

To order, contact Jennifer

McCarn at (704) 512-3303 or

Jennifer.mccarn@carolinas.org.

Celebrating Life .

...imagine beingsurrounded bytransplant recipientsand their familiesfull of gratitude,thankfulness andliving life, competingin athletic events...

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

he power to donate life!

CALENDARof events

October 6, 2014Save a Life Golf Classic

Trump National Golf Course

www.savealifegolfclassic.org

October 15, 20146:00–8:30 PMVolunteer Training

LifeShare Office

Charlotte, NC

October 28, 20141:00–3:30 PM Volunteer Training

LifeShare Office

Charlotte, NC

November 15–17, 2014National Donor Sabbath

Churches and Congregations

Nationwide

January 1, 2015Donate Life Float

at Annual Rose Parade

Check your local TV listings

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH IS A SPECIAL DAY AROUND THE COUNTRY. IT IS THE

DAY THAT LIFESHARE WILL JOIN CLERGY AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS IN

OBSERVING THE NATIONAL DONOR SABBATH, AN INTERFAITH CELEBRATION OF

THE GIFTS OF HOPE PROVIDED THROUGH ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION.

Nearly all religions in the United States support organ and tissue donation as one of

the highest expressions of compassion and generosity. Yet, one of the reasons people

use when they choose not to donate is, “donation is against my religion.”

This is despite the results of a Gallup poll that showed that fewer than 10 percent

of people in the United States are aware that their religions have written doctrines

regarding donation. Although the beliefs differ from denomination to denomination,

the underlying theme is the same: Organ and tissue donation represents one of the

highest forms of compassion and giving, the basic principle upon which all religions

are based.

National Donor Sabbath is also a time each year to remember those families who

suffered the loss of a loved one and choose to donate their organs. Thoughts and

prayers should also focus on the thousands of men, women and children who continue

to wait desperately for organ and tissue transplants to save or improve their lives.

I am my Brother’s Keeper

Individuals who are not sure about their faith’s position on donation are

encouraged to ask their spiritual advisor for clarification or to visit our web site at

http://www.lifesharecarolinas.org/about-donation/religious-beliefs/. As usual,

LifeShare will make Bible markers available to congregations that want to observe

the Donor Sabbath. We are especially pleased they will feature two of our volunteers,

Bobby and Brenda Height. To order yours, call our office at (704) 512-3303.

During November we will feature a short video on our web site and on our Facebook

page featuring a donor husband and the recipient of his wife’s organs discussing

donation from a religious perspective. Check them out. You’ll be glad you did.

National Donor Sabbath is Weeks AwayIs Your Church Participating This Year?

Caring an

5F A L L I S S U E – 2 0 1 4

If you have ever visited our web site or our Facebook page,

you have most likely seen a photo of Bobby and Brenda

Height, two of our most active volunteers. We were pleased

this year when we received a call from Donate Life America

asking if they could use their photo on Donor Sabbath

materials that will be used by organ procurement

organizations and churches nationwide.

The photo of the Height’s was taken a couple of years ago at

First Presbyterian Church in downtown Charlotte. Bobby and

Brenda are proud members of Simpson Gillespie United

Methodist Church. Their church will be observing the

Donor Sabbath this year. We hope yours will too!

Taking Organ Donationto New Heights

It’s a wrap! As part of its mission to increase the number of

lifesaving and healing transplants, Donate Life America has

partnered with a Georgia-based independent film company

to produce a faith-based short film on organ donation.

“The Wish – A Story of Hope, Faith and Generosity,” tells

the story of a popular high school teacher in need of a kidney

transplant. It was filmed in Augusta, Georgia but will be

released nationwide in early November as a resource for

congregations observing the National Donor Sabbath.

“The Wish” was written and produced by Creative Media

Entertainment, an independent film company with support

from with LifeLink of Georgia, our sister organ procurement

organization. Check our Facbook page for more information

on the movie. We’ll announce it

when it comes out.

New Movie on OrganDonation to Debut in Timefor National Donor Sabbath

nd Sharing

Brenda and Bobby Height

6

PLANNING A PROGRAM?

As your organization plans its meeting

calendar for the year, please think of

LifeShare. Speakers from your community

whose lives have been touched by

organ or tissue donation are available

to talk to local groups.

If you would like to schedule a

free, informative presentation tailored

to the needs of your organization,

call the LifeShare office nearest you

at (704) 512-3303 or (828) 665-0107.

If you are interested in joining our

Speaker’s Bureau, we’d also like to

hear from you.

Lots of opportunities are available

to help in the office, to staff a booth

at a health fair or to make presentations

to community groups. Call us.

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

ELEVEN HOSPITALS THROUGHOUT SOUTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA WERE NAMED

THE BEST OF THE BEST BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

(HHS) FOR THEIR WORK TO INCREASE REGISTRATIONS ON THE NC ORGAN DONOR

REGISTRY. FOR THEIR EFFORTS, THEY WERE AWARDED A GOLD, SILVER OR BRONZE MEDAL.

The Workplace Partnership for Life was part of a national campaign conducted

between June, 2013 and May, 2014. Working with LifeShare, the hospitals planned

programs to educate their communities about donation and worked to get more

people to register as donors.

Nationwide, 400 hospitals received medals for their campaigns targeted at

employees as well as patients and their families. Throughout North Carolina, 21

hospitals were recognized for programs ranging from blue and green day celebrations

to public donor drives. Among those in southwestern North Carolina that work with

LifeShare are:

Carolinas Medical Center Main Gold

Carolinas Medical Center NorthEast Gold

Caromont Health Gold

Carolinas Medical Center Blue Ridge Silver

Carolinas Medical Center Lincolnton Silver

Carolinas Medical Center Pineville Silver

Cleveland Regional Medical Center Silver

Lake Norman Regional Medical Center Silver

Mission Hospital Silver

Novant Health Presbyterian Silver

Carolinas Medical Center University Bronze

Currently, there are 4,572,484 individuals registered as organ donors in North

Carolina, up nearly one million since December, 2012. Gary Burris, LifeShare’s Chief

Operating Officer said, “We are pleased that so many of our hospitals worked with us

to increase the number of people on the NC Organ Donor Registry. We hope that

even more will join us next year.”

Contact your LifeShare hospital development specialist for information on how

your hospital can participate in the Hospital Workplace Partnership and get added to

the list of award winners next year.

Federal Government Recognizes LocalHospitals for Workplace ProgramsFocused on Organ and Tissue Donation

F A L L I S S U E – 2 0 1 4

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.

LifeShare gratefully acknowledges the commitment of all nurses and other medicalpersonnel who help to further the ideals of organ and tissue donation. It is throughtheir efforts and the generosity of donor family members that donation occurs. Whencomparing 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

April–June 2014

Hospital Eye Organ Tissue

Angel 2 0 0

Anson 0 0 0

Asheville Specialty 1 0 1

Carolinas Medical Center (CMC) 35 17 30

CMC - Blue Ridge Grace 0 0 0

CMC - Huntersville 0 0 0

CMC - Lincoln 3 0 1

CMC - Mercy 1 1 0

CMC - NorthEast 11 0 6

CMC - Pineville 3 0 3

CMC - Union 6 0 9

CMC - University 3 0 1

CMC - Valdese 1 0 1

CMC - Waxhaw 0 0 0

Caromont 6 0 6

Cherokee 0 0 0

Cleveland 3 0 7

Harris 0 0 0

Haywood 3 0 2

Highlands-Cashiers 0 0 0

Kings Mountain 0 0 0

Lake Norman 0 0 0

Mission 7 1 11

Mount Holly 0 0 0

Murphy 0 0 1

NHP - Huntersville 0 0 1

NHP - Matthews 2 0 2

NHP - Presby 8 2 4

Pardee 4 0 3

Park Ridge 1 0 1

Rutherford 5 0 3

St. Luke’s 1 0 1

Stanly 0 0 3

Swain 1 0 0

Transylvania 0 0 0

VA Medical 0 0 0

7

Quiltof Life

LifeShareOf The Carolinas

5000-D Airport Center ParkwayCharlotte, NC 28208

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