A Life Everlasting (23 page)

“The Donor Luncheon,” Dr. Vannatta said, “provides a chance to close that gap, and to make it crystal-clear in [students'] minds that this was a person who lived a life—was a father, was an uncle, was an aunt, was a grandmother, was an engineer, was an architect.”

As these changes take place, members of the public who don't have any point of reference in the world of medical science will start hearing about these personal stories. These positive interactions can help establish credibility, trust, and awareness in the community. This openness and transparency may lead to more confidence in making a donation for research. This awareness can help the public realize that donation to transplant isn't the only option.

My intention is not necessarily to persuade people to donate, but to compel them to make a thoughtful decision—whatever that may be. If donation is not right for you, for whatever reason, then don't do it. But if this story resonated with you, and you found yourself relating to this journey, then I recommend it. It's a decision I will be forever proud of.

My son Thomas Ethan Gray donated his eyes, liver, and cord blood to medical research; in his short but treasured life, he contributed to the advancement of modern medicine.

I only hope my life can be as relevant.

For Donor Families Who Would Like More Information

If you would like to find out about the impact of your loved one's donation, don't be shy. Call the organization that arranged the donation (most have a Donor Family Services department; ask to speak with them), and explain that you would like more information. This happens all the time. Provide as many details and records as you can. If you like, ask them how you might be able to write a letter or even meet your loved one's recipients. In the United States, organ, eye, tissue, and blood donations are tracked in case there is ever an FDA recall due to infectious disease.

For Human-Tissue Researchers Who Would Like to Thank the Donor's Family

If you are a human-tissue researcher and you wonder about the donor or the donor's family, write them a letter or an email. Tell the donor's family what you are learning from the tissue, and invite the family to visit the lab if you like. Give your letter to the organization that provided the tissue, and ask them to deliver it to the donor's family.

For Organ, Eye, or Tissue Recipients Who Would Like to Thank Their Donors

If you are the recipient of an organ, eye, or tissue donation and wish to connect with your donor's family, contact your doctor or review
your medical records to determine which organization provided the donation. Look for a donor ID number. Contact the organization that provided the tissue, provide as many details and records as you can, and let them know that you'd like to write a letter to your donor's family.

Donations for Research, Training, and Education

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about making an organ, eye, tissue, or whole-body donation, whether diseased or healthy, or for transplant, education, training, or research, you can consult the following list of organizations that may be able to help.

National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI)

8 Penn Center, 15th Floor

1628 JFK Boulevard

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Phone: (800) 222-NDRI (6374)

www.ndriresource.org/

Register to be a donor:http://ndriresource.org/Donor-Programs/ The-Power-to-Make-A-Difference/Register-to-Donate/145/

International Institute for the Advancement of Medicine (IIAM)

125 May Street

Edison, NJ 08837

24-hour service: (800) 486-IIAM

www.iiam.org

Non-Transplant Anatomical Donation

A search is available here: www.aatb.org/Accredited-Bank-Search Search for “Non-Transplant Anatomical Material” under “Tissue.”

Transplant Donation

If you live in the United States, and would like to learn more about organ, eye, and tissue donation and register your decision to be a donor, please visit DonateLife.net.

If you do not live in the United States, you can check the following website to see if your country has a registry:

International Registry in Organ Donation and Transplantation http://www.irodat.org/?p=database

In addition to registering online, it is a good idea to tell your family your wishes and leave them in writing in an advance directive along with your will and health-care proxy.

You can also designate your status as an organ donor on Facebook by following these instructions:

1. Click
Life Event
at the top of your Timeline.

2. Select
Health & Wellness
.

3. Select
Organ Donor
.

4. Select your audience, and then click
Save
.

Donate Life America

701 East Byrd Street, 16th Floor

Richmond, VA 23219

Phone: (804) 377-3580

http://donatelife.net/

Eye Bank Association of America

1015 18th Street NW, Suite 1010

Washington, DC 20036

Phone: (202) 775-4999

Fax: (202) 429-6036

www.restoresight.org

Organ-Procurement Organizations (OPOs) by State

For the most up-to-date information, see the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations website:

http://www.aopo.org/find-your-opo/

ALABAMA

Alabama Organ Center

502 20th Street South, Suite 502

Birmingham, AL 35233

Phone: (205) 731-9200

Fax: (205) 731-6279

www.alabamaorgancenter.org

ALASKA

LifeCenter Northwest

3650 131st Ave SE, Suite 200

Bellevue, WA 98006

Phone: (425) 201-6563

Fax: (425) 688-7641

www.lcnw.org

ARIZONA

Donor Network of Arizona

201 West Coolidge Phoenix, AZ 85013

Phone: (602) 222-2200

Fax: (602) 222-2202

www.dnaz.org

ARKANSAS

Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency

1701 Aldersgate Road, Suite 4

Little Rock, AR 72205 Phone: (501) 907-9150

Fax: (501) 372-6279

www.arora.org

Mid-America Transplant

1110 Highlands Plaza Drive East St. Louis, MO 63110

Phone: (314) 735-8200

Fax: (314) 991-2805

www.midamericatransplant.org

Mid-South Transplant Foundation, Inc.

8001 Centerview Parkway, Suite 302

Memphis, TN 38018

Phone: (901) 328-4438

Fax: (901) 328-4462

www.midsouthtransplant.org

Southwest Transplant Alliance

5489 Blair Road

Dallas, TX 75231

Phone: (214) 522-0255

Fax: (214) 522-0430

www.organ.org

CALIFORNIA

Donor Network West

12667 Alcosta Boulevard #500

San Ramon, CA 94583 Phone: (888) 570-9400

Fax: (925) 480-3843

www.donornetworkwest.org

Sierra Donor Services

1760 Creekside Oaks Drive, Suite 220

Sacramento, CA 95833

Phone: (916) 567-1600

Fax: (916) 567-8300

www.sierradonor.org/

LifeSharing—A Donate Life Organization

3465 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 410

San Diego, CA 92108

Phone: (619) 521-1983

Fax: (619) 521-2833

www.lifesharing.org/

OneLegacy

221 South Figueroa Street, Suite 500

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Phone: (213) 229-5600

Fax: (213) 229-5601

www.onelegacy.org

COLORADO

Donor Alliance

720 South Colorado Boulevard, Suite 800-N

Denver, CO 80246

Phone: (303) 329-4747

Fax: (303) 321-1183

www.donoralliance.org

CONNECTICUT

New England Organ Bank

60 First Avenue

Waltham, MA 02451

Phone: (617) 244-8000

Fax: (617) 244-8755

www.neob.org

LifeChoice Donor Services

340 West Newberry Road, Suite A

Bloomfield, CT 06002

Phone: (860) 545-4143

Fax: (800) 874-5215

www.lifechoiceopo.org

DELAWARE

Gift of Life Donor Program

401 North 3rd Street

Philadelphia, PA 19123

Phone: (215) 557-8090

Fax: (215) 557-9359

www.donors1.org

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Washington Regional Transplant Community

7619 Little River Turnpike, Suite 900

Annandale, VA 22002

Phone: (703) 641-0100

Fax: (703) 658-0711

www.beadonor.org

FLORIDA

LifeQuest Organ Recovery Services

Ayers Medical Plaza, North Tower

720 SW 2nd Avenue, Suite 570

Gainesville, FL 32610

Phone: (352) 733-0350

Fax: (352) 733–0353

www.lifequestfla.org

Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency

225 NE 34 Street, Suite 100

Miami, FL 33137

Phone: (305) 243-7622

Fax: (305) 243-7628

www.surgery.med.miami.edu/laora

TransLife

1560 Orange Avenue, Suite 400

Winter Park, FL 32789

Phone: (407) 644-3770

Fax: (407) 644-8876

www.translife.org/

LifeLink of Florida

409 Bayshore Boulevard

Tampa, FL 33606

Phone: (813) 348-6308

Fax: (813) 349-6515

www.lifelinkfoundation.org

GEORGIA

LifeLink of Georgia

2875 Northwoods Parkway

Norcross, GA 30071

Phone: (770) 225-5465

Fax: (770) 255-5454

www.lifelinkfoundation.org

Tennessee Donor Services

1600 Hayes Street, Suite 300

Nashville, TN 37203

Phone: (865) 588-1031

Fax: (865) 588-5903

www.dcids.org

HAWAII

Legacy of Life Hawai'i

405 North Kuakini Street, Suite 800

Honolulu, HI 96817

Phone: (808) 599-7630

Fax: (808) 599-7631

www.legacyoflifehawaii.org

IDAHO

Pacific Northwest Transplant Bank

2611 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 320

Portland, OR 97201

Phone: (503) 494-5560

Fax: (503) 494-4725

www.pntb.org

Intermountain Donor Services

230 South 500 East, Suite 290

Salt Lake City, UT 84102

Phone: (801) 521-1755

Fax: (801) 364-8815

www.idslife.org

LifeCenter Northwest

3650 131st Avenue SE, Suite 200

Bellevue, WA 98006

Phone: (425) 201-6563

Fax: (425) 688-7641

www.lcnw.org

ILLINOIS

Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network

425 Spring Lake Drive Itasca, IL 60143

Phone: (630) 758-2600

Fax: (630) 758-2716

www.giftofhope.org

Mid-America Transplant

1110 Highlands Plaza Drive East

St. Louis, MO 63110

Phone: (314) 735-8200

Fax: (314) 991-2805

www.midamericatransplant.org

UW Organ and Tissue Donation

450 Science Drive, Suite 220

Madison, WI 53711

Phone: (608) 262-3248

Fax: (608) 262-9099

www.uwhealth.org/organ-donation/organ-and-tissue-donation/10868

INDIANA

Indiana Donor Network

3760 Guion Road

Indianapolis, IN 46222

Phone: (317) 685-0389

Fax: (317) 685-1687

www.indianadonornetwork.org

Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates

10160 Linn Station Road

Louisville, KY 40223

Phone: (502) 581-9511

Fax: (502) 589-5157

www.kyorgandonor.org

LifeCenter Organ Donor Network

615 Elsinore Place, Suite 400

Cincinnati, OH 45202

Phone: (513) 558-8997

Fax: (513) 558-8843

www.lifepassiton.org

Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network

425 Spring Lake Drive

Itasca, IL 60143

Phone: (630) 758-2600

Fax: (630) 758-2716

www.giftofhope.org

IOWA

Iowa Donor Network

550 Madison Avenue

North Liberty, IA 52317

Phone: (319) 665-3787

Fax: (319) 665-3788

www.iowadonornetwork.org

Nebraska Organ Recovery System

8502 West Center Road

Omaha, NE 68124

Phone: (402) 733-1800

Fax: (402) 733-9312

http://www.nedonation.org/

KANSAS

Midwest Transplant Network

1900 W 47th Place, Suite 400

Westwood, KS 66205

Phone: (913) 262-1668

Fax: (913) 262-5130

www.mwtn.org

KENTUCKY

Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates

10160 Linn Station Road

Louisville, KY 40223

Phone: (502) 581-9511

Fax: (502) 589-5157

www.kyorgandonor.org

LifeCenter Organ Donor Network

615 Elsinore Place, Suite 400

Cincinnati, OH 45202

Phone: (513) 558-5000

Fax: (513) 558-8843

www.lifepassiton.org

Tennessee Donor Services

1600 Hayes Street, Suite 300

Nashville, TN 37203

Phone: (865) 588-1031

Fax: (865) 588-5903

tds.dcids.org

LOUISIANA

The Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency

4441 North I-10 Service Road

Metairie, LA 70002

Phone: (504) 837-3355

Fax: (504) 833-7894

www.lopa.org

MAINE

New England Organ Bank

60 First Avenue

Waltham, MA 02451

Phone: (617) 244-8000

Fax: (617) 244-8755

www.neob.org

MARYLAND

The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland

1730 Twin Springs Road, Suite 200

Baltimore, MD 21227

Phone: (410) 242-7000

Fax: (410) 242-1871

www.thellf.org

Washington Regional Transplant Community

7619 Little River Turnpike, Suite 900

Annandale, VA 22002

Phone: (703) 641-0100

Fax: (703) 658-0711

www.beadonor.org

MASSACHUSETTS

New England Organ Bank

60 First Avenue

Waltham, MA 02451

Phone: (617) 244-8000

Fax: (617) 244-8755

www.neob.org

LifeChoice Donor Services

340 West Newberry Road, Suite A

Bloomfield, CT 06002

Phone: (800) 874-5215

Fax: (860) 545-4143

www.lifechoiceopo.org

MICHIGAN

Gift of Life Michigan

3861 Research Park Drive

Ann Arbor, MI 48108

Phone: (734) 973-1577

Fax: (734) 973-3133

www.giftoflifemichigan.org