We need your help to register 20 million Americans as organ and tissue donors in 2012!

Jessica Melore celebrated her 30^th birthday on January 4, a milestone she wasn’t sure she’d live to experience. At 16, Jessica received a lifesaving heart transplant. Her story of hope and survival helps to launch Donate Life America’s bold new initiative: “20 Million in 2012.”

Donate Life America — the national organization promoting organ, eye and tissue donation in the United States – designed its “20 Million in 2012” initiative to focus on dramatically increasing the number of people registered in state donor registries. This official launch of the campaign comes on the heels of DLA’s announcement during the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena  where it has sponsored the Donate Life float each year since 2004. This year’s float again featured inspirational stories of organ donors and their families, a tradition that the “20 Million in 2012” campaign will continue as it features powerful stories of people affected by organ, eye and tissue donation.

“I am so proud to be a part of the campaign’s “I am HOPE” storytelling project,” says Melore. “Real-life stories like mine often inspire people to sign up to be organ, eye and tissue donors.”

By registering your decision to be an organ and tissue donor, you can give hope to more than 112,000 Americans—more than 5,000 Illinoisans—waiting for lifesaving transplants. “We are committed to saving and enhancing as many lives as possible through organ and tissue donation,” says David Bosch, Director of Communications for Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, which coordinates organ and tissue donation in Illinois and northwest Indiana. “Nearly 6 million Illinois residents have registered their decisions to save and enhance lives through organ and tissue donation. In 2012, we hope to inspire and motivate thousands more to make this ordinary decision that can produce extraordinary results.”

Gift of Hope and other Donate Life Illinois coalition members will support the “20 Million in 2012” campaign’s four featured national events:

• The Donate Life Flash Mob on March 24
• Donate Life Blue and Green Virtual Fashion Show on April 20
• Donate Life Champions in Fall 2012
• Donate Life Linking Hands for Life being held all year long

For more information about the “20 Million in 2012” campaign, visit DonateLifeAmerica.org. To register your decision to be an organ and tissue donor in Illinois, visit DonateLifeIllinois.org.

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This year’s Rose Parade was an especially significant event for organ and tissue donation advocates here in Illinois.  The Donate Life Float featured two riders who call the great state of Illinois home. Alex Rodriguez, of Cicero, was sponsored by Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network riding in honor of his brother Francisco “Paco” Rodriguez.  The second rider, Linda Henning, resides in Crossville and was sponsored by Donor Alliance of Denver, Colorado.  Linda rode in honor of her son, Marc, a former cadet in the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Alex Rodriguez and Linda Henning in front of the Donate Life Float

Both Alex and Linda spent their time in Pasadena building awareness for organ and tissue donation and networking with donor families and recipients from across the United States.  It was truly an amazing time to honor loved ones, make life-long connections, and celebrate the “Gift of Life” that is organ and tissue donation.

Alex Rodriguez sitting next to Paco's heart recipient, Alexis Sloan, on the Donate Life Float

If you would like to learn more about the Donate Life Float and the Rose Parade, check out the links to news stories and resources at the bottom of this post.  To see more pictures of our Illinois float riders, visit the Donate Life Illinois Facebook Page or go to the Donate Life Float Media Center.

National Media Surrounding the Donate Life Float

ESPN.com – The parade of life

CNN.com – Two families bond after child’s death saves another

Regional Coverage of Illinois riders and honorees

Fox Chicago News –Friends and Family Honor Boxer Paco Rodriguez

ABC Chicago – Late Chicago boxer to be honored at Rose Parade

Univision Chicago – Niño Azteka será honrado en Los Ángeles

Telemundo Chicago – Murió en el cuadrilátero, pero sigue viviendo

The Denver Post – Organ donors’ families celebrate gift of life at Calif. Event

Carmi Times – Phillipstown represented in Rose Parade

More Resources

Visit the Donate Life Facebook Page for photos of the Illinois riders and honorees.

Go to DonateLifeFloat.org for more information on the Donate Life Float.

Register your decision to save lives through organ and tissue donation at DonateLifeIllinois.org!

Rendering of 2012 Donate Life Float

This year, Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network is honoring Francisco “Paco” Rodriguez by sending his family to Pasadena to participate in Donate Life Float activities from December 28^th until January 2^nd. Paco’s family will help decorate the Donate Life Float, network with donor families and recipients, and spread organ and tissue donation awareness. Alex Rodriguez, Paco’s brother, will even ride on the Donate Life Float during the Rose Parade!

Sonia, wife, and Ginette, daughter, put the finishing touches on Paco's floragraph.

From December 28^th until January 2^nd, the Donate Life Illinois team will be in Pasadena with the Rodriguez family sharing photos and updates on Facebook and Twitter. Use the hashtag #DonateLifeFloat on Twitter to see updates from Donate Life Illinois and, possibly, other Donate Life organizations.

Happy Holidays!

- Josh

The Swanson Family

Our twin boys, Luke and Jake, became the newest members of “Team Swanson” in October 2008. At birth, they were the picture of good health. But it soon became apparent that something wasn’t right when the slightly yellow, almost jaundiced appearance, associated with newborns lingered.

Just three months later, we received devastating news from the doctors at Children’s Memorial Hospital. Luke and Jake both had a rare disease called biliary atresia, a condition in which the liver’s bile ducts develop improperly. The doctors at Children’s Memorial were as shocked as my husband and me since they were unaware of a case of twins both being diagnosed with this condition.

The exact cause of biliary atresia is unknown, but experts believe that during the third trimester of pregnancy something causes the fetus’ liver to attack itself. The build-up of bile causes irreversible cirrhosis of the liver. The only cure for my boys would be liver transplants. Both were place on the national organ transplant waiting List in fall 2009. Our family’s wait for two healthy boys was under way.

Waiting for a new liver.

On August 11 of this year, after almost two years of waiting, we were blessed with a call from the transplant team at Children’s Memorial. They had amazing news—there was a match for Jake. He received his new liver on August 12 and has experienced an amazing recovery. He is a new kid, full of energy and life!

As a family, we now find ourselves in an unusual and uncomfortable place.  We are excited and relieved for Jake, but we still feel very anxious and concerned for Luke as he continues to wait for a transplant. We are hopeful for Luke and his future and anticipate the day he will be able to run, laugh and play like his brother Jake.

As a family, we often reflect back on our journey. One of the first thoughts we had when we saw Jake in recovery was that donor family was in the opposite situation that we were in. They were grieving while we were joyous for Jake and his future. My eyes fill with tears when thinking about them. They decided, in their darkest moment, to help Jake and others like him during their unspeakable tragedy. We are forever grateful to this anonymous family for their gift of life.

The Swanson boys on the way to the Bears game.

This September, our friends at Children’s Memorial and Donate Life Illinois asked Team Swanson to join them at the Bears versus Packers game at Soldier Field. Of course, we said “yes” and were excited to go.  The smiles on all of our boys’ faces that day were priceless as we walked on the field. It was an encouraging reminder of all of the wonderful memories that are yet to come—memories made possible by offering the amazing gift of life through organ and tissue donation.

The boys at Soldier Field.

- Robyn Swanson

Register your decision to save lives by becoming an organ and tissue donor at DonateLifeIllinois.org!

Photo by D Sharon Pruitt

Next week, our friends at Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network will start a new project to reach potential organ and tissue donors. They are “inviting” residents in Edgar, Greene and Brown counties to join the Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry and help save lives through organ and tissue donation.

Over the next few weeks, residents of these counties will receive one of two direct mail pieces asking them to save lives by taking just 30 seconds to register as donors. One is designed to look like a party invitation and features Luke, a huggable young boy waiting for a liver transplant. The other looks like a thank-you card and features Drew, a cute little guy who’s now living an active life thanks to the heart transplant he received.

Gift of Hope chose Edgar, Greene and Brown counties for the direct mail campaign because of their manageable sizes and relatively low registration rates. For example, only of 47 percent of Edgar County residents have registered as donors compared with the statewide average of nearly 58 percent. We hope this direct mail campaign will help build awareness and register organ and tissue donors in each of these counties.

Here’s a look at the direct mail pieces being used for the campaign. Let us know what you think of them by leaving a message on our Facebook page. And if you’d like to see how your county’s donor registration rate compares with the statewide average, visit the interactive map posted on DonateLifeIllinois.org.

Register your decision to save lives through organ and tissue donation at DonateLifeIllinois.org!

Donation and transplantation professionals designate this special weekend each year—two weekends before the Thanksgiving season—to bring donation to the attention of faith leaders and their communities. During this time, Donate Life Illinois coalition members seek to educate faith communities about the ongoing need for organ, tissue and eye donors and to encourage people to register as donors.

Religious views on donation vary among denominations, but the vast majority—including all major religions such as Catholicism, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism—view organ and tissue donation as one of the highest forms of giving and a supreme gesture of human compassion. That’s because faith and hope—fundamental principles of nearly all religions—also are integral components of the donation and transplant process. From those who wait for organ and tissue transplants, to donors who one day hope to make a lifesaving difference, to donor families who can ease the pain of losing a loved one by knowing he or she gave life to others—all have faith in a greater good beyond themselves.

Donate Life Illinois encourages all Illinoisans to be a part of this special time of hope and thanksgiving by planning and participating in National Donor Sabbath activities and registering to be organ, tissue and eye donors in the Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry.  This selfless act can give hope to nearly 5,000 Illinoisans on the organ transplant waiting list and thousands of others waiting for tissue and cornea transplants.

For more information on organ and tissue donation or to join the Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry, visit DonateLifeIllinois.org. For information on how to plan a National Donor Sabbath program for your faith community members, e-mail Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network at info@giftofhope.org or call 888/307-DON8 (3668).

Donate Life Illinois and the nationwide Donate Life America donation and transplant community it belongs to reached a major milestone this month—100 million people in the United States, including 6 million in Illinois, have registered as organ, eye and tissue donors through state donor registries like the Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry.

“Reaching this milestone is a testament to our human nature and our willingness to work together for the greater good,” said Jerry Anderson, President/CEO of Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, a Donate Life Illinois coalition member that coordinates organ and tissue donation in Illinois and northwest Indiana. “But, as we celebrate this achievement, the need for transplants continues to rise. More than 112,000 men, women and children nationwide—including nearly 5,000 in Illinois—await lifesaving organ transplants today. Thousands more await tissue transplants to help them return to productive living. We need more donors to continue saving and enhancing more lives. Illinoisans are encouraged to register as donors by visiting DonateLifeIllinois.org.”

To date, the Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry has registered nearly 6 million organ, eye and tissue donors—about 57 percent of all people eligible to register in the state. “With nearly 5,000 people in the state awaiting organ transplants—and thousands more in need of cornea and tissue transplants—it is critical to continue increasing the number of registered donors,” Anderson said. “Each person who registers as a donor offers the gift of hope to thousands of men, women and children in need of transplants to return them to leading productive and fulfilling lives with their loved ones.”

As the nation celebrates this great national achievement—100 million registered donors—Donate Life America and its network of state teams and partner organizations continue their work to save and enhance lives, Anderson added. “We are not content with the achievements we have realized to date,” he said. “Our goal is to add 20 million more registered donors by the end for 2012 to save and enhance even more lives. Illinoisans are encouraged to help the donation and transplantation community achieve that 2012 goal by registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeIllinois.org.”

Celebrate 100 Million

To celebrate this momentous occasion, we are asking our Facebook fans to change their profile photos for the day to encourage friends and family to join in registering as livesaving organ and tissue donors. Participating in this effort is easy. Just follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the above photo “Celebrating 100 Million Registered Donors.” Then select “Save As.”
2. Save the file to the “My Desktop” or “My Photos” file on your computer.
3. Go to www.facebook.com to access your profile. Once on your profile, select the “Change Photo” option that appears when navigating over your picture.
4. Browse to where you saved your new photo on your computer and upload it as your picture.

Be sure to post a status update encouraging others to register their decision to save and enhance lives through organ and tissue donation. Here’s a sample post:

“Join the more than 100 million Americans who have registered their decision to save lives through organ/tissue donation. It takes just 30 seconds to register at www.DonateLifeIllinois.org!”

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for your support!

- Josh

Mia and the Royer Family

Our friends at Children’s Memorial Hospital have featured the stories of several children waiting for and receiving lifesaving organ transplants. Mackenzie Tannhauser, a 17-year-old girl from Crystal Lake, posted a video diary of her wait for a heart transplant. Her series of videos shows the “ups and downs” associated with waiting for the gift of life. Thankfully, she received a transplant last month and is on the way to leading a healthy, productive life.

There’s also the story of Drew Boedigheimer, a two-year-old boy and Cubs fan who received two life-changing gifts—a new heart from a selfless donor and a visit from his favorite Cubs player, Darwin Barney. After his transplant, Drew’s doctor encouraged the Boedigheimer family to contact the Cubs to set up a visit from Barney, their rookie second baseman. The Cubs were more than happy to accommodate the request, and Barney paid a visit and help raise Drew’s spirits. Watch Drew’s story at WGN.com.

Todd & Drew Boedigheimer

Stories like this are made possible by people who make the decision to be registered organ and tissue donors. Learn more about how you can help save lives through organ and tissue donation at DonateLifeIllinois.org.  It takes just 30 seconds to register. It’s an ordinary action that can produce extraordinary results.

Brad Paisley's latest album "This is Country Music"

Calling all Brad Paisley fans! We have FOUR pairs of tickets to see Brad Paisley live on Wednesday, September 21st at Joe’s Bar in Chicago. And we are giving them away to our amazing Donate Life Illinois fans and followers.

Winning a pair of tickets is easy! All that you need to do is post the following phrase as your Facebook status:

I am a registered organ donor. Are you? More than 110,000 Americans are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. Register in 30 seconds at www.DonateLifeIllinois.org!

Once you post this status, visit the Donate Life Illinois Facebook Page and leave a message on our wall notifying us that you’re awesome and updated your status with the above phrase.

Four winners (each receiving two tickets) will be selected at 12pm CDT on Tuesday, September 20th. Entrants must post a message on the Donate Life Illinois Facebook Page stating that they updated their status. Winners will be posted on the Donate Life Illinois Facebook Page and contacted by a Donate Life Illinois representative to coordinate ticket pick up.

Not a registered organ and tissue donor? Visit DonateLifeIllinois.org to register and save lives!