November 22, 2011
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!
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Posted by jmuller123
November 9, 2011
Donate Life Illinois urges faith leaders throughout Illinois to raise their collective voices, praise the benefits of organ and tissue donation and urge their members to give the gift of life by being organ and tissue donors during National Donor Sabbath, which will be observed November 11-13.
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).
Leave a Comment » | Donate Life Illinois | Tagged: catholic, christian, donate life, Donate Life America, Donate Life Illinois, donation, donor, Donor Family, faith leaders, Gift of Hope, hinduism, illinois, Illinois organ/tissue donor registry, islam, National Donor Sabbath, november, november 11 - 13, organ, organ donation, organ donor, organ transplant, Recipient, register, registration, religion, religion support donation, sabbath, tissue, tissue donation, transplant | Permalink
Posted by jmuller123
October 14, 2011
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.”
Leave a Comment » | Donate Life America | Tagged: 100 million, chicago, Donate Life America, Donate Life Illinois, donation, facebook, Gift of Hope, illinois, Illinois organ/tissue donor registry, Milestone, organ donation, organ donor, organ transplant, register, Registered Donors, registration, transplant | Permalink
Posted by jmuller123
October 11, 2011
Thank you to everyone across the United States who has registered their decision to save and enhance lives through organ and tissue donation. Today, we are celebrating an amazing milestone—100 million registered organ and tissue donors across the country.
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:
- Right-click on the above photo “Celebrating 100 Million Registered Donors.” Then select “Save As.”
- Save the file to the “My Desktop” or “My Photos” file on your computer.
- 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.
- 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
Leave a Comment » | Donate Life America | Tagged: 100 million, donate life, Donate Life America, Donate Life Illinois, donation, donor, Donor Family, facebook, illinois, Illinois organ/tissue donor registry, organ donation, organ donor, organ transplant, organ/tissue donors, register, registered, registration | Permalink
Posted by jmuller123
