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Long run for Children’s

pril is National Donate Life Month, and at Children’s, an extensive network of caregivers works hard to make each transplantation successful and care for every patient waiting for a transplant. “The team includes a transplant physician, surgeon, coordinator, nutritionist, social worker, ICU staff, and staff on 8 North, the solid organ transplant floor,” says Jennifer Lo, Transplant Program administrator. “We‚re supported by a rigorous program of pre- and post-operative care, and laboratory and radiology services.”

According to the New England Organ Bank (NEOB), 17 people die each day before the necessary organ becomes available. “We see patients all the time who illustrate the incredibly touching human side of waiting for a transplant,” says Camilla Cook, RN, 8 North. “We want people to think about becoming organ donors because it is a gift beyond value.”

For information on becoming on organ donor, please contact the NEOB at (800) 446-6362 or visit their Web site at www.neob.org.

NEOB is part of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, which is administered by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). According to UNOS:

• There were 84,534 candidates on organ donor waiting lists in the U.S. on April 12, 2004.
• There have been 2,206 transplants done in 2004.
• Every 13 minutes another name is added to the national transplant waiting list.
• From 1993 to 2002, nearly 58% of all people on organ donor waiting lists were male
• In 2002, nearly 3/4 of all people on an organ donor waiting list were between ages 35-64.