TWELVE LIVING KIDNEY DONORS SELECTED TO WALK ALONGSIDE DONATE LIFE FLOAT IN 2014

[Clark]

http://donatelife-organdonation.blogspot.com/2013/10/twelve-living-kidney-donors-selected-to.html

TWELVE LIVING KIDNEY DONORS SELECTED TO WALK ALONGSIDE DONATE LIFE FLOAT IN 2014 ROSE PARADE®

Walkers Reinforce the Need for Living Donation to Meet Growing Transplant Waiting List
Twelve generous yet ordinary people who donated a kidney so that others could live have been selected to walk alongside the 11th annual Donate Life float in the 2014 Rose Parade, themed "Light Up the World." The living donors will walk the five-mile parade route to underscore the possibility of donating a life-saving organ while alive as well as demonstrate the vitality of people who have done so.

"As we begin our second decade of Rose Parade participation, we felt it important to honor the generosity of living donors, who are beacons of hope to people suffering from kidney failure," stated Bryan Stewart, chairman of the Donate Life Rose Parade Float Committee and vice president of communications at OneLegacy, the non-profit organ, eye and tissue recovery organization serving the greater Los Angeles area.

Each year, about one-third of the nearly 17,000 kidney transplants nationwide involve living donors. The recipients are mostly family and close friends of the donors, but increasingly often altruistic donors step forward to donate to a stranger, with the potential to start a chain of kidney transplants that can potentially free dozens of kidney patients from dialysis. Because the conditions allowing deceased donation to occur are extremely rare, increasing living donation is essential to helping the nearly 100,000 individuals currently awaiting a kidney transplant. Living donors also account for about four percent of liver transplants.

Five of the walkers will be just steps from their recipients riding on the Donate Life float. Kathleen and Justin Hostert (Fullerton, Calif.) both gave kidneys to float rider Craig Hostert, their husband and father, respectively. Kathleen's donation was 14 years ago; Justin's was last December. The family of four leads a 60-person committee to produce the Donate Life Run/Walk each April at Cal State Fullerton, the nation's largest donation-themed event.

Michael Cervantes (Chino, Calif.) will walk next to his brother and recipient, rider John Cervantes, whose transplant brought an end to 30 years of kidney-related health challenges and allowed him to return to his 17-year career as a police officer.

Lakishia White (Fresno, Calif.) and Jessica Jurado (Sacramento, Calif.) will walk alongside Lakishia's husband, rider JePahl White, who received his second kidney from Jessica via a paired exchange program. Jessica gave her kidney to JePahl, while LaKishia gave her kidney to a recipient in Pennsylvania. In turn, Jessica's mother received a kidney from another participant in the exchange.

Two walkers were inspired to donate by seeing stories about donation. Phillip Palmer (West Monroe, La.), news anchor at ABC7 Los Angeles, read a story about then-NBA star Sean Elliot, who received a kidney from a living donor. The concept of living donation was entirely new to him, but he knew he wanted to give to someone, some day. Years later, his co-worker and friend Dale Davis sickened quickly from kidney failure, and Phillip stepped up to donate his kidney. He encourages people to talk about donation. "You never know how that conversation will end or the lives you might save," he declared.

Kelly Wright, DVM (Newport Beach, Calif.) was inspired by seeing the Donate Life float in the 2013 Rose Parade. She resolved then to give one of her kidneys to a stranger, and through Facebook met a father of two in Massachusetts who was spending 12 hours a week on dialysis. Three months later, the transplant was a success. "I will never have a bigger accomplishment in my life than having one of my kidneys working inside of another human being who may have died without it," she reflected. "Living donation is a blessing for both donor and recipient."

Karen Willis (Northridge, Calif.) wanted to help a complete stranger in a big way; the idea of donating a kidney came very quickly. She liked the idea of helping many people in a kidney chain with her one altruistic donation. Through her participation in "The Chain," a documentary about the series of transplants she initiated, Karen was able to meet two other donors and two recipients, including her own. "I gave three people back their health, their dreams, and their ability to have a quality life with their families," Karen said.

Another who gave to a stranger was Teresa "Terie" Cota (Santa Maria, Calif.), who wanted to help someone else when she was not able to help her brother-in-law, Chris, who succumbed before the transplant could occur. Teri believed that her kidney could still help someone else through a non-directed donation. On the one-year anniversary of Chris's death, Terie received the news that a recipient had been found. "The decision was simple," she said. "I had been given the gift of health, and I wanted to share it. I believe the opportunities to make choices like these are the best part of being human."

Through his longtime career in tissue banking, Kevin Lucien Noyes (North Branch, Minn.) has long understood the importance of and need for organ and tissue donation. In March 2011, he learned that Marlin, his high school math teacher and father of a lifelong friend, needed a kidney transplant. Drawing on his conviction to do the right thing, Kevin underwent testing, lost weight to meet the transplant center's requirements, and restored life for Marlin. Kevin hopes his story inspires others to explore the opportunity for themselves.

Kathy Vochoska (Bakersfield, CA) watched as her college son Chris went into sudden kidney failure due to Berger's Disease. With Chris on dialysis, the need for a kidney was imminent, especially from a living donor in the family. Kathy found she could be his match, and she donated her kidney to him at the end of March 2011, and subsequently became a Donate Life Ambassador. "Although I hate that my son got sick, the silver lining of our journey is that I am now involved with the most compassionate and inspiring group of people I have ever met," she said. "My life has been forever changed."

Jeff E. Carter, Jr. (Getzville, NY) also had a son, Jeff III ("Jeffrey"), who developed kidney disease. Four years after being diagnosed with kidney disease, 18-year-old Jeffrey's kidneys completely shut down, followed by three years of dialysis and numerous hospitalizations, surgeries, and near-death occasions. Once Jeffrey was cleared for a kidney transplant, Jeff did not hesitate to donate. Tragically, however, nine years after he donated his kidney, Jeff's youngest daughter Rebekah died. "Rebekah's organs and tissues were donated, and we know that her life continues in others," said Jeff.