A Quarterly Newsletter of LifeShare Of The Carolinas

VOLUME 14

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ISSUE 1

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SPRING 2011

IN THIS ISSUE:

1 LifeShare has Record YearCelebrating Second Chances

2 LifeShare Earns AOPOAccreditation

3 The 5th Quarter, ANational Movie with aCarolina Connection

4 Asheville Mom Pens Letter

5 Collier Lilly Ride 4 Life

5 Volunteers Needed forSummer Convention

6 Spotlight on RebekahNewton, Resident Chaplain

7 Donor Statistics byHospital

8 National Donate Life Month

A Donate Life Organization

LIFESHARE HAS RECORD YEAR

Celebrating Second ChancesWe are proud to report that 2010 was a near-record year for LifeShare. Gary Burris,

LifeShare’s Chief Operating Officer, reported to our Advisory Board that LifeShare

had a 16% increase in the number of organ donors last year over 2009.

LifeShare recovered 88 organ donors last year, compared to 76 in 2009. Behind

those statistics are real people with families and friends, careers and dreams, people

like 13-year old Jacob Keefer of Asheville who received a kidney transplant in 2003

and whose story is featured on page five of the newsletter.

It is because of the unselfish generosity of individuals from throughout southwest

North Carolina that a total of 320 organs from area donors were transplanted to critically

ill people in this region and nationwide. As an organization, we are pleased to be able

to provide second chances to those in need. Just like it takes a village to raise a child, the

gift of organ and tissue donation also requires a collaborative effort on the part of the

healthcare professionals in area hospitals, medical examiners and funeral homes.

Most importantly, donation occurs because people take the time to say

“yes” and to join the North Carolina Donor Registry. Last year, 46 of the

organ donations we coordinated had signed-up online or at the DMV.

In addition to organ donors, LifeShare also recovered corneas from 330 donors and

tissue from 234 donors, restoring the quality of life for patients suffering from all sorts of

medical problems from torn ligaments to defective heart valves. Unfortunately, the

demand for donated organs and tissues continues to far outpace the supply.

At the beginning of March, there were 110,234 people on the national waiting list

for an organ transplant. That’s more people than can fit in the Panther’s stadium or

the Charlotte Motor Speedway on any given Sunday.

As we come together in April to observe yet another National Donate Life Month,

we are reminded that the people awaiting transplants and the wonderful donor families

we have the privilege to serve are the reasons that we exist.

2 L I F E S H A R E O F T H E C A R O L I N A S

LifeShareOf The Carolinas

1-800-932-GIVE

www.lifesharecarolinas.org

Editor

Debbie Gibbs

Associate Editor

Gary Burris

O U R M I S S I O N

To improve the quality of human

life through the provision of organs

and tissues for transplantation and

to serve our hospitals and their

respective communities by providing

educational and support services

which enhance the donation process.

OU R V I S I O N

We envision a day when the regional

supply of transplantable organs

and tissues will satisfy the demand.

LifeShare Earns AOPO AccreditationANNOUNCEMENT

After 18 months of preparation, LifeShare is proud to announce that we recently

received full accreditation by the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations

(AOPO). Our entire staff is to be credited with this success. We would also like to

thank our hospital partners who supported us in reaching this important milestone.

The survey, a peer review process, was conducted over two-days. The purpose is

to ensure compliance with AOPO standards which serve as the benchmark for

OPO performance.

LifeShare is one of 58 non-profit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) operating

in the United States. OPOs are federally-designated non-profit organizations that

are responsible for coordinating organ and tissue donation, bridging the gap

between the generous donation of organs and tissues and the thousands in need

of these gifts.

AOPO is a non-profit, national organization representing and serving all OPOs

through advocacy, support and the development of activities that will maximize

the availability of organs and tissues and enhance the quality, effectiveness and

integrity of the donation process.

Kip Brooks Joins OtherDonor Family Members on 2010 Donate Life RoseParade Float

Kip Brooks said that he and his wife,Shannon, found their experience atthe Rose Bowl Parade surroundedby love and honor. “The entireexperience was completely life-altering. The people we met andstories we heard were so inspiringthat it made the whole thingsurreal," he said. Thanks again toCytonet for sponsoring their trip.

3

The 5th QuarterA National Movie with a CarolinaConnection Coming to a Theater Near You!

Number of Candidates on theNational Transplant Waiting List

Kidney 87,903

Liver 16,135

Pancreas 1,398

Kidney-Pancreas 2,249

Heart 3,201

Lung 1,822

Heart-Lung 70

Intestine 260

NATIONAL TOTAL 110,359

North Carolina 3,437

South Carolina 987

Based on OPTN data as of February 18, 2011.

Just in time for National Donate Life

Month, a Hollywood movie made in

North Carolina will hit the big screen

the weekend of March 25, 2011.

Starring Aidan Quinn, Andie McDowell

and Ryan Merriman, the 5th Quarter is

the touching true story of the Abbate

family of Marietta, Georgia.

When 15-year-old Luke Abbate is

killed in a tragic car accident, the loss

leaves his family reeling with grief.

Fueled by faith and a deep family bond,

after donating his organs to save the

lives of five other people, the Abbates

try to rebuild their lives without Luke.

Despite the support of loving friends

and family, his death leaves a void in

their lives that threatens to tear the

family apart. Luke’s older brother Jon, a

gifted football player at Wake Forest

University, decides to honor his brother’s

memory by dedicating the 2006 season

to him.

“Playing for two,” he changes his jersey

number to Luke’s beloved No. 5 and

inspires his teammates to play the best

football of their lives. Predicted to finish

last in their division, the Wake Forest

football team surpassed all expectations

S P R I N G I S S U E – 2 0 1 1

Did you know?

Essence Magazine is running a profile on Carolyn HenryGlaspy, the mother of NFL player Chris Henry. Theirstory was profiled on CBS Sports last Thanksgiving.Look for it in the April edition of the magazine onnewsstands now.

by winning the ACC championship that

season and a bid to the Orange Bowl.

The movie was written and directed

by Rick Bieber and filmed in North

Carolina. It will open in select movie

theaters in Charlotte, Concord,

Huntersville, Mooresville, Monroe and

Rock Hill, SC. We hope you’ll go out to

see it when it opens.

4 L I F E S H A R E O F T H E C A R O L I N A SYou have the power to donate life!

Making a Difference... Asheville Mother Pens Letter to DMV Examiners

CALENDARof events

March 25, 2011The 5th Quarter Opens

Selected Theaters

Charlotte, Winston-Salem and

Rock Hill

April, 2011National Donate Life Month

Nationwide

April 14–16, 2011NCDETSA Meeting

Khoury Center

Greensboro, NC

June 4, 2011Collier Lilly Ride 4 Life

Davidson College

Davidson, NC

June 13–15, 2011AAMVA Convention

Westin Hotel

Charlotte, NC

For the last two years, Donate Life North Carolina has been reaching out to the

Department of Motor Vehicles. Many of the people who have been involved in

making quarterly visits to DMV offices around the state are LifeShare volunteers.

Our volunteers have also been featured in thank you cards that are sent on a

quarterly basis to DMV examiners. The first person to be profiled from southwestern

North Carolina was Destiny Mitchell. Her card was followed by the parents of Jason

Ray and most recently, the Thomas Widenhouse family.

We are pleased to report that the next card will feature a young boy from Asheville,

Jacob Keffer. Jacob and his mother, Julie, first volunteered to help LifeShare at a city

council meeting in Brevard. With her permission, here’s the note that his mother

wrote for the thank you card:

5S P R I N G I S S U E – 2 0 1 1

Mark Your Calendars forthe Collier Lilly Ride 4 Life!If it’s June in Charlotte, it’s time for our annual bike ride, the Collier Lilly Ride 4

Life. The date has been set for Saturday, June 4, 2011. As always, the 15K, 50K and

100K ride will kick off and end on the beautiful campus of Davidson College.

This will be the eighth year that the bike ride has been sponsored to honor the

life and memory honor of Collier Cobb Lilly, a former Davidson student. It is

LifeShare’s only fundraiser.

Please help us to spread the word. We need people to ride in the event, sponsors

and volunteers too. The organizing committee is continuing to focus on excellent

customer service. If you can provide it, please join the faithful volunteers who are

crucial to the success of this event each year.

If you know of any companies that would like to support a good cause, we

would love to have their participation. Sponsorship levels run from $250 to

$10,000. Funds from the bike ride are used for public educational purposes such as

the redesign of our web site.

Information on the ride is available at www.collierlillyride4life.com and on the

ride’s Facebook page. The Collier Lilly Ride 4 Life is a great way to “recycle” yourself

and to support organ and tissue donation too!

Volunteers Needed for Summer ConventionThe American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), a professional

association of DMV administrators, will hold its Region II Meeting at the Westin

Hotel in Charlotte June 11-16th. We could use your help.

Donate Life North Carolina will have a booth at the meeting where we can

meet and talk with attendees, provide them with donation information and answer

questions.We know that transplant recipients, donor family members and other

people with a personal story to share can have a powerful effect on DMV personnel,

so we encourage you to consider helping us with this event.

Exhibit hours will be Monday, June 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday, June 14

from 9 a.m. to noon and Wednesday, June 15 from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Please let us

know if you are available to help during any of these days/times and we will provide

you with more details as they become available. If approved, we also plan to ask a

local donor family and/or recipient family to share their story at the meeting as

part of a presentation on organ and tissue donation.

About 350-400 participants from 15 states throughout the south (NC, SC, VA, TN,

KY, GA, WV, TX, OK, AR, LA, MS, AL, FL & PR) are expected to attend the conference.

To volunteer, please contact Jane Corrado via e-mail at

jcorrado@donatelifenc.org.

One Volunteer at a Time!

6

PLANNING A PROGRAM?

As your organization plans its meeting

calendar for the year, please think of

LifeShare. Speakers from your community

whose lives have been touched by

organ or tissue donation are available

to talk to local groups.

If you would like to schedule a

free, informative presentation tailored

to the needs of your organization,

call the LifeShare office nearest you

at (704) 512-3303 or (828) 255-8699.

If you are interested in joining our

Speaker’s Bureau, we’d also like to

hear from you.

Lots of opportunities are available

to help in the office, to staff a booth

at a health fair or to make presentations

to community groups. Call us.

PLEASE CONSIDERMAKING A FINANCIALCONTRIBUTION

By making a donation to LifeShare,

you can help to save lives by raising

organ and tissue donation awareness.

You may contribute in several ways.

In lieu of flowers, LifeShare may

be designated as the organization to

receive memorials for funerals.

Contributions may also be made in

the name of a transplant recipient,

donor or other loved one. Each person

who makes a contribution to LifeShare

receives a thank you letter. A separate

letter is sent to the family or person in

whose honor the donation was made.

Please mail your check, payable to

LifeShare, to the address on the back

of the newsletter. All contributions

are tax-deductible and are used for

public education purposes.

Rebekah Newton began working for CMC as a Resident

Chaplain in September of 2009 but the life of a Hospital

Chaplain was not new to her. Growing up, she watched her

father minister to patients at CMC-NorthEast as Director of

Pastoral Care. Rebekah wasn’t always sure however she’d follow in his footsteps.

After high school she left home for Western Carolina University where she majored

in Vocal Performance and Music Industry. After graduating, it didn’t take Rebekah

long to realize God had a different plan for her. She earned a Master of Divinity from

Hood Theological Seminary in 2007 and the rest as they say, is history.

The next two years, Rebekah worked as a Resident Chaplain in Greenville, NC and

as a Hospice Chaplain in Pinehurst. After landing a

job at CMC, it didn’t take her long to become a

familiar face to the LifeShare staff. She became a

strong advocate for donation after witnessing the

benefits of donation on the families she supported.

As donor families grieved their losses, Rebekah

saw that a part of their grief shifted to hope. It is

living proof to her that people are inherently good.

She also feels blessed that her position allows her to

visit with and support recipients and their families post-transplant.

Rebekah stays busy with her family (parents and four siblings) and her many

interests and hobbies. She loves singing and calligraphy and is devoted to her

church, Providence Baptist in Charlotte. She recently started participating in sprint

triathalons and is training to compete in an Olympic-distance triathalon later this

year. A second degree black belt, she has practiced martial arts since age 12 and has

earned two world titles. Rebekah is also working towards her certification as an

Associate Clinical Pastoral Education Supervisor.

On April 30th, Rebekah will marry Robbie Ramsey, a paramedic with MEDIC in

Mecklenburg County. In ten years she sees herself as a wife and mother and would

like to be doing more volunteer work in her community.

We at LifeShare appreciate all the hard work Rebekah does on behalf of our

donor families. We believe she truly embodies her favorite quote by Ralph Waldo

Emerson, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path

and leave a trail.”

SUBMITTED BY LORI JOHNSON COLUMBUS, ORGAN RECOVERY COORDINATOR

L I F E S H A R E O F T H E C A R O L I N A S

SPOTLIGHT ON

Rebekah NewtonResident ChaplainCarolinas Medical Center

“Do not go wherethe path may lead,go instead wherethere is no pathand leave a trail.”

Rebekah Newton

S P R I N G I S S U E – 2 0 1 1 7

LifeShare gratefully acknowledges the commitment of all nurses and other medical personnel who help to further the ideals of organ andtissue donation. It is through their efforts and the generosity of donor family members that donation occurs. When comparing statistics,please note that not all hospitals have the same donor potential.

DONOR S TAT I S T I C S BY HOSP I TA L

October–December 2010 2010 Totals

Hospital Eye Organ Tissue Eye Organ Tissue

Angel 2 0 1 3 0 1

Anson 0 0 0 3 0 1

Asheville Specialty 0 0 0 0 0 0

Carolinas Medical Center 24 12 28 92 56 105

CMC - Lincoln 1 0 1 9 0 4

CMC - Mercy 0 0 0 3 0 3

CMC - NorthEast 6 2 4 30 6 23

CMC - Pineville 4 0 4 11 0 7

CMC - Steele Creek 0 0 0 2 0 2

CMC - Union 5 0 5 12 0 14

CMC - University 1 0 0 6 0 3

Carolinas Specialty 0 0 0 0 0 0

Cherokee 0 0 0 0 0 0

Cleveland 5 0 3 9 0 6

District Memorial 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gaston 13 0 5 40 1 24

Grace 2 0 3 6 0 9

Harris 1 0 1 6 0 5

Haywood 0 0 0 11 0 6

Highlands-Cashiers 1 0 0 2 0 1

Kings Mountain 0 0 0 1 0 0

Lake Norman 3 0 2 17 1 11

Mission- St. Joseph’s 13 4 11 48 17 39

Murphy 1 0 1 3 0 3

Pardee 1 0 1 9 0 3

Park Ridge 0 0 0 2 0 1

Presbyterian 13 3 11 31 7 19

Presbyterian - Huntersville 2 0 0 7 0 0

Presbyterian - Matthews 4 0 3 6 0 5

Rutherford 6 0 3 13 0 9

St. Luke’s 0 0 0 0 0 0

Stanly 3 0 0 21 0 10

Swain 0 0 0 0 0 0

Transylvania 0 0 0 2 0 2

Valdese 1 0 0 2 0 0

VA Medical 0 0 0 0 0 0

LifeShareOf The Carolinas

5000-D Airport Center ParkwayCharlotte, NC 28208