LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Last month’s breaking of the Guinness world record for the largest-ever gathering of transplant recipients is continuing to reverberate throughout the country as awareness grows for the need for organ and tissue donation. And as awareness grows, so, too, does the impact that this gift of life has on everyone it touches.
“I was thoroughly touched by a community of the most loving, caring, brave and resilient people I’ve ever been privileged to meet,” said Guinness Adjudicator Phillip Robertson. “It is very hard to put into words the stories, coincidences, tragedies and miracles that brought everyone together. I fought back tears for two days while attending the Transplant Games and feel more connected to humanity than ever before. Thank you for the experience. I’ve genuinely not come across this experience before, and it will stay with me.”
The breaking of the record was held in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the Transplant Games in Salt Lake City. More than just an athletic event, the games are a celebration of goodwill for everyone connected to organ donation and transplantation. Donor families, living donors, transplant recipients and many others whose lives have been touched by organ donation competed to win gold, silver and bronze medals in numerous sports categories.
The event was organized and sponsored by OneLegacy, the largest organ procurement organization in the world. On the heals of the games, OneLegacy is next sponsoring its ninth annual “Donation & Transplantation Symposium” where physicians, nurses, transplant center staff, pastoral care professionals, palliative care professionals and social workers will gather to share messages designed to positively impact donation activity at their hospitals and within their communities. Scheduled for Oct. 30 in Pomona, it will be the largest gathering of its kind in the country with more than 1,200 expected to attend.
Two months later, the importance of donation will receive worldwide attention when 70 honorees who have been touched by organ, eye and tissue donation take their place as part of the Donate Life Float at the 2019 Rose Parade in Pasadena. These and other events throughout the year are aimed at sharing the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation in healing and saving lives of millions of people.
“We are committed to playing our part in bringing awareness to this important cause and in helping to lessen the unnecessary deaths of 22 people who die each day in our country while waiting for a gift of life,” said Tom Mone, CEO of OneLegacy and chairman of the Donate Life Rose Parade float committee. “With nearly 115,000 people currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, our goal is to inspire people in America and around the world to sign up as an organ donor at their local registry or share their intent to donate with their loved ones.”
In 2017, OneLegacy reported 487 organ donors and 2,642 tissue and eye donors, resulting in 1,374 lifesaving organ transplants and up to 200,000 lives healed through tissue and cornea transplantation. It also saw 1,249 corneas processed and distributed by OneLegacy, as compared to 1,054 in 2016.
Nationwide, a record 34,772 organ transplants were performed in 2017, using organs from both deceased and living donors. This total is a 3.4 percent increase over 2016 and marks the fifth consecutive record-setting year for transplants in the United States. Still, there are simply not enough hearts, livers, lungs, kidneys and pancreas to fill the need. To learn more about becoming a donor go, to onelegacy.org or donateLIFEcalifornia.org/OneLegacy.
About OneLegacy
OneLegacy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and healing lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in seven counties in Southern California: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Kern. Serving more than 200 hospitals, 11 transplant centers and a diverse population of nearly 20 million, OneLegacy is the largest organ, eye and tissue recovery organization in the world. For more information, visit onelegacy.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
