The Truth About Organ Donation

• Anyone can be an organ donor, regardless of age, race or medical history.
• All major religions in the United States support organ donation.
• Organ donors can still have open-casket funerals.
• Organ donation doesn't cost the donor's family any money.
• If an individual is hospitalized, medical staff will provide the best possible care, whether or not the patient is an organ donor. In fact, the transplant team is completely separate from the medical team and won't even be called unless a patient is declared brain dead.
• Donors are needed for all ethnic groups. Transplant success rates increase when organs are matched between members of the same ethnic background.

Right now, 101,884 people are waiting for a lifesaving transplant. Because of the vast shortage of organ donors, 18 people die each day waiting for a transplant in the United States. In an effort to help alleviate this problem, NFT recently kicked off the Transplant Challenge! We hope to raise $100,000 to support transplant patients and add 100,000 new names to the donor registry.

Accept the Transplant Challenge today!

Transplant Challenge Pizza Party

Check out photos from our Transplant Challenge Pizza Party, which was held at the NFT office in April 17.

To see more photos, visit our Facebook page!

NFT Patient Still Waiting After 5 Years

Louis Lopez, a loving father and devoted friend, began battling health problems several years ago. He was finally diagnosed with end-stage liver disease. Doctors say a liver transplant is his only hope for a second chance at life. Louis has been waiting for his second chance at life for more than five years.

Louis' illness leaves him exhausted and unable to work. Despite his struggles, Louis has high hopes for the future and is thankful for the support of his loved ones. He looks forward to the lifesaving transplant that will allow him to spend more time with his family and friends. But he needs your help.

A liver transplant costs approximately $520,000. And that's only the beginning. Even with health insurance, Louis will face significant medical expenses. For the rest of his life, he will need follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications. The cost of post-transplant medications can range from $2,000 to $5,000 per month--and they are as critical to his survival as the transplant itself.

Too many patients like Louis are waiting for lifesaving transplants because of the national shortage of organ donors. Please help these patients by accepting the Transplant Challenge to become an organ donor.

NFT Patient Waiting for a Heart Transplant

Ray Jolly has been on the waiting list for a heart transplant for more than three years. Like other NFT patients and supporters, Ray is encouraging others to accept the Transplant Challenge to increase the number of organ donors. Ray knows all too well how vital it is to add new names to the organ donor registry so more patients can receive their lifesaving transplants.

Watch this video, which originally aired April 8 on the Fox 13 Good Morning Memphis broadcast, to hear Ray’s story.

To help Ray, or other patients like him, visit our Web site to make a donation.

NFT Night at the Grizzlies!

The Transplant Challenge was in full swing as the National Foundation for Transplants partnered with the Memphis Grizzlies for NFT Night! More than 10,000 fans were in attendance as information about the Transplant Challenge was featured on the jumbotron. NFT staff members had a great time talking to people and spreading the word about the importance of organ donation.

By signing up new organ donors and raising funds, we were able to move closer toward our goal of adding 100,000 new donors and raising $100,000 to represent the more than 100,000 patients waiting for lifesaving transplants.

Have you heard about the Transplant Challenge yet? Click here for more information.

Enjoy the pictures below from our night at the Grizzlies!

NFT Night at the Redbirds!

Friday, April 24, the National Foundation for Transplants will be in the spotlight as the Memphis Redbirds take on the Nashville Sounds. Please join us for NFT Night at the Redbirds! Tickets are only $10. Proceeds will be split between NFT and the Redbirds Foundation.

At the game, please be sure to stop by the NFT table and accept the Transplant Challenge. By accepting the Transplant Challenge, you can help NFT reach our goal of adding 100,000 new names to the organ donor registry and raising $100,000 to represent the 100,000+ people on the transplant waiting list.

For more information and to buy tickets, please e-mail events@transplants.org. Tickets must be purchased by Monday, April 20 to benefit NFT. We hope to see you there!

NFT April Patient of the Month

Days after his 18th birthday, Michael Noble came down with what he thought was the flu. After experiencing uncontrollable nosebleeds, a test showed that his blood pressure was dangerously high. Michael’s life changed in an instant. He went from working at Louie’s Pizza and getting ready for college, to fighting for his life.

After a month in the hospital, Michael was diagnosed with Wegener granulomatosis, a rare autoimmune disorder which inflames the blood vessels and restricts blood flow to critical organs. The cause of the disease is unknown. Aggressive medications allowed Michael to recover from the disorder, but his kidneys had already suffered permanent damage. Doctors say a kidney transplant is his only hope for a second chance at life.

Michael is on the organ transplant waiting list at University Hospital in Aurora, Colorado. His parents both attempted to be donors, but neither was a match. He undergoes peritoneal dialysis at his home daily, which leaves him exhausted.

He looks forward to the lifesaving transplant that will allow him to live like a normal 19-year-old. He would like nothing more than to be a full-time college student with enough energy to snowboard again.

NFT helps patients like Michael raise funds to pay for the significant expenses related to transplantation. If you want to help Michael, or patients like him, visit the NFT Web site to make a donation. If you’d like information on how NFT can help you, or someone you know, raise funds for a lifesaving transplant, visit our Web site or call 800-489-3863.

NFT Patients Who Received Transplants in March

We are happy to say that the NFT patients listed below received lifesaving transplants in March! We wish them the best in their recovery and will continue to provide support along the way. Many patients and their volunteers continue fundraising after transplantation, because the costs of medications and follow-up care continue to soar. We work with those patients to alleviate the financial burdens related to transplantation.

• Fred "Pop" Bennett: liver at Duke University Medical Center
• Patricia Boyd: liver at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  

For more information about the fundraising services provided by the National Foundation for Transplants, please visit our Web site or call 800-489-3863.