Donnie Wahlberg Tweet Helps Fan Find a Kidney Donor

The information below is from the Associated Press.

Donnie Wahlberg's Twitter skills have helped find a kidney for an ailing fan from Nashville, Tenn.

One of the New Kids on the Block singer's 183,000 followers on Twitter tweeted a link to a blog about a fan who desperately needed a kidney transplant. Donnie retweeted the plea in December and asked his fans to help Bobbette Miller.

The Boston Herald reports the request prompted a slew of calls to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and one of the callers was a match. Bobbette now is scheduled for a June transplant.

Donnie calls the success a team effort, saying it proves how valuable Twitter can be.

April is Donate Life Month

National Donate Life Month (NDLM) was instituted by Donate Life America and its partnering organizations in 2003 with the support of then Secretary of HHS, Tommy Thompson. Celebrated in April each year, NDLM features an entire month of local, regional and national activities to help encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to celebrate those who have saved lives through the gift of donation.

An outgrowth of the celebratory month is the Flags Across America initiative that began in 2009. It honors and celebrates the hundreds of thousands of donors and recipients whose lives have been affected by organ, eye and tissue donation. The initiative rallies every donor hospital and transplant center, as well as all recovery agencies, to collectively fly the Donate Life flag during April.

April is a great time to spread the word about organ donation and encourage others register as organ donors! For more information about the NDLM initiative, visit Donate Life America.

To register to become an organ donor, visit the Transplant Challenge page on our site.

April Patient of the Month: Dale Shaylor

Dale Shaylor grew up in the remote parts of the Amazon in Venezuela, where his parents were missionaries. When he was only 13, Dale and his family were shocked to learn he had contracted hepatitis B and D while living in the jungle. He lost both his grandfather and aunt after they also contracted hepatitis from their time in the Amazon. His condition has worsened to cirrhosis, requiring his family to return to the U.S. for medical care. Doctors say a liver transplant is his only hope for a second chance at life.

Dale and his wife, Katie, have three children: Joel, Amber and Jemual. He enjoys reading, taking bike rides with Katie and spending time with their children. He loves his job as a bush pilot in Venezuela, but Dale's illness does not allow him to work or participate in many activities.

Although he has gone through many challenges, Dale relies heavily on his faith to guide him through life's obstacles. He is eager to return to his normal life, spend more time with his family and exercise. More than anything, he longs for the day he will be able to continue sharing his faith with others in Venezuela. But he needs your help. To learn more about Dale or to make a donation in his honor, click here.

Linking Hands for Life

The Mid-South Transplant Foundation, an organ procurement organization based in Memphis, is hosting Linking Hands for Life on Sunday, April 17. The organization invites donor families, transplant recipients, hospital partners and other organ donation advocates to come together and link hands, forming a symbolic chain representing the circle of life. Biodegradable balloons will be released in memory of those who have given the gift of life through organ and tissue donation. What a wonderful event to raise awareness about the important need for organ donation! We hope you can be there!

Linking Hands for Life

Sunday, April 17 2:00 p.m.

Levitt Shell at Overton Park

For more information, click here.

March Transplant Birthdays

We are so happy for our patients who received their lifesaving transplants last month!

Many people don't realize that transplant recipients face a lifetime of medical expenses related to essential medications, follow-up care and the surgery itself. NFT is dedicated to helping these patients continue to raise funds so they can return to a normal life without worrying about the expenses.

• Julie Camara (double-lung) at Methodist Transplant Center
  
• Robert Daughtrey (heart) at University of North Carolina Hospital
  
• Stan Flower (lung) at UCLA Medical Center
  
• Jan Johansson (heart) at University of North Carolina Hospital
  
• Holly Julian (lung) at University Hospital, San Antonio
  
• Gustavo Pinedo (kidney) at Baylor University Medical Center
  
• John Rigolizzo (kidney) at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
  
• Harold Seate (liver) at University of North Carolina Hospital
  
• Kevin Spencer (heart) at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital