Upstate New York Transplant Services = UNYTS

Hello!


I have been wanting to share my new volunteer opportunity with you, but things have been so busy, I just haven't had a chance.  A few months ago I applied to be a volunteer for Upstate New York Transplant Services, UNYTS.  UNYTS is an Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) that covers the 8 counties of Western New York.  


There are 58 OPOs in the United States and their job is to evaluate potential donors, discuss donation with families, arrange for the surgical removal of donated organs or tissues, preserve those organs, and arrange for their distribution according to national organ sharing policies.  In addition to this, UNYTS also runs a community blood bank, offering a lower cost alternative for area hospitals regarding blood purchasing.


I have completed two trainings so far, the first was the initial volunteer orientation and the second was a speaker training.  UNYTS has a Talk it Up Program that provides speakers to schools and other organizations to educate about organ, eye, and tissue donation.  Since I am already very active in educating about transplant, this program seemed like a natural fit.  I am scheduled to do my first presentation at the end of August to a local business.


The thing I am most excited about, however, is the Donate Life Program that is run by UNYTS.  Donate Life assists groups of students at area high schools in the planning, development and implementation of a campaign to increase awareness about organ, tissue and blood donation among their peers. Students involved in the group at their school have an opportunity to develop leadership and communication skills and acquire a working knowledge of multiple aspects of establishing and managing an organization. Involvement in Donate Life provides students with skills they can apply in future academic and work-related activities.

Components of Donate Life are:

• Donation education – Representatives from UNYTS explain the facts about organ, eye, tissue and blood donation and correct common misconceptions.
• Research – An expert from UB explains to students how the effectiveness of their campaign will be measured through surveys.
• Public relations & campaign development – A representative from UNYTS will assist students in the development of ideas and campaign implementation.
• Leadership and public speaking – Donate Life group members will participate in presentations in front of their peers, school staff and their parents.

There are many Donate Life Clubs in the Buffalo area, but none here in the Southern Tier, so I will be working with UNYTS to establish clubs here in our area.  This year, for the first time, UNYTS is starting clubs within some local colleges.  I suggested St. Bonaventure as a good choice, so we will be meeting with faculty from SBU next week to discuss the implementation of a Donate Life Program at SBU for the Fall.

I am so excited to be helping such an amazing organization and will keep you posted as to how everything is going.  If you would be interested in volunteering for an Organ Procurement Organization in your area, I would highly recommend it.  You do not have to have any personal experience with donation or transplantation to volunteer.  To find an OPO in your state, clink the OPO link at the top of my blog.


Also, if you are interested in being an organ, eye, or tissue donor, make sure you fill out a donor registry form for your state.  The NYS Enrollment Form looks like this:

In New York State this is a legally binding document recording your wishes.  It is imperative, however, that you discuss these wishes with your family!

One of the issues I was unaware of was that tissues can be used even after cardiac death has occurred.  For organ transplantation, the donor is declared brain dead, but the body is left on a respirator, allowing oxygen to continue to maintain the organs.  For tissue and eye donation, the body can be without cardiac or respiratory activity.  So, the following can be donated in each type of death:

Brain Death                                                                             Cardiac Death

Donor is maintained on ventilator                                       Donor has no cardiac or 

and the cardiac output is maintained.                                respiratory activity.

Acceptable Donations:                                                           Acceptable Donations:

heart or heart valves                                                             heart valves

kidneys                                                                                     bone

liver                                                                                           ligaments

pancreas                                                                                  tendons

lungs                                                                                         cartilage

intestine                                                                                   skin

bone                                                                                         veins

ligaments                                                                                fascia

tendons                                                                                   middle ear

cartilage                                                                                 corneas

skin

veins

fascia

middle ear

corneas 

Just imagine the gift you could give to numerous individuals by being a donor!

For more information regarding UNYTS, visit their website at www.unyts.org

Our commitment is to enhance and save lives through organ, eye, tissue and blood donation while maintaining respect for those who give the Gift of Life.