Illinoisan Heading to Rose Parade for Coalition on Donation Float; Joining Deputy Surgeon General, Snowboarder to Raise Donor Awareness 12/8/2003
From: Kim McCullough of the Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, 630-758-2736 or kmccullough@giftofhope.org, http://www.giftofhope.org ELMHURST, Ill., Dec. 8 -- When the 2004 Rose Parade ushers in the New Year for millions of viewers in 28 countries, it will also mark a milestone in raising awareness of organ and tissue donation -- as 22 people from across the United States come together to ride the first-ever Coalition on Donation Rose Parade float. Among the select 22 will be Beecher resident and donation advocate Pat Perry. Her husband Don, a police sergeant for the Cook County Forest Preserve District, became an organ and tissue donor after suffering a stroke in 1995. Perry travels to Pasadena on Dec. 27 with Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network representatives to help decorate the float and prepare for the Rose Parade with other float riders and donation officials from around the country. Joining her will be her son, U.S. Marines Staff Sgt. Sean Perry, with his wife Amanda and their three children. Sgt. Perry recently returned from active duty in Iraq. The Coalition on Donation float -- one of only 50 selected to participate -- carries the theme "A Symphony of Life" and features two gardens connected by a dramatic 50-foot bridge, symbolizing the living bridge between organ and tissue donors and recipients. It is supported by 55 partners across the nation, including Gift of Hope. The Coalition on Donation float riders were nominated by organ and tissue recovery organizations, research foundations and transplant centers nationwide. Leading the riders' contingent will be Dr. Kenneth P. Moritsugu, MD, MPH, U.S. Deputy Surgeon General and a donor husband and father, and snowboarder Chris Klug, who received a lifesaving liver transplant 18 months before winning a bronze medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Gift of Hope nominated Perry, an admissions and marketing director for a Chicago Heights nursing home, to participate as a donor family representative on the float based on her long-time volunteer service. An outspoken advocate for organ and tissue donation, Perry also serves on Gift of Hope's Donor Family Advisory Council. "Over the course of several years I have received letters from each of Don's major organ recipients," Perry says. "While my children and I mourn Don, we know that his death has continued his life of service to others." The 115th Rose Parade, themed "Music Music Music," will take place Thursday, Jan. 1, 2004 at 10 a.m. CST, featuring marching bands from throughout the nation, majestic floral floats and high-stepping equestrian units. Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network is the federally mandated organ procurement organization responsible for coordinating organ and tissue donation in Illinois and northwest Indiana. Gift of Hope reports that the region is poised to set a new record for donation and transplantation rates in 2003, yet the critical need for organ and tissue donors continues. More than 4,300 patients in Illinois await lifesaving organ transplants, in addition to thousands more in need of cornea, heart valve and other tissue transplants. Nationally, an average of 17 people die each day waiting for transplantable organs that do not become available, while more than 100 new names are added to the national organ transplant waiting list Organs and tissues from a single donor can help more than 25 individuals. Everyone, no matter how young or old, can be a lifesaver by choosing to be a donor. To become a donor, sign a Uniform Donor Card (such as the card on the back of a driver's license) and, most importantly, inform family members of the decision. In Illinois, a family's consent is required before donation can occur. For more information, contact Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network at 888-307-DON8 or visit http://www.giftofhope.org. |