Allograft Possibilities

Check out this amazing story of an Oklahoma chiropractor, Dr. Richard Edwards, who was last week the recipient of a double hand transplant. Six hand surgeons took more than 20 hours to complete the surgery, and Edwards is now recovering.

Edwards lost his hands in a truck accident more than 4 years ago. Since then he has been largely dependent on others to perform everyday routines. His family is hopeful that the generous gift from a donor and donor family will give him restored possibilities in life.

We are pleased to introduce our 2011 Tournament of Roses Donate Life float rider 

In 2006 Parker Simpson was an active teenager, ambitious academically and involved in a number of sports including football, lacrosse and wrestling. It was that year, as a high school sophomore, that a sports injury to his ankle soon landed him on the doctor’s table. Parker discovered that he had developed osteomyelitis, a staph infection of the bone, in his tibia and fibula. But he couldn’t have foreseen that this was the beginning of a trying medical journey that would test the resolve of both him and his family for years to come.

Parker was faced with possible amputation of his leg several times as a result of the infection. A successive back injury was further complicated due to the existing illness in his bones. He underwent numerous operations to combat the ankle and back afflictions, resulting in a fused ankle and foot, and yet his young body was just beginning its battle to survive. Read more

Summer inspires renewal of mission, and commitment to the future at AlloSource

The last several months marked a period of invigorating collaboration with other tissue and donor organizations and served as yet another reminder to me and my AlloSource colleagues about the importance of remaining committed to our mission.

In June, we attended the annual Association of Organ Procurement Organizations meeting in Baltimore where we heard stirring news from some of the leading organizations in our industry, many of whom are doing exciting work to advance tissue transplantation for future generations. We were proud to speak with these peers about the research and development going on here at AlloSource, and our commitment to improving the possibilities of tissue transplant. Read more

Run for Life Honors, Celebrates and Recognizes those waiting for Lifesaving Transplant

Donor Alliance hosted its signature event, the Donor Dash — a 5K run/walk to honor those who have given the gift of life, celebrate those who have received the gift of life and recognize those still waiting for a transplant. The Donor Dash was held at Washington Park in Denver July 18th.

The Donor Dash began in 2000 and has since evolved into one of the largest road races in the state of Colorado. More than 3,200 people and nearly 90 teams participated in this year’s event. Several hundred volunteers staffed the event. The generous support of 13 financial sponsors and 20 companies and organizations who hosted booths in the race expo, helped offset the cost of this year’s event. Read more

I found this article very interesting and intriguing as it relates to the repair of articular cartilage utilizing amnion tissue, the membrane that encases the placenta.  As the article conveys, it is a versatile tissue that has the potential to serve as a solution to the challenges of healing wounds and other soft tissue ailments.  What is also great is that it makes use of the placenta following c-section births, when it would otherwise be discarded.  Most recently, several companies have begun manufacturing and distributing amnion to assist surgeons with procedures involving neurology, spine and orthopedics.  I look forward to providing the medical community with new ways to use amnion.  Check out the article I read to learn more about how amnion tissue could be used in the future. 
- Tom Carter, Product Manager

I recently participated in the 2010 Donor Authorization Summit – a great event bringing together Organ and Tissue Procurement Organizations throughout the country to share best practices and identify solutions to industry challenges.  The annual meeting, organized by the AlloSource Tissue Improvement Collaborative Members, focused on tissue and celebrated each participant’s commitment to honoring the gift of donation. This year’s day long event highlighted the:

-          Current issues in tissue availability

-          Scientific accomplishments including the use of stem cell products, such as AlloStem

-          Tissue recovery strategies that are garnering higher consent rates

-          The opportunities with first person consent

-          Best practices in referral response

-          Organ to tissue conversion practices

-          Increasing out of hospital donation consent

Meetings, such as this one, are essential to moving the donation industry forward.  Thanks to everyone who participated in 2010’s AlloSource Donor Collaborative on tissue. 

-Colleen Kilkenny, Marketing Communications Specialist

Kelsey Crider, a 21-year-old Boulder woman, recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of her kidney transplant, her third following two failed transplants. Crider, who was diagnosed with kidney disease at the age of 19, was given the kidney from living donor Kaye Basedow of Westminster. Basedow decided to become a living donor after seeing Crider’s story in the paper nearly two years ago. Crider reminded her of her own daughter and Basedow says she was inspired to help. The women recently celebrated the transplant anniversary together.  Read more about their story here.

This Sunday, July 18^th, the Donor Dash will be taking place in Denver, Colo. and we encourage you to join to show support for all of the organ and tissue donors and recipients in our area. In its 11^th year, the Donor Dash is a 5K race and event that has become a well-known and treasured Denver event, bringing together and honoring those who have been affected by organ and tissue donation. Click here for more information on the race, or to sign-up to join the cause.

The theme of this year’s 27^th annual meeting of the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) was Focus on the Future.

The Tissue Council Meeting headed up the agenda on day one. The Tissue Council membership is made up of representatives from many different OPOs and tissue banks across the country.  The highlight of the council meeting was a panel discussion held between attendees and senior representatives from the major tissue processors in the US.  The panelists discussed the changing landscape of tissue banking and what they foresee the course of tissue transplantation will be in the future, including cells/live cell grafts as the future of tissue donation. 

Read more

A New York gallery is featuring the work of five artists in a collection created as a tribute to organ donation. The collection, titled “As Within So Without,” features a creative mix of painted X-rays and organ donor dolls. According to the Wall Street Journal, 10 percent of proceeds will go to the Organ Donor Network of New York to support organ and tissue donation causes.