Just weeks after competing in a mini-triathlon with his three sons, Kurt Person lost the ability to use his right shoulder. Prior to the injury-causing accident, Person could often be found competing in triathlons, barefoot-water skiing, test riding motor cycles, All Terrain Vehicles and snow mobiles, or taking part in his favorite activity: playing ball with his sons.
While testing the brakes on an all-terrain vehicle as part of his occupation, Person crashed, severing the four main tendons and ligaments in his shoulder.
“I was told a break would have been easier to fix,” Person said. “After a month of immobilized healing, it became clear that a total reconstruction would be needed to restore the arm and shoulder function.”
What Person didn’t know was that somewhere, someone who had lost a loved one had donated tissue, making the reconstruction of his shoulder (more…)
Pop sensation Justin Bieber increases organ and tissue donations while helping a young girl in need
While awaiting a lung transplant, 20-year-old Helene Campbell decided to take action and increase donor awareness. Campbell and friends focused on a Twitter campaign with a specific goal in mind: getting Justin Bieber to take notice and spread the word to his 16-million followers.
Well they got Justin’s attention, and with his support via Twitter, a Canadian organ registry received more than 500 new registrants within just a few days. Check out the full story here.
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.
For years, people suffering from debilitating lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have had to deal with the possibility of a lung transplant. With growing transplant lists and the odds of matching a donor lung rare, those waiting for lung transplants have had to battle the odds for survival.
However, new research using stem cells to grow new lungs or lung tissue from the University of Texas Medical Branch may give hope to potential lung transplant recipients. Read more about the new research being tested on mice here.
Both donor families and organ tissue recipients have remarkable stories in the donation process, and we are passionate about highlighting those stories to bring better awareness to the cause of donation. We recently met an inspirational blogger who writes about his heart transplant at My Second Heartbeat. We encourage you to visit his blog to hear his brave, inspiring story.
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