ORGAN NOTES... OTDA Newsletter 2 Volume 1 November 2018 NOVEMBER. So Much to Be Thankful for This Season! I am thankful for so many things this season; my husband, sons, mini-golden doodle, friends, football, campfire nights, the Sixers, coffee, cozy blankets, fun size Twix, crisp, fall weather, warm soups, amazon prime, and a job where I get to work with so many amazing people, all doing amazing work! I am sure most of you are knee deep in projects, homework, and planning for upcoming units in you classrooms. Take a moment and reflect on all that you have achieved thus far and what matters most to you. At the IU13, we are driven by the motto that we are a part of #workworthdoing. I have the privilege of taking part in work worth doing every day with the Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Project. I am thankful for all of you that share in the mission to bring this message to our youth, and to support families who are affected by organ donation. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and my best to you and yours! - Karen Herr, OTDA Coordinator Kindness and Love in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. - Aesop Temple University Students from the Eta Sigma Delta Sorority spent the morning baking for families at the Gift of Life Family House in Philadelphia, PA Right: Dwendy Johnson, Community Relations Team Leader for Gift of Life, talks with us about the Threads of Love Memorial Quilts. Families of organ, tissue, and cornea donors, make up individual squares dedicated to their loved ones. These beautiful tributes are displayed at the Gift of Life and the Gift of Life Family House.
Thursday, May 9th, 2019 2019 OTDA SPRING INSTITUTE The Atherton Hotel State College, PA FREE to secondary school teachers, administrators & school nurses! The OTDA program covers the cost of your registration, breakfast & lunch, and hotel (based on double occupancy) Learn more about the OTDA program Hear stories from those who have been personally affected by organ & tissue donation See what other high schools in Pennsylvania have done with their OTDA mini-grants! Registration will be open in January 2019! All information, including a link to everything you need to apply, will be available on the IU13 website (www.iu13.org/otda) We hope to see you there! How do you get YOUR information? Let us know! Email us at karen_herr@iu13.org
CHECK THIS OUT! Check out these great ideas that students and staff have brought to light in order to incorporate OTDA into their Students at Homer Center High School listened to several guest speakers, including the Santini s, who shared the story of their 3.5 month old daughter who received a heart from a life saving donor. Laurie Shoup, a Homer Center School District teacher, spoke about her husband and his multiple transplants over the past 30 years. He is still alive today. Laurie continued to express her gratitude for organ donors, including one of Homer Center s own, a teenager a who was killed by a drunk driver after leaving a post prom party. He had made his decision to become an organ donor the day he got his driver s license. Dover Area School District is presenting their Fall play, Searching for David s Heart: A Christmas Story, based on the Scholastic book by Cherie Bennett. For more information, go to: http://www.doversd.org/core/news/article/1874/ February 14th, 2019 is National Donor Day! Sponsor a blood drive or create some table activities surrounding Organ & Tissue Donation Awareness at any of your school s athletic events. These are just a few ideas to get involved on this special day.
OTDA VIDEO CONTEST! Earn a pizza party for your class and a spot in our newsletter, announcements and the IU13 OTDA website for Best Video! We will also share your video at the state conference in May! SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: LYRICS TO USE! Use the lyrics provided to create a O-T-D-A theme song to the tune of Y-M-C-A Include at least five (5) statistics regarding Organ & Tissue Donation Awareness Staff and students need to be a part of your video! Use your collective creativity and talent (you ALL have some!) O-T-D-A, green and blue shout out O-T-D-A Thousands of people, in the state of PA Waiting for all to share and donate O-T-D-A, It s fun to be a part of O-T-D-A SCORING CRITERIA: Tell everyone about O-T-D-A O-T-D-A body motions included (5 points) OTDA statistics (5 points) Staff/Student participation (5 points) CREATIVITY (5 points) Bill says, You ve got one life to live, And 8 lives to give So come on and make that pledge! O-T-D-A, it s fun to be a part of O-T-D-A - Deadline for submission is April 2, 2019! - Please submit your video to karen_herr@iu13.org Help spread the word, for those who wait to be heard You are helping save lives and more! OTDA, it s fun to be a part of OTDA, Tell everyone about O-T-D-A Bill says, You ve got one life to live, And 8 lives to give So come on and make that pledge! *Bill, who is mentioned in the lyrics, is a Bucks County heart recipient who serves on the Gift of Life Family House Advisory Board. He is well known for his community advocacy of organ donation, as well as for his exuding, endless energy!
The passing of Senate Bill 180 into law brings to a close many years of hard work and countless hours of diligence in making sure this bill s contents were honored. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to making this happen for Pennsylvanians! Congratulations to all involved! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 23, 2018 View online New Pennsylvania Organ Donation Law to Help Save Lives Harrisburg, PA Governor Wolf today signed Senate Bill 180 into law, now Act 90 of 2018, marking the first update to Pennsylvania s organ donor laws in nearly 20 years. Our laws will now receive a very important update, reflecting the latest developments in medicine and allowing for more Pennsylvanians to have access to lifesaving organs, said Governor Wolf. While more than 7,500 Pennsylvanians are on a transplant waiting list, only about 50 percent of people in Pennsylvania are signed up as organ donors. Together, we can help those in need and help save lives. The bill works to provide more access to organ donation, including tissue donation, as well as public education about the donation process and the importance of organ donation. Choosing to be an organ donor is the opportunity to help save a life, and potentially multiple lives, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. It is essential that you have a conversation with your loved ones about your desire to be an organ donor and help save lives of those in need. More than 48 percent of current driver s license and ID card holders an estimated 4.77 million Pennsylvanians are registered organ donors. More than 7,500 Pennsylvanians currently await organ transplants. PennDOT is proud to help facilitate the organ donor process for Pennsylvanians, said Secretary of Transportation Leslie S. Richards. Adding the organ donor designation to your Pennsylvania driver s license or ID card is a quick and simple process that could save someone s life. To add the organ donor designation to an existing driver s license or ID card today, visitwww.dmv.pa.gov and select the Donate Life Pennsylvania icon in the middle column of the page. Once the designation is added, individuals will receive a designation card that they must carry with them to affirm organ donor status until they renew or replace their driver s license or ID card. There is no charge for adding the designation to your driver s license or ID card. Driver s license and ID card holders, as well as registered vehicle owners, can also support organ donation programs. With the enactment of this bill, supporters can donate $3, previously $1, to the Robert P. Casey Memorial Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Trust Fund at the time of application and/or renewal. Proceeds from the fund are used to educate and promote awareness of the organ donor program through nonprofit organizations like the Center for Organ Recovery and Education and the Gift of Life Donor Program. Pennsylvanians have generously donated more than $14.5 million to the fund to date. Through years of hard work, compromise and collaboration, this final piece of legislation is one which we should all be proud of, said Susan Stuart, CORE (Center for Organ Recovery & Education) CEO. It offers hope to the more than 7,000 Pennsylvanians who are waiting for a life-saving transplant and means that more Pennsylvania families will have the opportunity for donation and the life-affirming legacy that comes with it. I am optimistic that this legislation will improve the donation process and I anticipate fewer Pennsylvanians will die while awaiting transplants. On behalf of the thousands of people waiting for an organ transplant, and their families, we thank lawmakers for working together to pass this legislation, said Howard M. Nathan, President and CEO of Gift of Life Donor Program. We also recognize the commitment of countless volunteers, stakeholder groups and state agencies, whose efforts helped to bring this bill to final passage. While the process was long, the final result is a bill that will save lives. More information on organ and tissue donation in Pennsylvania can be found atwww.donatelife-pa.org. MEDIA CONTACT: J.J. Abbott, 717-783-1116