You Can Make a Difference

Help transplant patients, their caregivers and families. Our organization provides educational, emotional and financial support, cash grants, support group meetings, donor awareness programs and this newsletter. Your generosity truly makes a difference to those in need of these valuable services. Any size gift would be greatly appreciated.

All Contributions are Tax Deductible

United Organ Transplant Association
Is a 501(c)3 Public Benefit, Non-Profit, Charitable Corporation
Federal ID#33-0693906
Save this receipt for tax preparation - Amount of contribution $________________

United Organ Transplant Association
Inland Empire Transplant Support Group

We offer free group meetings once a month. All pre and post transplant patients of any organ and their families and friends are invited to attend. Caregivers meet separately during the regular meeting. Participants gain increased knowledge from guest speakers, printed materials, video presentations and group discussions. Our group meetings provide a safe environment for patients and families to deal with the impact of organ transplant. Come share your needs and experiences.

Meeting Schedule

4:00 to 5:30 pm
The third Sunday of each month
June 19^th - July17^th - August 21^st 2005
For directions, call (909) 923-7114 or visit the support group page.

Notice of Disclaimer: The United Organ Transplant Association, and the Inland Empire Transplant support group, their volunteer staff and sponsors do not engage in the practice of medicine and under no circumstances recommends a particular treatment for any illness, what-so-ever, and in all cases recommends that you consult with your physician and health care professionals before pursuing any course of treatment.

Congradulations to Those Enjoying Renewed Life

If we missed your anniversary, please e-mail, write or phone
The United Organ Transplant Association.
2738 S. Cucamonga Ave. Ontario, CA (909) 923-7114 dmorgan@UOTA.org

Living Organ Donation

United Network for Organ Sharing UNOS

In addition to deceased (person declared brain dead) donor transplants, patients may also receive organs from living donors. In 2002 there were 24,899 organ transplants performed in the United States. More than 6,600 of these were living donor transplants. Living donation offers an alternative for individuals awaiting transplantation and increases the existing organ supply.

Facts about Living Donation

Since the first successful living kidney donor transplant performed between 23-year old identical twins in 1954, thousands of patients have received transplants from living donors. Living donation is coordinated by the center doing the transplant. Parents, children, siblings and other relatives can donate organs to family members. Unrelated donors (for example, spouses or friends) may also donate their organs if they prove to be a suitable match for the transplant candidate awaiting transplantation.

Living non-directed (stranger-to-stranger) donations is a newer and growing source of donors. Those wishing to look into what's involved should contact their local transplant program.

Transplant program contact information can be accessed by visiting www.transplantliving.org and selecting Community and Member direction or calling (888) 894-6361.

Organs a Living Donor May Give

• Single kidney
• Lobe of a lung
• Segment of the liver
• Portion of the pancreas
• Portion of the intestine

Living donor transplants are a viable alternative for patients in need of new organs. For kidney donors, there is little danger in living with one kidney; the remaining kidney enlarges to do the work both kidneys once shared. The liver has the ability to regenerate the segment that was donated. Lung lobes do not regenerate.

Qualifications for Living Donors

In order to qualify as a living donor, an individual must be physically fit; in good general health; and free from high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease and heart disease. Individuals, considered for living donation are usually between 18-60 years of age. Gender and race are not factors in determining a successful match.

The living donor must first have a blood test to determine blood type compatibility with the candidate.

If the donor and the candidate have compatible blood types, the donor then undergoes a medical history and a complete Physical examination including Crossmatching and Antibody screen.

Grilled Salmon with Orange Glaze
The Healthiest Salmon Recipe in History

1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 tsp. Sesame oil
2 tsp. reduce-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger root
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tbs. white rice vinegar (or other white vinegar)
1 lb. boneless, skinless salmon fillet, cut in four pieces
6 scallions, thinly sliced including green
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Combine marmalade, oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and vinegar. Brush glaze on each side of salmon; gill about 5 minutes on each side. Top with scallions and sesame seeds. Serves 4.

Per serving: 226 calories, 23g protein, 15g carbohydrates, 8g fat (1.3g saturated), 0.2g fiber, 140mg sodium.

What You Should Know About Kidney Disease

National Kidney Foundation

The kidneys perform many vital functions. They help remove waste products and fluid from the body, stimulate red blood cell production, help to keep your bones strong, help regulate blood pressure, and control the acid level of the body.

Kidneys can become so damaged from disease or injury that they can no longer clean waste products from the blood. This can lead to Acute Kidney Failure, a sudden, usually short-term loss of kidney function or Chronic Kidney Failure, End-Stage Renal Disease, permanent, irreversible damage to both kidneys.

How the kidneys work: 1) blood enters the kidneys through an artery from the heart, 2) blood is cleaned by passing through millions of tiny blood filters (nephrons), 3) waste material passes through the ureter and is stored in the bladder as urine, 4) newly cleaned blood returns to the blood stream via veins, 5) after bladder becomes full, urine passes out of the body through the urethra.

Kidney disease can affect anyone, at any age.

Warning signs of severe kidney failure are:

• Swelling of the legs and puffiness around the eyes (edema)
• Shortness of breath, odd odor to the breath, bad taste in the mouth
• High blood pressure
• Decrease or increase in frequency of urination
• Decreased appetite and weight loss
• Feeling tired or weak, fatigue
• Muscle cramps
• Trouble concentrating

A patient with kidney disease may delay needing dialysis by:

• Learning about kidney disease
• Controlling blood pressure
• Controlling diet
• Taking care of themselves by exercising
• Quit smoking
• Avoiding pain pills and other medicines that may injure your kidneys.

If you are diabetic, controlling your blood sugar will help slow the progression of your kidney disease. Information about pampering your kidneys and delaying dialysis is available from many sources including, web sites, newsletters, books and classes. This information can be very helpful, however, you should always follow your own physician's individual recommendations. Always check with your dietitian or physician before making changes in your diet or medication.

Diagnosing kidney disease involves these basic tests:

Serum Creatinine Test

-- Creatinine is one of many waste products in the blood. By monitoring your creatinine level, your physician can determine your level of kidney function. When creatinine is about 1.5 mg/dl (for females) or 2.0 mg/dl (for males) you have lost approximately 50 percent of your kidney function. A creatinine level of 4-6 mg/dl indicates moderate kidney disease, and higher levels indicate advanced disease.

Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) and Creatinine Clearance

- GFR is the rate at which the blood is filtered by your kidneys. A normal GFR in adults is around 100 ml/minute. A creatinine clearance test (24 hour urine collection), estimates the GFR. Normal clearance rates are 85-125 ml/min for adult men and 75-115 ml/min for adult women. GFR declines as your kidney disease advances. Generally a GFR below 50 ml/min indicates clinically significant kidney disease.

Proteinuria (protein in the urine) Test

- This test checks your urine to see if your kidneys are spilling protein. Kidneys take wastes out of your body, but leave protein in. The urine sample is checked to see if you have too much protein in your urine. A normal protein value in the urine for adult men and women is below 150 mg/24 hours (indicates minimal proteinuria), 500-4,000 mg/24 hours (moderate proteinuria) and over 4,000 mg/24 hours (severe proteinuria).

BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen) Test

- This test checks the blood for nitrogen waste products. Too much urea in the blood means the kidneys aren't cleaning the blood properly. Normal BUN is 5-25 mg/dl for adults.

Albumin Test

- The level of protein albumin in you blood helps your physician know about your nutritional health. If your albumin is too low, it may mean you are malnourished and will need more protein. An albumin level of 4.0 mg/dl or more is considered very good.

The usual treatment for End-Stage Renal Disease is dialysis, either hemodialysis (cleansing of the blood by a machine). Hemodialysis treatments are given three times per week and take approximate four hours per treatment, or peritoneal dialysis (cleansing of the blood by filling the abdominal cavity with a solution that is filtered by the peritoneal membrane surrounding your internal organs), this fluid is changed approximate four times per day.

Kidney Transplant is the only other option for treatment of chronic kidney failure.

Transplant Recipent Enters Sheriff's Academy

By Gina Tenorio

Heart transplant recipient Scott Nobles has been accepted to the Sheriff's Academy.

"The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Academy is very high-stress," said Nobles, "Lots of homework, getting up early and coming home late." There are daily runs and firearms training. It's what he expected, he said.

Noble's presence at the academy helps dispel the myths about the impact transplant surgery has on life. Through his public speaking to hospitalized children and adults, he has heard a lot of the myths.

"I've seen a lot of kids and talked to a lot of people who have been waiting for organs," the 23 year-old said. "I've seen the lack of donors. They think they're wasting their organs." A lot of people are misinformed about organ donation, said Debbie Morgan, president of United Organ Transplant Association. "People say I've abused my organs so much, they won't want them," said Morgan. "Some think that if someone wants my organs, they may not try to save me."

Organ Transplant recipients do go on to live a normal life. Nobles said he is proof of the positive impact of organ donation. Had it not been for a donated heart, he would not have survived. When Nobles was 17 he was diagnosed with a virus that damaged his heart. At one point, his family was told he had just two hours to live.

The surgery was performed at UCLA on January 15, 1999. Six years later with a new heart, feeling strong and healthy, Nobles is living his dream of becoming a Deputy Sheriff.

Colleen Mawas appointed EVP

United Organ Transplant Association appointed Colleen Mawas Executive Vice President in March. Thank you, Colleen, for your past service as our Corporate Secretary.

This leaves the position of Corporate Secretary vacant. We need a person to record the minutes of our monthly meetings, handle our official correspondence and participate as a member of our board of directors. If you are interested please contact Don Goss dgoss@uota.org Debbie Morgan pres@uota.org. This is an unpaid, voluntary position, but it is very rewarding to be a part of our mission to help pre and post transplant patients.

John Corfee "Our Hero"

By UOTA Staff Writer

Thirteen year old John Corfee ran 5 kilometers during the Donate Life Run/Walk on April 23rd to promote donor awareness. He had sponsors that contributed $350 for his participation. Money from this event went to Donate Life California, the state's new online organ and tissue donor registry. John encourages everyone to register to become an organ donor at www.donatelifecalifornia.org.

In only three weeks from it's official launch on April 1, 37,000 Californian's registered to donate life on the website.

John's sister Megan had a liver transplant February 1999 when she was only nine years old.

In Memory of our Friend Adeline Martinez

UOTA Staff Writer

We were so very sad to hear of the passing of our dear friend Adeline Martinez. Adeline went to be with our Lord on Friday, May 6, 2005. She had been waiting for a liver transplant for several years.

Adeline was a very active member of the United Organ Transplant Association, attending meetings every month usually accompanied by her loving, caregiver-husband, Henry along with Gloria and Wayne Waddell, her sister and brother-in-law.

Adeline was always enthusiastic about and participated in our support group activities and fund-raisers. She sold tickets, passed out organ donor awareness materials and helped anyway she could to make our events a success. Her contributions to our Holiday potlucks were much more than delicious, they were prepared with love for her fellow organ transplant patients.

She was also active in her community, delivering meals-on-wheels to those less fortunate than herself.

We're not quite sure how we are going to get along without Adeline, she meant a great deal to all of us. But, we are very sure that Heaven is a better place because she is there to help out however she can.

Lord
Grant that I may seek rather 
To comfort than to be comforted
To understand rater than to be understood
To love than to be loved
For it is by giving that one receives
By forgiving that one is forgiven
And by dying that one awakens to 
Eternal Life

Home Food Safety - Al Fresco!

From Valley News for Seniors

Barbecue time is here, but many grillers take a vacation from safe food handling when the summer season rolls around. You can put yourself and your guests at risk of food borne illness. It's important to think of your grill or picnic table as an extension of your kitchen and remember to follow the same safety steps both inside and out.

The first rule of food safety, is to frequently and thoroughly wash hands in warm soapy water.

Cross - contamination tops the list of food safety concerns. Many people do not consistently use separate utensils to handle raw and cooked meats, which can cause bacteria to spread. Keep bacteria from spoiling your summer by using color coded plates, utensils and cutting boards for raw and cooked meats or wash utensils in warm soapy water between uses. The same rule applies when marinating meats. Nearly one-third of grillers confessed to using the same brush to marinate raw and cooked meats - a potentially dangerous habit. Always use a separate, or newly washed brush to marinate, and remember to boil any leftover marinade before using it to season cooked meats.

Never lose your cool. Many summer hosts leave food out buffet-style for hours when entertaining. But as the mercury level goes up, the amount of time food can remain out of refrigeration goes down. While foods typically follow the two hour rule, in hot weather (90° F or above) this time is cut in half - to only one hour.

Many of us do not know the proper internal temperature to which hamburgers or chicken should be cooked. Additionally, most of us don't use a meat thermometer to test doneness of meats - instead, most of us cook meat until it "looks done" or until "the juices run clear." The only reliable way to ensure that meats are safe and ready to eat is by using a thermometer. Grillometer - Cook to these internal temperatures to ensure safety. Steaks and Chops Medium-rare 145°, Medium 160°, Well-done 170° Burgers and ground meat 165° Sausage and hot dogs 165° Poultry 180°, Seafood cook fish until opaque and flakes easily, cook scallops until opaque and firm, cook shrimp or lobster until shell turns red and flesh becomes opaque.

Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry

By UOTA Staff Writer

Donate Life California is the private, nonprofit, state-authorized organ and tissue donor registry dedicated to saving the lives of thousands of Californians awaiting life-saving transplants.

Donate Life California makes it easier than ever to clearly and succinctly state and share one's decision about organ and tissue donation. It is a confidential database that records the donation whishes of all state residents who choose to register. Each person who signs up on the Donate Life California Registry has the potential to save up to eight lives through organ donation and touch up to 50 others through tissue donation. Each registrant's personal donation decision is stored in a secure database free of charge, so that upon a donor's death, his or her life-saving wishes can be fulfilled.

Californians over the age of 18 can register online at www.donatelifecalifornia.org. to donate specific or any organs and tissues upon their death. For those who speak Spanish, registrese hoy en www.donevidacalifornia.org para donantes de organos y tejidos.

American Liver Foundation Sunday at the Races

By Debbie Morgan

Join the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the American Liver Foundation on Sunday, October 16, 2005 for the 2nd Annual Sunday at The Races at Santa Anita Park. The cost is $50 which includes admission, VIP parking, prime seating and buffet lunch. Reservations are required. To make reservations please contact, Pam Brady at (310) 670-4624 or pbrady@liver411.org.

Extended Criteria Donors Increase Number of Organs Available

OneLegacy, a transplant donor network

As part of the national effort to increase the number of organs available for transplantation, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) now has a special waiting list for kidney transplant recipients.

The development comes after extensive research by UNOS in organs from donors that in the past were considered "marginal" kidney donors (now known as Extended Criteria Donors). These donors are older deceased organ donors with a past medical history of hypertension and/or diabetes.

Patients who have agreed in advance to accept a kidney from an Extended Criteria Donor are placed on a special waiting list for which "waiting time on the list" and blood type, are the only allocation criteria. Each transplant center enters patients on the list by blood type, assures that the patient has completed an extensive medical workup and is currently "ready" for transplantation. The transplant center knows which patient is at the top of the list for each blood type and can expedite the transplant procedure. Many of these voluntary recipients are older so the use of kidneys from these donors shortens their waiting time considerable.

Initial results by OneLegacy transplant centers show that the system works and success rates are extremely encouraging.