Angela Lansbury and Mandy Patinkin Present Awards at Benefit Gala
Major Symposium Probes Issues of Presumed Consent and Financial Incentives to Boost Donation
New York, NY - November 21, 2008: The New York Organ Donor Network celebrated its 30th anniversary with two high profile events during the past 24 hours - a benefit gala at Cipriani Wall Street last night, and a major symposium today at the New York Academy of Medicine, which explored presumed consent and financial incentives as a means of increasing the number of organ, eye and tissue donors in the United States.
Both events celebrated 30 years of the Donor Network's landmark accomplishments, the thousands of lives saved through the organization's efforts, and the thousands of donors and their families who made the gift of life possible. Over three decades, nearly 12,000 organs were transplanted in the greater New York metropolitan area from almost 5,000 organ donors, and saved or improved the lives of thousands more through eye and tissue donation.
"It is truly remarkable to look back at the past 30 years and see how far we've come - both our organization, and the organ and tissue donation community at large," said Elaine Berg, president and CEO of the New York Organ Donor Network at the dinner gala. "But for all the good we've done, much work remains. New York still trails much of the nation in consent rates, which we must - and will - improve upon. As we enter the next chapter of our history, we appeal to all New Yorkers over the age of 18 to enroll in the New York State Donate Life Registry."
Many of those in attendance at the gala were members of donor families, or were themselves recipients of the gift of life.
The Kellner Family Pediatric Liver Disease Foundation was bestowed the New York Organ Donor Network's 2008 Community Service Award. The mission of the foundation is to reduce the incidence of pediatric liver disease and to improve the treatment and outcome of the disease through research, awareness, education and support. The foundation was established by Samantha and Andrew Kellner, whose 6-month-old son, Raphael, received a liver transplant at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan on January 29, 2004.
Presenting the Community Service Award was legendary actress Angela Lansbury, who is the mother of an organ recipient. In 1998, after spending a year-and-a-half on the waiting list, her daughter, Deirdre slipped into a coma due to liver failure. She remained on dialysis but was considered too sick for a transplant. After two months, Deirdre began to move and her health improved to the point at which she became a candidate for the liver transplant she so desperately needed.
Claudia and Paul Grammatico were presented with the New York Organ Donor Network's 2008 Donor Family Leadership Award for their dedication to increasing organ, eye and tissue donation. When their son, Paul Phillip Grammatico, was killed at age 26 by a drunk driver on May 16, 1999, his gifts of life meant a new heart for Joe Senatore, who would subsequently get to meet the Grammatico family. Paul also donated his kidneys, liver, lungs, and tissue.
Award-winning actor Mandy Patinkin - a double corneal transplant recipient - presented the Donor Family Leadership Award. Mr. Patinkin's right cornea was replaced due to degenerative eye disease in May 1997, and his left cornea was replaced in November 1998.
Also during the gala, the following transplant centers were honored for their role in partnering with the Donor Network in its life-saving mission:
At today's symposium, "At the Crossroads: Medical, Legal and Ethical Challenges in Organ and Tissue Donation," the issue of financial incentives for living donation was debated. In favor of incentives were Dr. Sally Satel, a Washington, D.C.-based psychiatrist, a lecturer at Yale University School of Medicine, the W. H. Brady Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, author, and transplant recipient; and Dr. Arthur Mathas, Professor of Surgery and Director of the Renal Transplant Program at the University of Minnesota. Opposed to incentives were Dr. Francis Delmonico, professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and emeritus director of the kidney transplant program at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Medical Director of the New England Organ Bank, Director of Medical Affairs for the International Transplantation Society, and an Advisor to the World Health Organization on matters of organ transplantation; and Dr. Gabriel Danovitch, Medical Director for the kidney pancreas transplant program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Medical Director of One Legacy, the Southern California organ recovery organization.
On the other topic at the symposium, whether presumed consent should be introduced in the United States, one of the speakers was Elisabeth Buggins who chaired the UK Ministerial Organ Donation Task Force studied this same issue. On Monday (November 17), the Task Force's findings were announced: a rejection of the notion that presumed consent would increase organ donation in Britain. During her presentation in New York today, Ms. Buggins stated that:
"Opt out (which individuals would have to do in order not to be donors) has the potential to undermine the concept of donation as a 'gift', to erode trust in National Health Services, healthcare professionals and the Government, and negatively impact on organ donation numbers."
Ms. Buggins added that "there is a substantial opportunity within the current legal system to drive up donor numbers through increased awareness of, and registration on, the Organ Donation Register.
About the New York State Donate Life Registry
The registry is a secure and confidential database maintained by New York State's Department of Health. It is only accessed at or near the time of death by federally regulated organ procurement organizations such as the New York Organ Donor Network, and tissue and eye banks licensed by New York State. It records an individual's legal consent to the donation of his or her organs, tissues and eyes at the time of death. No one, including next of kin, can reverse this decision to save lives.
About the New York Organ Donor Network
The New York Organ Donor Network is the nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organization that serves the Greater New York metropolitan area. Of the 58 organ procurement organizations in the United States, it is the second largest. The Donor Network recovers organs (hearts, livers, kidneys, pancreas, lungs and intestines) for transplantation, and it seeks consent for the donation of tissues (including corneas, skin, bone, tendons and heart valves).
For more information about donation, and to enroll in the New York State Donate Life Registry, visit www.donatelifeny.org.
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