Flow - An Introduction to the Kit

Facing the choice of liver transplantation or death, Mr. Redford, his health deteriorating, waited six months for the donor liver that ultimately saved his life. Following his surgery, James launched The James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness (JRI), a nonprofit organization devoted to educating the public about the importance of organ and tissue donation as part of an ongoing public awareness campaign. To accomplish our goals, we are utilizing film, educational outreach programs, and a web site to raise awareness and build public acceptance.

The majority of Americans (85%) support organ donation, yet there is an organ shortage. Many people do not know that they need to discuss their decision with their loved ones. To achieve public acceptance and action, there needs to be public discussion, education and communication. This, in turn, will increase the pool of potential organ donors and, as a result, save the lives of thousands of people.

• Organs and tissues from a single donor can extend and enrich the lives of up to 50 people.
• Vital organs may be procured and transported hundreds of miles to a recipient center for transplantation. This is due, in part, to advances in medical technology and improved preservation techniques.

Alarmingly, however:

• More than 99,300 Americans are currently listed on the national transplant waiting list.
• The list is growing at the rate of one person every 12 minutes.
• Seventeen people die every day waiting for organs that never become available.
• Most young people say they have not told a family member about their wish to be an organ donor.

These facts tell a dramatic story of the critical need to increase the number of donated organs in the United States. It is equally critical for individuals to discuss their decision with loved ones. The public significantly overestimates the importance of donor cards and underestimates the importance of family communication in ensuring that a person’s commitment to donation will be honored. The vast majority would donate the organs of a relative if they knew it was the person’s wish, but few have told family members of their own decision to donate.

The first organ transplant was performed in 1954 when a kidney was removed from one identical twin and placed in the other. With the use of tissue matching and the development of immuno-suppressant drugs, the number of transplants has increased. In the last two decades, transplantation has evolved from dramatic experiment to reliable treatment for many kinds of end-stage organ failure. An effective network of support organizations, both public and private, professional and volunteer, now exists to facilitate the transplantation process and to support those individuals whose lives have been touched by transplantation. These efforts are meaningless without the goodness and courage of donors and their families. Up to 15,000 of the 2.1 million hospital deaths each year could result in organ donation, yet only 5,475 resulted in donation in 1997.  

Film has the power to reach millions and influence the decisions of those who sign organ donor cards, as well as those family members who must make this decision for those who no longer can speak for themselves. It is our hope that, by focusing on the human and emotional side of transplantation through film, we will encourage people not only to become organ donors, but most importantly, to discuss this critical decision with their loved ones. Flow adds an emotional side to the discussion by showing the experiences of a donor family member and a recipient.

Signing, or not signing, a donor card is one of the first adult decisions a teenager must make after passing his/her driver’s test. Too often this critical decision is made without full understanding of the issue, and without family discussion.

Before you proceed with a lesson plan, we recommend that you contact your local resources (local Coalition on Donation/local Organ Procurement Organizations) who can put you in contact with local patients, recipients and donor families. Experienced people within the transplant community will be valuable in answering many of your questions and can provide speakers at your session(s) and additional educational materials.

We also encourage you to share any survey results with local transplant professionals so that they can learn from your efforts and be informed about what community outreach is being conducted. You can also create your own survey based on the materials included in the enclosed Statistics, Facts & Myths, Common Questions, Religious Considerations and Brain Death sections.

We hope that medical advances and increased donor awareness will soon reduce the number of patients awaiting transplants. Today, however, there is an organ shortage crisis. We need to build public awareness and acceptance over time to see actual results in the number of donations. One of the best times to do that is when people are first faced with the issue of organ and tissue donation... when they receive their first driver’s license.

Annie Aft
JRI, Executive Director