Donate Life Month 2015
Newsletter Article for Hospitals – Wisconsin Tissue Bank
Thank you for supporting Donate Life Month this April. As part of this national effort, we offer
the article below. Please customize it for your newsletter or intranet site by inserting your
hospital’s name in the designated areas. To include hospital-specific data, please secure
approvals from both your hospital administration and Wisconsin Tissue Bank. Call Greg Asmus,
Hospital Development Supervisor, at 414-937-6999 for approval.
50 lives saved and counting
[Insert Hospital Name] supports National Donate Life Month
For twins Monique and Martinique Coleman, their mother’s massive stroke in January 2009 was
the darkest moment they can remember.
But in it they found a bright, comforting light of hope that has guided them since.
“When my mother was declared brain dead, we felt almost like our own lives had ended,”
recalled Martinique. “That’s when we learned about organ donation and how it saves lives.”
A transplant counselor explained to the daughters the donation process and how it helps
others. As they discussed donating their mom’s organs and tissue, it became “sort of a nobrainer,” said Martinique.
“Helping others was always a big part of mom’s life,” she recalled. “She was a giver in every
sense. So we knew what mom would say. If something saves lives, do it. So we did, and it was a
very healing moment for us.”
The staff at [INSERT HOSPITAL NAME] has long been dedicated to saving and improving lives
through organ and tissue donation. [INSERT HOSPITAL NAME]’s partnership with BloodCenter
of Wisconsin, home to the Wisconsin Donor Network and Wisconsin Tissue Bank, provides
potential donor families in our area the opportunity to improve countless lives.
Today Martinique and Monique take pride that at least 50 people have benefited from organ
and tissue donations their mom made possible.
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And the sisters are not done. Both now volunteer with BloodCenter of Wisconsin, spreading the
word about the life-saving gifts within all of us.
“We’ve encouraged hundreds to sign up as donors,” said Martinique. “It’s our tribute to our
mom.”
Patients in need
BloodCenter of Wisconsin’s Wisconsin Tissue Bank serves 76 hospitals throughout the state. In
2014, it supported 450 families who gave the gift of tissue donation. More than 25,000 patients
last year received tissue through BloodCenter of Wisconsin as a result of donor gifts.
By adding your name to the organ and tissue donor registry this April, you can save and extend
the lives of countless patients in need.
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One tissue donor can enhance the lives of more than 50 people.
One in 20 people will need a tissue transplant in their lifetime.
Nationally, more than 123,000 people are awaiting a life-saving organ transplant; 2,500
of them in Wisconsin.
An average of 21 people die each day awaiting organ transplants.
How you can help
Visit www.bcw.edu/sharinglife for more information about organ and tissue donation and
sharing your wishes with your family. Wisconsin launched its own state organ and tissue donor
registry in 2010, so it’s important to visit our website if you haven’t registered or renewed your
commitment since then. BloodCenter of Wisconsin also encourages you to donate the lifesaving gift of blood and join the Be The Match Marrow Donor Registry.
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