Community Presentation Outline for Ambassadors
*Request materials, such as Top 10 Myths brochures and paper Registry forms,
from Donate Life Northwest at least two (2) weeks in advance of your presentation
#1: Introduction and Donate Life Northwest
Video (10 minutes)
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My name is __________
I am a volunteer for Donate Life Northwest because _________________. My connection to donation
is ________________________________
Transplantation saves thousands of lives every year. Do you know someone who has received a
transplant, who is on the waiting list, or who is a Donor Family?
One donor can save up to 8 lives with their gift of organs and help up to 50 or more with their gift of
tissues.
Ice breaker (optional/if time allows): interactive activity to engage audience
Show video: 2012 Lifesavers Breakfast Video
o http://youtu.be/bsc3br0vs74
o Or select another video from youtube.com/user/donatelifenw
Be mindful of time when sharing your story – be able to tell it in 5 minutes or less!
#2: The Need
(5 minutes)
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The need is great: over 117,000 people across the United States are waiting for a second chance at life
Nearly 900 people in Oregon are on the organ transplant waiting list. 70% are male
In Oregon, 11% of those waiting are Hispanic Americans, who are 3 times more likely than Caucasians
to suffer kidney failure due to higher rates of conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure
The wait is long – today, residents in Oregon typically wait up to two years for a donated kidney
The only solution for organ failure is transplantation – there is hope for those who are waiting, but there
simply aren’t enough donors
Sadly, 18 to 20 people die every day because the organ they needed didn’t come in time
*Visit www.unos.org/Data; select State Data for details & statistics
#3: How organ transplantation works
(5 minutes)
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Organ donation is quite rare – less than 1% of the population qualifies to donate organs
Therefore, the system is designed to ensure fairness, to help as many people as possible
Patients are evaluated by a team of medical professionals at a transplant center – if they qualify they are
placed on the waiting list – priority is given to the sickest patients
When an organ becomes available the waiting patient has to report to their Transplant Center
immediately
At the same time, organs are recovered from a donor who said YES and was on the Oregon (or
Washington) Donor Registry, or their family consents to donation
Organs are transported as quickly as possible and then transplanted into waiting patients (4 to 6 hours
for most organs – sometimes up to 24 hours for kidneys)
After surgery patients recover and are able to return to a normal life, go back to work, do the things they
love
Visit www.donatelifenw.org for more detailed information
#4: How tissue transplantation works
(5 minutes)
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Each year, life-saving and life-enhancing tissue is provided by 30,000 tissue donors (nationally); most
deceased persons can qualify as tissue donors
Chances are you might know someone who is a tissue recipient – for example, athletes who have had an
ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) transplant in their knee
Unlike organs, tissues can be stored until they are needed
Donated corneas help thousands of people annually regain the ability to see – it is the most common
type of transplant in the United States!
Bone helps restore mobility and normal function
Skin helps surgical patients and those who have been badly burned in fires
Donors are not disfigured – their bodies are always treated with dignity and respect and can have a
traditional open casket funeral or be cremated, if so desired
http://www.donatelifenw.org/content/tissue-donation
#5: How Living Kidney Donation works
(5 minutes)
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While it is important to talk about end of life decisions including organ and tissue donation, it is
becoming more common to donate certain organs while living
80% of people needing an organ transplant in the U.S. are waiting for a kidney; about 19 die every day
while awaiting a kidney transplant
A living kidney donor impacts two lives by making one more deceased donor kidney available for a
person on the waiting list
A donor does not need to be a blood relative
All donor/recipient matches require a healthy donor, blood type compatibility and tissue type
compatibility
If you are thinking about being a living donor for someone you know, you should contact their
transplant center for more information.
If you are thinking about being an anonymous living donor – donating altruistically to someone in need
– visit www.donatelifenw.org/content/living-donation
www.transplantliving.org
#6: Myths and Facts
(5 minutes)
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There are many myths and misconceptions that prevent people from registering. Let’s talk about them.
Please take a few minutes to skim our Top 10 Myths brochure!
Will ER and doctors try to save my life even if I’m a donor? YES! The medical staff trying to save
lives is completely separate from the transplant team. ER doctors, medics and nurses are sworn to save
lives and will do everything they can to save yours. They do not have access to the Registry and do not
even know if you are a donor. Donation is an option only after everything has been done to try and save
a person’s life.
Can donors have traditional funerals? YES! Donation does not affect funeral arrangements.
Will my family have to pay for me to be a donor? NO! There are absolutely no costs to the donor’s
estate for donation; the family is only responsible for medical costs incurred before death and for the
funeral.
People of any age, even those with certain chronic medical conditions, may be an organ, eye or tissue
donor.
Most major religions in the United States support the gift of life as an act of charitable giving and do not
prohibit organ and tissue donation.
Donating your body for the purposes of medical research is a completely separate program and
prevents donation for the purpose of transplant. Learn more from OHSU’s Body Donation Program.
#7: The Importance of Registration – Call to Action!
(5 minutes)
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There are 3 ways to register as a donor: at DMV, with a paper form from Donate Life Northwest, or
by going online:
o www.Donatelifenw.org
o www.Donevidanw.org (in Spanish)
The state of Oregon no longer uses ‘donor cards.’ You can call Donate Life Northwest to verify
whether you are in the Oregon Registry.
If you ARE signed up as a donor, share this decision with your family so they will be able to honor
your wishes
If you are NOT signed up as a donor, by Federal Law your family will be informed of the option of
donation and will have to make the decision for you. This is one of the most difficult decisions
anyone will have to make on behalf of a loved one – and underscores why it’s so important for you
to make this decision for YOURSELF.
When you decide to be a donor, you take this burden or responsibility away from your family
Only when all efforts have been made to try and save a person’s life can the donation discussion
even begin – but if you become a donor, you will be a hero in the truest sense of the word
Talk to your family about what you learned today and when you sign up as a donor, let them know
of your decision.
#8” Questions and Answers
(10 Minutes)
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If you don’t know the answer to a question: direct them to www.donatelifenw.org/content/faq
Our entire website is available in Spanish: www.donevidanw.org
Thank audience for their attention