WWW.LIVINGBANK.ORG
SUMMER 2016
OUR MISSION
A FATHER’S DAY TRIBUTE RAISING AWARENESS OF THE CRITICAL NEED FOR ORGAN TRANSPLANT DONORS THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ADVOCATING FOR DONORS AND THEIR FAMILIES
Miguel, Mari, Michael, Ileana, and Margot Treviño
OUR DAD
Our story really started back in 1987 when Michael Treviño, our father, donated blood for a colleague’s son and received a letter from the hospital notifying him that they were rejecting the donation. His enzyme levels were too high and they advised him to seek medical care. Thus began an almost 30-year journey that culminated in a liver transplant 19 months ago. He was scanned in 1987 and told he was fine. It was in a routine physical in 1990 where he was told that he had Hepatitis C and that he most probably contracted it back in 1970 while serving during the Vietnam War – before college, before marriage and family, before law school. And the journey continued from there. From 1990 to 2012, no matter where we lived, he was continually monitored by gifted hepatologists that closely followed his condition. On occasion, they would put him on a new and grueling protocol aimed at getting the Hepatitis C virus out of his body, but to no avail. Due to these treatments the doctors alluded to the fact that he was at a higher risk for liver cancer, and potentially, a liver transplant. In 2012, he started the most brutal protocol which consisted of three different medications. Within three weeks, there were no signs of the Hepatitis C virus in his body – and by week fortyeight, he was considered “cured”!
Unfortunately, the joy was short lived. In March 2014, his vigilant doctor noticed that some levels were off and after further testing, we found out that our dad had a malignant tumor on his liver. The next step was to ablate (a surgical method to burn or freeze cancerous cells without the usual surgery) the tumor and get him on the transplant list as soon as possible. On November 21, 2014, we finally got the call that we had waited months to receive. On November 22nd, our father received a brand new liver by the grace, generosity and selflessness of a donor family. If we could use one word to describe our dad it would be brave. From serving in Vietnam, to moving cross-country, leaving the comforts of home and family to attend college and law school, to ultimately pursing a diverse career, his courage always persevered. However, none of this could have prepared him for the fight of his life against Hepatitis C, liver cancer and by far the most difficult: his liver transplant in November 2014. The news of our dad needing a liver transplant was bittersweet. While we knew this day would come, it meant embarking on a challenging journey, starting with a life-saving and lifechanging surgery. The eight hours he was in surgery will always be the longest eight hours of our lives. While life experiences cannot prepare a person, or family, for the transplant journey, our dad’s unwavering fearlessness guided us through what proved to be one of the most trying times of all of our lives. His bravery, more often than not, was not for his benefit, but for ours. We were fearless, because he was; we were brave because his bravery shone through. On this Father’s Day, and every day, we honor your courage and bravery Dad. Happy Father’s Day. We love you,
Mari, Margot and Miguel
SPREAD THE WORD LIVING DONOR PROTECTION ACT OF 2016 Living organ donation is an amazing act of human kindness and part of the miracle of transplantation. The Living Donor Protection Act of 2016, introduced to Congress in February, would protect the rights of living organ donors by preventing insurers from discriminating against living donors; guaranteeing that all donors are protected by the Family Medical Leave Act; and directing the federal government to update their educational materials to reflect these new protections while educating the public on the benefits of live organ donation. Ways you can help:
Our partners at WaitlistZero.org have a great online app that helps you to send your Congress-people a quick message. Every message helps. It takes two minutes, but will make a big difference. Together, we can make sure that no one is worse off because they donated a kidney.
A FATHER’S GIFT TO HIS SON While playing baseball for the University of Texas, Carson Kainer's struggle with kidney disease jeopardized his hope to be a professional baseball player. His father steps up to the plate by donating his kidney, allowing Carson to continue chasing his childhood dreams. "A Gift for Life" is a heart-warming film about the importance of family and keeping hope alive. Watch the trailer at AGiftForLifeFilm.com
www.livingbank.org/celebrate-life
Honoree Kayla Lehmann
Chairs Mari Treviño, Ileana Treviño & Margot Treviño Rosson
INDEPENDENT LIVING DONOR ADVOCATE NETWORK™ (ILDAN™) THANK YOU TO OUR PRESENTERS | JULY 2015 – MAY 2016 ILDANTM presents LIVE WEBINARS ON THE THIRD TUESDAY EACH MONTH 12:30 – 1:30pm CST Continuing Education Credits are Offered. Go online now at WWW.LIVINGBANK.ORG/ILDAN-OVERVIEW to view our most recent webinars! DORRY SEGEV, MD, PHD
SIGRID FRY-REVERE, JD, PHD
Johns Hopkins University Director, Epidemiology Research Group in Organ Transplantation
Co-founder and CEO
Safely Expanding Live Kidney Donation
Currently Available Options to Reduce the Financial Burdens of Living Organ Donation
GIULIANO TESTA, MD, FACS, MBA
MARK J. HOBEIKA, MD, FACS
Surgical Director, Living Donor Liver Transplantation Baylor University Medical Center
Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Immunology and Organ Transplantation
Live Donor Liver Transplant
UT Health / Memorial Hermann Transplant-TMC
What’s Current And What’s Coming? A Surgeon’s Perspective on Living Organ Donation.
ZOE STEWART, MD, PHD, FACS
ANNE LAWLER, LCSW-R, CCTSW, ACSW, BCD
Surgical Director Kidney, Pancreas & Living Donor Transplant
Senior Social Worker and Living Donor Advocate for The Renal and Liver Transplant Teams
University of Iowa
New York Presbyterian Hospital/ Columbia University Medical Center
Obesity and Living Organ Donation
Depression and Living Donation
ELISA GORDON, PHD, MPH
MATTHEW COOPER, MD
Associate Professor in Surgery-Organ Transplantation
Medical Director, Quality and Safety at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Evaluation of a Culturally Competent Website on Living Kidney Donation for Hispanics
FORUM
American Living Organ Donor Fund
Medstar Georgetown Transplant Institute
What Makes a Good Living Donor Program?
LESLEY COMPAGNONE
JENNIFER MARTIN
Manager of Public Affairs and Community Education
Vice President for Constituent Services
Washington Regional Transplant Community
National Kidney Foundation
Living Donation – What’s in it for me?
New NKF Resources in Living Donation and Transplantation
L I V I N G O R G A N DO N O R S !
T H I S F O R U M I S F O R YO U !
The Living Bank’s Living Donor Forum is a moderated online resource that serves as a support network for all living organ donors. The forum offers your unique community the opportunity to connect and communicate with other living donors in a safe environment. The forum moderators are The Living Bank’s licensed clinical transplant social workers that serve as Independent Living Donor Advocates (ILDAs) in the four Transplant programs in the Texas Medical Center. Meet our social workers at www.livingbank.org/living-donation If you are a living organ donor sign up today! www.livingbank.org/living-donor-forum
T H E L I V I N G B A N K I S E XC I T E D TO B E W O R K I N G W I T H O U R PA R T N E R S I N T H E T M C TO J O I N T L Y H O S T THIS FIRST TIME EVENT
LIFEGIFT/TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER 1 ST ANNUAL HISPANIC ORGAN DONATION AND TRANSPLANTATION SYMPOSIUM
October 6, 2016
Texas Medical Center Accelerator (TMCx), Houston, Texas For more information contact: Karina Fernandez at kfernandez@livingbank.org or 713.961.9431
STATS N AT I O N A L TRANSPLANT WA I T I N G L I S T
120,774
A S O F M AY 2 0 1 6
1
KIDNEY
99,974 82%
2
3
LIVER
HEART
12%
3%
14,819
4,134
4
KIDNEY/ PA N C R E A S
1,915 1%
5
6
LUNG
PA N C R E A S
1%
1%
1,456
992
7
INTESTINE
269
8
HEART/ LUNG
40
BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
CAROLYNE BRADLEY OLIVER When you first meet Carolyne Bradley Oliver she is sure to put you at ease with her brilliant, Texas size smile and good-natured southern charm. Carolyn is one of our newest members to join The Living Bank Board of Directors. We are thrilled to have her energy, can-do personality and breadth of experience. Carolyne comes to us, as a seasoned fundraising professional, with over 20 years of experience in building institutional and non-profit fund-development infrastructures. Most recently Carolyne served as Executive Director of Development at Texas Southern University, retiring in the spring of 2015. During her six years of service with TSU, her leadership led to significant increases in annual giving and philanthropic grants. She bubbles over with energy and is continually finding ways to serve her community. Currently she is an associate member of the Houston Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, where she served as president from 1991-93; and serves on the Board of Wonderland, Inc. This past April Carolyn was among several Houston women honored at the Audrey H. Lawson IMPACT Awards Luncheon. Since inception in 1993, the awards program has honored more than 100 women for outstanding achievements in their respective fields; women who have made significant professional and personal contributions to the community. A native Texan, Carolyne resides in Houston with her husband J.D. Oliver. They have been married for 45 years and have one son, Jay Bradley Oliver. She is a longstanding member of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church and serves on several ministries within her church community. Welcome Carolyne. We are grateful to have you on board.
Honorees Carolyne Bradley Oliver, from left, Jewel Smith, Jonita Wallace Reynolds and Paulette Frederick Audrey H. Lawson IMPACT Awards Luncheon.
GIVE THE PRICELESS GIFT OF LIFE THIS
FATHER’S DAY
Honor the special men in your life while helping others with a donation to The Living Bank. Simply complete the form below and we will send a card to your honoree acknowledging your thoughtful gift and a card to you acknowledging your donation.
In Thanksgiving for ________________________________________________________________________ In Honor of ______________________________________________________________________________ On the Occasion of ________________________________________________________________________ In Memory of _____________________________________________________________________________ Contribution (We appreciate your kind support of our work.)
CU T
HE RE
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THE LIVING BANK P.O. Box 6725 Houston, Texas 77265 1-800-528-2971 info@livingbank.org www.livingbank.org
Check out our newly launched website WWW.LIVINGBANK.ORG
BOARD OFFICERS David M. Gregory, Chair, Partner, Locke Lord LLP Mark J. Biscone, Ph.D., Vice Chair, CHI St. Luke’s Health Kristine Mineman, Treasurer, Deloitte Tax LLP
THE LIVING BANK PROGRAMS General, Minority and Veterans Public Education Program Living Donor Advocacy (LDA) Program Independent Living Donor Advocate Network™ (ILDAN™) Telehealth Program Living Donor Forum
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michael C. Braun, MD, Texas Children’s Hospital J. Steve Bynon, Jr., MD, Memorial Hermann Judith Craven, MD, MPH, United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast, *Retired Salil V. Deshpande, MD, United Healthcare of Texas A. Osama Gaber, MD, FACS, Houston Methodist Carolyne Oliver, Texas Southern University, *Retired Jim Rosenfeld, Martha Turner Properties Josh Tabin, Managing Director VCFO
THE LIVING BANK STAFF Kelly Perdue, CPA, President & CEO Karina Fernández, Director of Education and Outreach Nicole Garvey, Executive Assistant Lisa Getz, LCSW, Living Donor Advocate Teresa Radosti, Donor Relations Specialist Tracey Reeves, LCSW, Living Donor Advocate Shelley Spector, LCSW, Living Donor Advocate
PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING TO THE LIVING BANK Simply go to livingbank.org/donate to make a donation to our secure server. If your employer matches your donation to nonprofit organizations, please provide your company’s matching gift form with your contribution.