The Living Bank Newsletter Summer 2016

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

SEND ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO: Name _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address___________________________________________________________________________________________________ City ____________________________________________________ State_____________ Zip____________________________ Name(s) to appear on card __________________________________________________________________________________ Amount $ ____________________ CONTRIBUTED BY: Name_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone Number _______________________________________ Cell Number ___________________________________________ Address___________________________________________________________________________________________________ City ____________________________________________________ State_____________ Zip____________________________ Email______________________________________________________________________________________________________ PAYMENT:  Mastercard  Visa  AmEx  Discover Card Number ________________________________________________Expiration Date _________________ Signature _____________________________________________________________________________  Enclosed is my check payable to The Living Bank

THE LIVING BANK P.O. Box 6725 Houston, Texas 77265

1-800-528-2971 info@livingbank.org www.livingbank.org

One hundred percent of your donation is tax deductible.

The Living Bank tax ID number is 74-1607315.

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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.