DECEMBER 2017 W W W. L I V I N G BA N K .O R G
LETTER FROM OUR CEO It’s been a year to remember for our great city of Houston! We saw our community rise strong from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey and shared in the exhilarating joy of our Astros winning the World Series! As we reflect on the folks we’ve connected with; the challenges we’ve weathered; and the headway we’ve made over the past year we are grateful to be a part of this enduring institution. The Living Bank is coming up on its 50th anniversary! I am struck by the mark our founding mothers made on the world of organ donation and transplantation, establishing The Living Bank in 1968 as the first organ donor registry in the nation. Living organ donation is our core focus now. Why? Because people are dying before an organ becomes available for transplant; many who could have been saved through a live organ transplant. Then why aren’t there more living donor transplants? Because people don’t know; they aren’t informed. The Living Bank’s charge is to eradicate this fatal lack of knowledge. This year, much has been accomplished. We kicked off our Be Someone’s Hero campaign to connect with our surrounding community; from that we produced a compelling short film starring our amazing living donors and their families. We launched a dynamic new website to inspire and invoke change through the power of education and took our social media to the next level, reaching and engaging new audiences. For the professionals serving in live donor transplant programs throughout the U.S., we implemented a more robust professional education platform to facilitate our continuing education offerings. It is a valuable tool that provides continuing education credit at no cost to nurses, social workers and other health professionals that view and complete our Live and OnDemand webinars. We could not do this without your support. As you plan your year-end giving, I ask you to consider a gift to The Living Bank. Your gift makes an invaluable difference to those we touch. Their loved one is given a second chance at life now, through living organ donation, instead of facing the increased risk of dying on the transplant waiting list because a deceased organ donor match couldn’t be found in time.
Please think about a gift to transform lives and bring hope to recipients, donors and their families. With thanksgiving,