Organ Donor Program Guest Speaker

(From 11 Nov 2014 "Meeting Notes" by Joe Serafini, Club Secretary, and from guest speaker correspondence)

Lion Brian Burke introduced the program/guest speaker, Jan Eschen, Regional Coordinator for the Illinois Secretary of State's Organ/Tissue Donor Program. There are over 5,000 people in the State waiting for life-saving or life-enhancing transplants. Many of those will die or their conditions will continue to deteriorate before an organ becomes available.

Lives can be saved or improved through continuing education about the critical shortage of organs and tissue by giving every licensed driver over age 18 the opportunity to join the Secretary of State's Organ/Tissue Donor Registry. Licenses of drivers who sign up will show a red State of Illinois with the word "Donor".  You can register on-line at: https://www.ilsos.gon/organdonorregister .  To learn more, visit website: http://www.lifegoeson.com/  

Thanks to Jesse White, Illinois Secretary of State, for sponsoring this program at the highest level. His mission statement: “To strengthen the Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry through outreach and registration initiatives.” Every April is "National Donate Life Month", with ceremonies to honor those who have donated and saved lives, to mourn those who have died while waiting for a transplant, to support patients whose lives depend on finding a donor, and to celebrate the lives saved and improved from donations. There are many brochures that can be requested. Lions Club members, Rich Montgomery, Pat Davis and Brian Burke, have first-hand experience with this program. We honor, mourn, support and celebrate our own family members who have donated or received organs/tissue through this charitable program.

More history:

1991 - the IL Secretary of State develops a poster contest for students in K-12^th grade. One poster was selected, duplicated and distributed  statewide.

1992 - Secretary of State implemented the IL Organ Donor Registry, making Illinois one of only three states to maintain such a listing.

1993 - IL General Assembly passes legislation to provide funding for education and awareness.

1994 - “Life goes on” statewide awareness program began.

1999 - First Life Goes On Committee was started in Peoria with pilot project to expand, now in 7 other towns.

2004 - Jesse White formed task force to look at first person consent vs. family consent.

2005 - Jesse White led legislative measure to create first person consent registry and it passed.

2006 - First Person Consent Organ/Tissue Donor Registry went into effect January 1.

2012 - Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry reaches 5 Million donors.