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FOURTH QUARTER 2016

CONNECTIONS A NEWSLETTER FOR GIFT OF HOPE’S PARTNERS AND FRIENDS

THIS ISSUE Donor Family Tribute Peoria Mayors for Hope Donor Memorial Garden Lifesaving Partners Awards

CONNECTIONS IN THIS ISSUE

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Peoria Joins Mayors for Hope Peoria, Ill., Mayor Jim Ardis has joined Gift of Hope’s Mayors for Hope campaign to raise awareness of donation in minority communities.

Brain-Death Simulation Lab

Gift of Hope collaborates with OSF HealthCare to help physicians better diagnose brain death and communicate with family members.

Lifesaving Partners Honored

The “best of the best” in organ and tissue donation were honored at Gift of Hope’s 16th annual Lifesaving Partners Awards ceremony.

The Wait: Diane Langley

For the past two and a half years, Diane Langley has remained energetic and optimistic as she waits to receive a lifesaving kidney transplant.

PRESIDENT/CEO J. Kevin Cmunt CHIEF POLICY OFFICER Elizabeth Lively 630/758-2609 elively@giftofhope.org MANAGER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING Therese Michels 630/758-2603 tmichels@giftofhope.org MANAGING EDITOR Tony Sullivan 630/758-2721 tsullivan@giftofhope.org CONTRIBUTORS Nesha Logan 630/758-2743 nlogan@giftofhope.org Veronica Moreno 630/758-2799 vmoreno@giftofhope.org Marion Shuck 630/758-2616 mshuck@giftofhope.org Sonia Sotello 630/930-5831 ssotello@giftofhope.org

On the Cover

Scott Graham, a funeral director with Central Illinois Trade Services in Jacksonville, Ill., was among the “best of the best” in donation who received 2016 Lifesaving Partners Awards from Gift of Hope at the organization’s 16th annual awards ceremony held Oct. 28 in Oak Brook, Ill. A group of 16 individuals and hospitals received Lifesaving Partners Awards in recognition of their ongoing commitment and contributions to support Gift of Hope’s mission of saving and enhancing lives through organ and tissue donation.

Connections provides the Gift of Hope public and professional communities with news and information about Gift of Hope, organ and tissue donation and the importance of being a registered organ and tissue donor. We encourage you to share this newsletter with your friends and associates and learn more about donation by visiting GiftofHope.org. We mail Connections to people who have expressed an interest in Gift of Hope or the topic of organ and tissue donation. If you would like to be removed from our mailing list, please email your request to tsullivan@giftofhope.org.

Copyright © 2016. All Rights Reserved.

Donors, Donor Families Honored at

‘Portraits of Hope’

More than 200 donor families and their friends gathered Nov. 6 for the first of two events that Gift of Hope holds each year to honor loved ones who became organ and tissue donors during the past year. Called “Portraits of Hope,” the event featured an extensive collection of pictures of donors displayed by family members and friends attending the event.

In addition to viewing this impactful visual element, attendees heard inspiring stories and testimonies that celebrated the selfless individuals who offered the gift of hope through donation so that others may live. This year’s event was held at Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago. A second donor family tribute event for Hispanic families took place Dec. 10 at the National Museum of Mexican Arts in Chicago with the entire event conducted in Spanish.

See the full event image gallery at bit.ly/2g6egIA.

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Mayors for Hope Campaign Plays in Peoria Peoria ‘Gift of Hope Day’ Proclamation

Peoria, Ill., Mayor Jim Ardis joined Gift of Hope at Peoria City Hall for a Nov. 10 news conference to announce his participation in Gift of Hope’s Mayors for Hope campaign, a community outreach initiative designed to raise awareness of organ and tissue donation in communities with large minority populations.

Earlier in the week, he proclaimed Nov. 8 as “Gift of Hope Day” in Peoria (see sidebar).

Ardis said organ and tissue donation must be a community effort. “It’s important that we all come together to educate people about the misconceptions surrounding organ donation,” he said. “I am proud to be a partner in saving more lives.”

In some communities in Gift of Hope’s Illinois and northwest Indiana service area, particularly those with high African-American and Hispanic populations, a wide disparity exists between the number of people who have registered to become organ and tissue donors and the number of people who are waiting to receive lifesaving organ transplants.

The Mayors for Hope campaign seeks to educate African-Americans and Hispanics about the importance of registering as organ and tissue donors Peoria-area resident and to dispel myths James Flemming that may prevent benefited from a someone from family’s decision to say making the donation “yes” to donation in decision. their darkest hour.

Beverley Ketel, MD, a former member of Gift of Hope’s board of directors and a pioneering transplant surgeon at Peoria’s OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, praised donor families in the Peoria area for choosing to donate their loved ones’ organs and tissue. “In Peoria, the families of loved ones who have died have

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WHEREAS, every 10 minutes, a new person is added to the national transplant waiting list; and

been very generous in saying ‘yes’ to donation,” she said.

“Those selfless acts have saved the lives of innumerable people.”

Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis (right) joined Gift of Hope President/CEO Kevin Cmunt in urging area residents to unite in educating people about the misconceptions surrounding donation.

Attendees also heard from Peoria-area resident James Flemming, a kidney transplant recipient, who benefited from a family’s decision to say “yes” to donation in their darkest hour following the death of their 7-year-old child.

The experience filled him with a sense of urgency to tell everyone he can about the importance of donation and being a registered donor. “When I was told about the sacrifice that someone made so that I might live, it was overwhelming to believe that a family was willing to give me life after such a tragedy in their lives,” Flemming said.

Kay Rodgers, a donor father from nearby Washington, Ill., also shared his donation story. An active Gift of Hope Advocates for Hope volunteer, Rodgers lost his 10-year-old son, Nicholas, to an asthma attack in 2010.

He shared the letter he received from Gift of Hope after his son donated his organs and saved the lives of four people. “We had the honor of donating organs to save someone’s life,” Rodgers stated. “We have Gift of Hope to thank for that.”

WHEREAS, in Illinois, more than 4,600 people are waiting for an organ transplant with 40 percent of those waiting being AfricanAmerican and 18 percent Latino; and WHEREAS, in 2015, approximately 24,000 organ transplants were made possible by more than 8,000 donors in the United States; and WHEREAS, more than 1 million tissue transplants are done in the United States each year, with the surgical need for tissue rising; and WHEREAS, Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network has been serving our community for 30 years and has coordinated donations that have saved the lives of nearly 24,000 organ transplant recipients and improved the lives of thousands of tissue transplant recipients; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jim Ardis, Mayor of the City of Peoria, Illinois, do hereby declare Nov. 8, 2016, as “Gift of Hope Day” in Peoria, Illinois.

Dated this 8th day of November, 2016, A.D.

Brain-Death Workshop

Gift of Hope, OSF HealthCare Collaborate to Teach Physicians Critical Skills Using high-fidelity mannequins, professional actors and medical experts to cover brain death from every angle, the daylong workshop was designed to equip physicians with the tools and knowledge needed to reach this important and difficult conclusion.

Crucial Conversations The concept of brain death isn’t an easy one for families to come to terms with. In many cases, there’s no outward sign that a loved one has suffered an irreversible injury to the brain. They may be warm to the touch, look like they’re sleeping and, with the help of a ventilator, still breathing.

Yet it is under these very circumstances that families are asked to understand that a loved one has died – and to consider organ and tissue donation as an option to offer hope and life to others.

That’s why Gift of Hope, in collaboration with OSF HealthCare in Peoria, Ill., recently hosted a Brain-Death Simulation Workshop at the Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center in Peoria.

“Very few decisions affect patients and their families as much as the determination of brain death,” explained Deepak Nair, MD, a neurologist at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria and a member of Gift of Hope’s Critical Care Advisory Group. “The physician has the responsibility to diagnose brain death with certainty and communicate that clearly to the family.”

Brain Death Defined

Brain death is defined as the irreversible loss of all functions of the brain, including the brainstem. It is final and cannot be reversed; a patient who is brain-dead will never awaken.

The three essential findings that brain death has occurred are irreversible coma, absence of brainstem reflexes and apnea, or cessation of breathing. Determining brain death requires thoughtful clinical analysis, superior examination skills and familiarity with more advanced tests to establish the diagnosis with absolute certainty.

But given that less than 1 percent of all deaths in the United States are brain deaths, physicians don’t have the opportunity to practice those skills regularly. That’s where the brain-death simulation workshop comes in.

Dr. Nair, who was a student at a University of Chicago Medicine Brain-Death Simulation Workshop several years ago in Evanston, Ill., helped design the OSF HealthCare workshop. He also served as one of several faculty members who taught the 15 neurology and neurosurgery residents in attendance about how to diagnose brain death and communicate things accurately, yet compassionately, to family members.

It included case studies that examined computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brain, mannequins that simulated the characteristics of critically ill patients and a “crucial conversations” session in which participants learned how to deliver a brain-death diagnosis to family members. The activities were performed under direct observation by experts who provided real-time feedback. Participants also learned to recognize braindeath “mimics,” such as low body temperature and evidence of alcohol or drug use.

“Physicians have to speak in very unambiguous language that brain death is death,” added Michelle Reef, Regional Director of Hospital Development for Gift of Hope and coordinator of the workshop.

“The conversation between the physician and the family is critical.”

Handled well, it will help family members understand and accept that death has occurred and can help to produce a favorable donation outcome. Handled poorly, it can destroy a family’s confidence and create unnecessary complications in the alreadycomplex donation process.

Advocates for Hope volunteer Kay Rogers of East Peoria, Ill., whose son, Nicholas, became an organ donor after suffering a fatal asthma attack in 2010, shared his personal story at the workshop.

“There wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” Dr. Nair said. “It’s imperative that physicians display competence and confidence for families on the worst day of their lives.”

Eye-Opening Experience

Third-year neurology resident Elias Samaha, MD, said the workshop was eye-opening and emphasized the importance of using correct terminology. “I learned that using the term ‘life support’ isn’t appropriate when talking to a family about a loved one who is brain-dead,” he explained. “‘Ventilator support’ is the correct term. There are important nuances that physicians need to be aware of when communicating information about brain death to family members.”

Fourth-year neurology resident Swetha Vennavaram, MD, agreed, adding that she found the family discussion particularly helpful. “It’s important for family members to hear the actual word ‘death’ and not sugar-coat it.”

In post-workshop surveys, participants unanimously reported they felt better prepared to make a brain-death determination, manage a brain-dead patient and deliver the news to families. Gift of Hope and OSF HealthCare are planning another workshop in April 2017.

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DONATION BRIEFS

‘Seasons’ Event Benefits Hopeful Students Arts and culture was the theme of Gift of Hope’s 4th annual Scholarships for Hope event held Nov. 5 at Chicago’s Godfrey Hotel. The 2016 edition of the event, titled “Seasons Filled with Hope,” united Chicago Latinos once again in support of higher education for underserved communities while raising awareness about the lifesaving benefits of donation.

Film and TV actor Esai Morales was a special guest and spoke to attendees about the importance of registering as donors. “Organ and tissue donation is a very profound cause,” said Morales. “It doesn’t just make a difference. It is the difference between life and death. It’s a topic that still scares some people, but I like combating fear, especially when it can save lives.”

Actor Esai Morales (right) joined Chicago radio personality Liz Jimenez at Seasons Filled with Hope to raise funds for Gift of Hope’s Scholarships for Hope program, which provides financial support to select students pursuing higher education.

Community, media and corporate sponsors such as Pangea, Latino Scoop, Hispanic Pro, State Farm and the Godfrey Hotel helped to bring the program to life. The event featured a fashion show, displays by Chicago-based

boutiques, a display by local artists and live musical and dance performances.

Established in 2013, Gift of Hope’s Scholarships for Hope program seeks to demonstrate Gift of Hope’s commitment to Chicago communities by providing the financial support students may lack to pursue higher education. “When we make our communities the priority, we strengthen our future,” said Kevin Cmunt, President/CEO of Gift of Hope. “This event and the support of people like Esai Morales who take time out of their lives to speak about issues affecting our communities help to bring a lasting, positive impact to thousands of lives.”

Morales expressed his appreciation for Gift of Hope and what it does each day to not only save lives through organ and tissue donation but to help Chicago communities progress.

“Thank you to everyone who spreads awareness about donation to help do what we’re all here to do, which is to love and care for one another,” he said.

Gift of Hope Dedicates Donor Memorial Garden

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Gift of Hope joined with the Springfield Park District Nov. 13 to dedicate a new memorial to honor and remember organ and tissue donors for their selfless acts. The new Donor Memorial Garden located within Springfield’s Southwind Park serves as an ongoing reminder of the legacy of loved ones who offered the Gift of Hope through donation.

For Larry Lefferts, a donor father and Gift of Hope Advocates for Hope volunteer who first approached Springfield Park District officials in 2015 about creating a memorial garden, the formal opening of the Donor Memorial Garden turns his vision into reality. He hopes the garden will offer a physical and emotional respite for donor families.

Donor family members, transplant recipients and Gift of Hope and Springfield Park District representatives were on hand to dedicate the new memorial. “Today has been set aside to publicly thank the compassionate people willing to be donors and their loving families who have seen a new depth of beauty in offering the gift of life to another,” said Kevin Cmunt, President/CEO of Gift of Hope. “Your unselfish gifts will be a bright beacon of hope and an ever-present remembrance of your loved ones.”

“I hope it’s beneficial to them,” said Lefferts, whose 22-year-old son, John, became a tissue donor after his death in 2004. “It’s been beneficial to my family. I watched as the work on it progressed. It was a real labor of love.”

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Springfield Park Board President Leslie Sgro said the park district is grateful for the addition this garden brings to Southwind Park. “We are honored to be given the chance to host and steward the Donor Memorial Garden,” she said.

The new Donor Memorial Garden located within Springfield’s Southwind Park serves as an ongoing reminder of the legacy of loved ones who offered the Gift of Hope to others through donation.

Young CEO One Smart (and Generous) Cookie Many CEOs kiss their spouses and children goodbye every morning and head to their corner offices. But not Felix Castillo, the CEO of Felix’s Famous Cookies. Instead, he kisses his mother goodbye and heads to his sixth grade class at Frassati Catholic Academy in Wauconda, Ill.

Inspired by his grandmother’s philanthropic spirit, Felix and Laura have donated money to nearly 60 organizations over the past five years. Each month, they choose a not-for-profit organization to support. The beneficiary for December is Gift of Hope, an organization and cause near and dear to the Castillos’ hearts.

You see, Felix is 11 years old.

“When mom died we had no idea she was a registered donor,” said Laura. “Donation is not an easy or common topic to talk about in the Hispanic culture. We honored my mother’s decision to help others and are thrilled to support Gift of Hope in her name.”

With a staff of 16, an 1,800-square-foot commercial kitchen space and a full marketing plan, Felix, a “Shark Tank” junkie and sports enthusiast, is arguably the youngest company CEO in Illinois. His story starts in 2011 when he was determined to sell something at his The Castillo family was touched by donation a school’s craft fair and enlisted the support second time when Felix’s paternal grandfather of his mother, Laura, who was mourning the received a kidney transplant after being on Felix’s Famous Cookies, led by 11-year-old loss of her mother at the time. Despite the dialysis for many years. “It is such a bittersweet CEO Felix Castillo, will donate part of the circumstances, Laura was inspired by her yet extraordinary feeling to know that someone company’s December cookie sales profits to Gift of Hope. son’s determination and searched for ideas on has so selflessly given of themselves so that the family computer. She stumbled upon her others can continue to live,” said Laura. mother’s famous “pan de polvo” (powdered bread) cookie recipe.

Visit felixsfamouscookies.com to learn more about Felix and how “I knew immediately that this was it,” Felix said. “I convinced my you can help him help others. mother that I could sell my grandmother’s cookies, make them famous, make a profit and donate part of our sales to a charity in Grandma Toni’s name.”

Newsletter for Forensics Professionals Debuts Building strong relationships with the forensics community is imperative to successful organ and tissue donation, and Gift of Hope is always looking for ways to forge and strengthen those bonds. One way to do that is with the newest Gift of Hope publication, Forensics Connections.

“We needed a way to reach out to our forensics community to help educate them about their role in the donation process and to show our appreciation for all of the hard-working people in this industry,” said Ron Skolek, Director of Hospital Development for Gift of Hope. “Forensics Connections does this by sharing stories of challenging cases involving coroners and medical examiners and providing data on donation activity within our service area.”

The first issue, which debuted this past summer, featured independent forensic pathologist Scott Denton, MD, who discussed advanced donation protocols in homicide cases.

The just-published second issue introduced new Cook County Chief Medical Examiner Ponni Arunkumar, MD, and addressed the role her office plays in supporting organ and tissue donation.

In addition to sharing stories on area forensics professionals, each quarterly issue of Forensics Connections includes a forensics-related case study to offer donation education to coroners, medical examiners and state’s attorneys who may face donation-related cases. Each issue also includes key donation statistics broken down by county and illustrates year-to-date information on the circumstances surrounding deaths using colorful graphics.

The forensics community has given Forensics Connections a positive reception. “Forensics experts tell me they appreciate learning more about the work their colleagues around the state do on donation cases,” said Gina Martin, a Gift of Hope Donation Coordinator who serves as a liaison between Gift of Hope and several county coroners. “They also find the case studies interesting.”

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Best of the Best Individuals, Hospitals Honored for Going ‘Above and Beyond’ to Support Donation 8

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The “best of the best” in organ and tissue donation received 2016 Lifesaving Partners Awards from Gift of Hope at the organization’s 16th annual Lifesaving Partners Awards ceremony held Oct. 28 in Oak Brook, Ill. A group of 16 individuals and hospitals received awards in recognition of their yearlong commitment and contributions to support Gift of Hope’s mission of saving and enhancing lives through organ and tissue donation.

Here are Gift of Hope’s 2016

This year’s honorees were recognized for demonstrating resolute dedication to educate their peers and the public about donation and enhance systems and processes in their organizations to help make donation happen.

Excellence in their field and their invaluable contributions help to increase awareness of the lifesaving benefits of organ and tissue donation and help to ensure that the selfless decision of donors and their families to save lives through donation is honored.

HSHS St. John’s Hospital, Springfield, Ill.: Curtis Baker consistently demonstrates passion and dedication to ensure the best outcome for each donation case he is involved in. He works hard behind the scenes in support of donation and consistently exceeds expectations, always remaining calm under pressure. In one case involving a young donor who became unstable before organ recovery, Curtis provided excellent care that was essential to achieving a positive donation outcome that saved the lives of four people.

“We cannot do what we do without our partners,” said Kevin Cmunt, President/CEO of Gift of Hope. “These dedicated people and organizations set the standard — and so often surpass it — in making donation possible.

Through their selfless work, we give hope and life to those in need of lifesaving organ and tissue transplants.”

Gift of Hope established the Lifesaving Partners Award in 2001 to acknowledge the vital roles its partners play in helping the organization realize its vision — that every opportunity for organ and tissue donation is successful. Since then, the organization has awarded the Lifesaving Partners distinction to more than 230 individuals and organizations.

Lifesaving Partners Award honorees: Carrie Austin, Alderman, 34th Ward, Chicago: Chicago Alderman Carrie

Austin has been a strong supporter of organ and tissue donation for the past 30 years. Several members of her family have received kidney transplants, so she knows firsthand what the life of a person on dialysis is like and has accepted the charge to educate her community about the importance of registering as organ and tissue donors. Carrie’s contributions are essential to Gift of Hope’s efforts to make donation a mainstream topic of conversation throughout the city of Chicago.

Curtis Baker, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist,

Hillary Crumlett, Clinical Director, Adult Critical Care, Northwestern Memorial Central DuPage Hospital, Winfield, Ill.: Hillary Crumlett partnered with Gift of Hope to identify opportunities for improvement in the shared donation process at her hospital and worked diligently to help create solutions to overcome existing barriers. She created and currently co-chairs a Donation Committee to help foster hospital-wide donation education and awareness and champion best practices throughout the organization.

Maureen Davoren, Director of Nursing, Critical Care, AMITA Health Adventist

Medical Center Hinsdale, Hinsdale, Ill.: Maureen Davoren plays a big role in the shared organ donation process and the positive outcomes that result.

She proactively enlisted the help of Gift of Hope to address her team at weekly interdisciplinary roundings in the ICU to provide them with the information and necessary tools to recognize clinical triggers and make timely donor referrals. This gives Gift of Hope the opportunity to regularly educate all of the departments responsible for donor management.

Guy Dugan, MD, Medical Director, ICU, AMITA Health Alexian Brothers Health System, Elk Grove Village, Ill.: Guy Dugan, MD, has been instrumental in

improving donation outcomes at Alexian Brothers Medical Center. His support of Gift of Hope and the donation process has influenced an increase in organ donor referrals from Alexian Brothers and a rise in the hospital’s donor authorization rate from 50 percent in 2015 to 88 percent so far in 2016. As an active member of Gift of Hope’s Critical Care Advisory

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Group, Dr. Dugan has introduced case elements to be reviewed by the group, encouraging collaboration in the interest of continuous process improvement.

Jeffrey Huml, MD, Medical Director, Adult Critical Care, Northwestern Memorial Central DuPage Hospital, Winfield, Ill.: Jeffrey Huml, MD,

Cinda Edwards, Sangamon County Coroner, Sangamon County,

has worked diligently with Gift of Hope to strengthen and improve the shared donation process at his hospital. He is committed to working with his department to better serve donors and their families. His dedication to identify and implement improvements at Central DuPage Hospital has played a vital role in significantly increasing successful donation outcomes. Dr. Huml consistently demonstrates his strong commitment and passion for saving lives through organ donation and transplantation.

Springfield, Ill.: Since taking office in June 2011, Sangamon County Coroner Cinda Edwards has authorized 100 percent of all potential donation candidates for recovery.

Her outstanding commitment to work with Gift of Hope while following effective forensic and investigative procedures has also had a positive impact on law enforcement. Cinda ensures that law enforcement and forensic pathologists work effectively and collaboratively to make donation possible.

Judy Friedrichs, Bereavement Support Coordinator, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago: Organ and tissue donation in the neonatal and pediatric population is a new area of focus with Gift of Hope’s hospital partners, requiring a great deal of training, education and awareness-raising. Judy Friedrichs played a vital role in helping Gift of Hope tackle this challenge with Rush.

She connected Gift of Hope with Rush’s NICU, PICU and Labor and Delivery Department staff so that Gift of Hope could schedule multiple donation in-services with medical and nursing teams. Judy also paved the way for Gift of Hope to provide grand rounds presentations for all three departments to reach as many people as possible.

Scott Graham, Funeral Director, Central Illinois Trade Services, Jacksonville, Ill.: Scott Graham’s remarkable work ethic, passion and dedication for his job are demonstrated through his diligent collaboration with Gift of Hope.

His knowledge of the funeral industry in central Illinois has been essential to the success of Gift of Hope’s Embalming Program, which educates funeral directors on the embalming process after tissue recovery. Scott is solution-oriented and leads his staff by example to offer compassionate service to donor families while overcoming obstacles that may arise in the donation process.

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Susan Kovarik, Nurse Educator, Presence Saint Francis Hospital, Evanston, Ill.: Sue Kovarik exemplifies a Lifesaving Partners Award honoree.

She is a dedicated supporter of donation and consistently goes above and beyond what Gift of Hope needs from its hospital partners to make donation happen. Susan has been instrumental in building a strong relationship between Gift of Hope and Presence Saint Francis Hospital. She consistently demonstrates her passion for donation through excellent service, tenacity, dedication and commitment to donor families and to Gift of Hope’s mission.

Kelvin Martin, Gift of Hope

Advocates for Hope Volunteer and African-American Task Force Member: Kelvin Martin has

been an inspiration and avid volunteer for Gift of Hope since 2011. After receiving a lifesaving heart transplant in 2014, Kelvin became a devoted volunteer and tireless advocate for Gift of Hope and donation. In this role, he gives countless hours to promote donation and educate minority communities in northwest Illinois about the importance of being a registered organ and tissue donor.

Duane Northrup, Champaign County Coroner, Champaign County, Urbana, Ill.: Duane Northrup works tirelessly to make sure

that every family has the opportunity to consider the option of donation. As a result, the Champaign County Coroner’s office had released 100 percent of all potential organ donation cases from January 2015 through June 2016, and that performance continues today. Duane works with state’s attorneys, investigators, physicians and his own forensic pathologist to strengthen collaboration so that donation can take place. He and his staff participated in coroner training that Gift of Hope offered in 2016, demonstrating their commitment to shared donation efforts.

Jaime Parkinson, CCU Unit Coordinator, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, Ill.: Jaime Parkinson is the kind of medical professional for whom the Lifesaving Partners Award was created. She makes every effort to support Gift of Hope and works diligently to ensure that Carle is a leader in donation. Despite her incredibly busy schedule, Jaime is a key member of the Carle Life Donation Committee and the Champaign County Life Goes On Committee. Her goal is to make this committee the state’s largest and most active chapter that works to raise donation awareness and register donors on behalf of the Illinois Secretary of State’s office.

Alicia Tappin, Medical Records Coordinator, Advocate Christ Medical Center, Oak Lawn, Ill.: Advocate Christ is an extremely busy donor hospital, and Alicia Tappin supports many donation cases by providing timely, accurate and complete medical records. She does this with a smile on her face and a positive attitude every time.

She has demonstrated her dedication and passion through countless

instances where she has gone above and beyond to help Gift of Hope achieve successful donation outcomes.

The University of Chicago Medicine Donation Committee,

The University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago: Since The University of Chicago Medicine’s Donation Committee was established more than eight years ago, it has grown steadily and has helped to significantly improve the hospital’s donor referral and authorization rates. Under the leadership of former Donation Committee Chairperson Iliana Staneva, Tracy Koogler, MD, and current Chairperson Deborah Reindl, the committee has been a source of information, critical review and innovation for the institution in the area of organ and tissue donation. Dr. Koogler’s and Iliana’s long-standing commitment and tireless dedication have been essential to the Donation Committee’s success and to honoring the donation decision.

Remy Winget, Advanced Practice Nurse, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria, Ill.: Remy Winget has shown impressive and unwavering support for organ and tissue donation. He brings a positive impact to donor management, family support and staff education. As an APN, Remy is part of a critical care team at OSF Saint Francis that works closely with Gift of Hope on almost everyone who becomes a donor.

Critical care APNs at OSF Saint Francis are a vital part of the critical care team and handle much of the patient treatment as well as discussions with families on almost all of the adult ICUs. Remy has frequently gone above and beyond to assist Gift of Hope with running tests, ordering lab tests and CT scans and contacting Gift of Hope to discuss organ and tissue donation with families.

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The Wait: Diane Langley Stays Optimistic as She Waits for a Kidney

Looking at Diane Langley, you’d never suspect the 64-year-old Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., retiree is a type 2 diabetic with failing kidneys.

She’s energetic, optimistic and, with her 1,000-kilowatt smile, the picture of good health.

But looks can be deceiving.

For the past two and a half years, Diane’s been on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. And, while it hasn’t dampened her spirits much, a 16-year battle with diabetes has taken a toll on her body.

A Huge Surprise

“In 2009, I found out my kidneys were failing,” she said. “It came as a huge surprise to me and my doctors because I’d kept my diabetes under really good control. I was the last person I thought it would happen to.”

For five long years, Diane watched her kidney function deteriorate. Then, in early 2014, she was added to the waiting list for a kidney transplant. She began dialysis treatments a year later.

To boost her odds, Diane is on three waiting lists: Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where the average wait is five years; Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, where the wait is 3.5 years; and University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, where recipients wait between two and three years.

“It increases my chances of getting a kidney,” she explained. “Right now, I figure it could happen within a year.”

Until it does, Diane relies on at-home peritoneal

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dialysis. Nine hours every night, Diane attaches tubing from her dialysis cycler machine to a catheter in her abdomen. The machine does the work of her ailing kidneys while she sleeps.

When she awakens the next day, she detaches herself from the machine and is free to do as she pleases.

“I’m a day person,” she said. “I like to get up and go. I enjoy walking in the forest preserve.

Today, I might go to the zoo. Peritoneal dialysis lets me do that.”

There are other benefits, too. Peritoneal dialysis is easier on the kidneys and doesn’t require the same diet and fluid restrictions as hemodialysis.

“It definitely has its advantages,” Diane said.

“I have a lot more control over my schedule.

And I’ve learned to travel in the U.S. with the machine.”

The 42-pound cycler machine is cumbersome, but it fits in a travel bag. “I pre-order the supplies I need and have them shipped to my destination,” she explained.

Overseas Travel Grounded

Last winter, she spent time in Florida and plans to do the same this year. Overseas travel is out of the question until she receives a new kidney.

“I’ve traveled to China, Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy and Russia,” she said. “Next on my list are Switzerland and Austria, but I don’t feel confident traveling internationally with the machine and all the supplies. I’ll get there after my transplant.”

Despite bouts of fatigue and other side effects, Diane stays positive. A kidney support group at

Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., helps.

“When this first started, I felt very alone,” she explained. “Of course I had my kidney doctor to talk to, but I didn’t know anyone else who was facing what I was. Finding the kidney support group was one of the best things. I’ve learned new things and met new people; it’s been wonderful. As much as friends and family want to help you, they don’t understand what you’re going through.”

Insurance Challenges

Health insurance has been challenging at times, too. “All the phone calls: It’s like a part-time job,” she said.

Fortunately, Diane was able to enroll in Medicare before age 65 because she’s on dialysis. She has also applied for grants to help cover expenses.

“My friends tell me they’re amazed at how well I’m handling this,” Diane said. “What choice do you have? Your body’s not working right.

Luckily, there are things like dialysis that help.”

To spread the message about organ donation, Diane recently became a Gift of Hope Advocates for Hope volunteer. Her personal mission is to educate others about becoming living donors.

In the meantime, she carries her cellphone 24/7 in the hope that the next call will be the one she’s waiting for.

“If I see an area code for Iowa City, I’ll be sure to answer it right away,” she said.

HOSPITAL PERFORMANCE* METRICS

Gift of Hope works in partnership with 183 hospitals and nine transplant centers to meet the ever-growing demand for donor organs and fulfill the organization’s vision — that every opportunity for organ and tissue donation is successful. Here’s a look at key donation performance metrics for Illinois and northwest Indiana hospitals that have had at least one organ donor during the period noted and the contributions these hospitals are making to offer hope and life to others.

Donation Donation Timely

Organ Conversion Authorization Notification Hospital Donors Rate Rate Rate Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital

1

67

67

92

Adventist GlenOaks Hospital

2

67

67

87

Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital

1

20

25

83

Advocate Christ Medical Center

36

62

64

89

Advocate Condell Medical Center

6

77

77

98

Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital

5

60

60

86

Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center

3

40

40

86

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

4

50

55

87

Advocate Sherman Hospital

2

67

67

100

Alexian Brothers Medical Center

6

89

89

98

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital

1

22

29

81

Blessing Hospital

3

50

50

100

Carle Foundation Hospital

24

82

82

100

Centegra Hospital: McHenry

3

100

100

100

Centegra Hospital: Woodstock

1

100

100

100

Community First Medical Center

2

40

40

100

Community Hospital of Munster

3

100

100

100

Decatur Memorial Hospital

2

67

67

97

Delnor Hospital

2

67

67

91

Edward Hospital

4

63

63

90

Elmhurst Memorial Hospital

1

50

50

88

Franciscan St. Anthony Health: Crown Point

3

80

80

97

Franciscan St. James Health: Chicago Heights

1

50

50

93

Franciscan St. James Health: Olympia Fields

1

67

67

70

Franciscan St. Margaret Health: Dyer

1

100

100

100

Glenbrook Hospital

2

100

100

92

Holy Cross Hospital

1

40

40

62

HSHS St. John’s Hospital

10

56

56

99

HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital

4

88

88

100

John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County

13

89

94

89

Kishwaukee Community Hospital

1

33

33

86

Little Company of Mary Hospital & Health Care

3

75

75

99

Loyola University Medical Center

13

63

63

95

*Hospitals with at least one organ donor through 10/31/16. Note: Data subject to change due to Gift of Hope’s quality assurance process.

13

Donation Donation Timely

Organ Conversion Authorization Notification Hospital Donors Rate Rate Rate MacNeal Hospital

1

50

50

95

Memorial Medical Center

7

89

89

99

Mercyhealth (Rockford)

15

77

77

97

Methodist Hospital: Northlake

2

80

80

100

Methodist Hospital: Southlake

3

75

75

100

Metro South Medical Center

1

33

100

75

Morris Hospital

2

67

67

100

Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center

9

44

46

89

Northwest Community Hospital

2

75

75

100

Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital

1

100

100

100

Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital

10

68

68

90

Northwestern Memorial Hospital

8

50

50

90

Norwegian American Hospital

3

83

83

96

OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center

3

78

78

99

OSF Saint Francis Medical Center

20

53

53

97

OSF St. Joseph Medical Center

1

75

75

97

Presence Resurrection Medical Center

2

50

50

97

Presence Saint Francis Hospital

2

80

80

97

Presence Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center

1

100

100

100

Presence St. Joseph Hospital

2

100

100

94

Presence St. Joseph Medical Center

7

55

58

86

Rush Oak Park Hospital

2

100

100

100

Rush University Medical Center

8

54

54

93

Rush-Copley Memorial Hospital

3

83

83

98

Silver Cross Hospital

7

80

80

100

Skokie Hospital

1

33

33

100

St. Alexius Medical Center

3

75

75

96

St. Catherine Hospital

2

50

50

81

St. Mary Medical Center

1

60

60

97

Swedish Covenant Hospital

2

67

67

100

Unity Point Health: Methodist

1

71

83

93

Unity Point Health: Trinity

3

100

100

92

University of Chicago Medicine

17

69

71

95

University of Illinois Medical Center

9

45

45

95

Vista Medical Center: East

2

63

63

97

West Suburban Medical Center

2

67

67

100

DEFINITIONS

Totals

14

Organ Donors

Donors from whom one or more organs were recovered for the purpose of transplantation. This includes both donation after brain death, or DBD, donors and donation after circulatory death, or DCD, donors.

CONNECTIONS

330 68% 69% 94%

Donation Authorization Rate The rate at which authorization for donation is obtained, expressed as a percentage.

Donation Conversion Rate

The rate at which potential donors are converted to actual donors, expressed as a percentage.

Timely Notification Rate

The rate at which hospitals contact Gift of Hope after a death or within one hour after an individual meets the criteria for imminent death and before the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies, expressed as a percentage.

STATE OF DONATION 119,775*

5,098*

in the U.S.

in Illinois

1,588* in Indiana

The number of people waiting for heart, liver, kidney, lung, pancreas or small bowel transplants as of Oct. 31, 2016. * Based on data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network

GIFT OF HOPE DONATION ACTIVITY

Organ Donors Organs Transplanted Organs Per Donor Tissue Donors Bone Donors** Heart Valve Donors** Skin Donors* *Through Oct. 31

2016*

2015*

% CHANGE

330 1,042 3.16 1,405 1,297 152 996

322 918 2.85 1,458 1,239 142 621

2.48% 13.51% 10.88% -3.64% 4.68% 7.04% 60.39%

MAKE A DIFFERENCE! REGISTER TO BE AN ORGAN AND TISSUE DONOR GIFTOFHOPE.ORG

**Subset of Tissue Donors

ILLINOIS ORGAN/TISSUE DONOR REGISTRY

6,054,779 22 58% 300 :10 25

An average of 22 people die each day while waiting for a transplant.

As of Oct. 31, 2016

Of adults (18 or older) in Illinois are registered as organ and tissue donors.

In 2016, more than 300 people registered for transplants in Illinois will die while waiting.

Every 10 minutes, a new person is added to the national transplant waiting list.

One donor can save or enhance the lives of more than 25 people.

15

FPO INDICIA TO BE ADDED

BY PRINTER

425 Spring Lake Drive Itasca, IL 60143

To learn more about organ and tissue donation, visit GiftofHope.org

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Donor Family Meets Recipient of Young Son’s Gifts Donor family members and longtime Gift of Hope supporters and donation advocates Dan and Lisa Richardson of Aurora, Ill., met the recipient of their young son’s kidneys for the first time at an emotional gathering this fall in Kansas City. The Richardsons’ 7-year-old son, Dylan, died tragically in a car crash in 2007. They authorized donation at the time, and Dylan saved three lives as an organ donor.

Dylan’s heart went to a 13-year-old girl from South Carolina, his liver went to a 15-year-old boy from the United Arab Emirates

and both of his kidneys went to Joe Van Dolah, a 65-year-old man from Kansas. Now 74, Van Dolah had devoted many years to helping children as a member of Shriners International and Scottish Rite when he received Dylan’s lifesaving gifts in 2007. In an ironic twist, a child — Dylan — was able to help him.

The Richardsons met “Joe the Shriner,” as Dan Richardson had referred to him for many years, at Midwest Transplant Network, one of two organ procurement organizations serving Missouri.

MTN graciously set up a live video stream so Gift of Hope staff members could view the meeting remotely from Gift of Hope’s Itasca, Ill., headquarters. Visit Gift of Hope’s Facebook page to read and see more about the special meeting, Dylan and the Richardsons.

Gift of Hope ‘Shares the Light’ at Chicago’s Lights Festival Gift of Hope helped kick off the 2016 holiday season in Chicago Nov. 18 and 19 as a participant in the annual BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. Gift of Hope was a first-time participant in the event, now in its 25th year, which rings in the holiday season with two days of free, family-friendly activities.

The highlight of the event was an evening tree-lighting procession along Chicago’s north Michigan Avenue, known as the “Magnificent Mile.” It’s a spectacle of lights that has become

a beloved tradition in Chicago. Gift of Hope had a float in the procession, themed “Share the Light: Be an Organ and Tissue Donor.” It carried several people who have been touched by donation and was adorned with pictures of donors who offered the gift of life through donation. The Lights Festival parade was aired live on Chicago’s ABC affiliate and on many other ABC affiliates nationwide.

Gift of Hope also had a spot along Lights Festival Lane during the two-day event where volunteers supplied guests with donation information and giveaways while encouraging them to register as organ and tissue donors. Visit TheMagnificentMile.com to learn more about the event and get a visual recap of the festivities.