Transplant Trotters take on Portland to Coast Walk Relay

Reported by: Sally Showman
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Portland To Coast (Karen Werstein)
Portland To Coast (Karen Werstein)


PORTLAND, Or-- On Friday, 4,000 walkers will begin the 21st annual Integra Telecom Portland to Coast Walk Relay. 

Among those competing, a team of twelve people who've either had an organ transplant or donated an organ. 

The team is called The Transplant Trotters.

This is Bob Dexter's third year on the team.  He's had two liver transplants in the past seven years.  Dexter says the thought of walking his daughter down the aisle got him through the waiting and eventual recovery process.  Now, he's walking to raise awareness so that more lives are saved.

"The hospitals are ready, we have patients, but we don’t have enough organs available, so anything we can do to make that happen is a plus," said Dexter. 

Four years ago, team member Nicole Andergard donated one of her kidneys to her best friend.  Both have made a wonderful recovery.  Andergard says Team Transplant Trotters proves that transplant donors and recipients can lead active and happy lives.

"Most people don't think about organ donation until it hits them personally.  I just wanted to join the ranks at Donate Life
and help educate people," said Andergard.  "Check that D on your driver's license," she continued.

According to Donate Life, every 11 minutes a new name is added to the national organ waiting list. Donate Life says there are 821 people in Oregon waiting for an organ.



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LIFESHARERS - 8/26/2011 9:16 AM
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Your story about the Transplant Trotters and Organ Donation highlighted the tragic shortage of human organs for transplant operations. There are now over 110,000 people on the National Transplant Waiting List, with over 50% of these people dying before they get a transplant. Most of these deaths are needless. Americans bury or cremate 20,000 transplantable organs every year. There is a simple way to put a big dent in the organ shortage – give donated organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die. Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. Everyone who is willing to receive should be willing to give. Anyone who wants to donate their organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers. LifeSharers is a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. Membership is free at www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. There is no age limit, parents can enroll their minor children, and no one is excluded due to any pre-existing medical condition. LifeSharers has over 14,700 members as of this writing, including 247 members in Oregon. Please contact me - Dave Undis, Executive Director of LifeSharers - if your viewers would like to learn more about our innovative approach to increasing the number of organ donors. I can arrange interviews with some of our local members if you're interested. My email address is daveundis@lifesharers.org. My phone number is 615-351-8622.
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