Dish-Houston

Houston....THIS IS HOW IT'S DONE!!!! Let's take a lesson from Austin today!

Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez, Council Member Laura Morrison, Representative Eddie Rodriguez, City Manager Marc Ott, Health and Human Services Director David Lurie, Human Resources Director Mark Washington, and Senior Community Relations Coordinator for Texas Organ Sharing Alliance Michelle Segovia joined together in City Hall to celebrate Donate Life month and announce steps to be taken by the City of Austin to educate employees and the community about organ donation.

“This is a critical issue for our community, particularly for our minority population. Out of the 9,951 men, women and children currently awaiting a life saving transplant in Texas, 2,061 are African American and 4,395 are Hispanic,” said Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez. “Transplants have a higher success rate when the donor and recipient share genetic similarities found in similar ethnic groups. Currently, minorities don’t donate at the same rate as Caucasians, but we believe with increased public education we can change that.”

The City of Austin is kicking off an awareness campaign with employees and the community including placing organ donor registration forms and Donate Life Texas brochures in twenty two Austin Public Library Locations across the city and providing materials to city employees. Beginning in July, the city will be staging employee health fairs at several Austin locations that will feature information about the Donate Life campaign. In addition, the Health and Human Services Department will feature this information in clinics and the health mobile van.

"Registering as an organ donor is the ultimate act of charity, and it takes the difficult decision out of the hands of family members during a time of tragedy,” said Representative Eddie Rodriguez. “I applaud Texas Organ Sharing Alliance and the City of Austin for their efforts to increase awareness about organ donation, and I encourage members of the community to consider becoming registered organ donors."

The press conference featured a personal story from Carmen Polhemus, whose son passed away after a car accident five years ago. Carmen and her husband, Paul, miss their son Daniel every day, but take comfort in knowing that Daniel saved several lives through organ donation. Mrs. Carmen Polhemus now educates the Central Texas community about organ donation and transplantation.

“Education is the key to making the organ donation process happen,” states Michelle Segovia, Senior Community Relations Coordinator for Texas Organ Sharing Alliance. “Donor families tell us the decision to donate was made easier because their loved one had taken the time to register their intentions to donate and share their decision with family members.”

Nationally, there are more than 107,000 men, women and children awaiting a transplant with more than nine thousand residing in Texas. Last year an average of 18 people died each day waiting for an organ that never came. Online registration is available at www.donatelifetexas.org.