CHATTANOOGA ENGINEERS CLUB http://www.chattanooga.net/engineer/CEC Volume LI October 23, 2000 12:00 noon The Cellar at Union Square THIS WEEK__________________________________________________________________ Steve Leach, Director of Administration for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency, will speak on the history of the Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant site and will give a presentation on the Redevelopment Plan for the VAAP property as well as its road access to the community. LAST WEEK___________________________________________________________________ Shannon Boss is beginning her third year as the Public Education Coordinator for the Chattanooga office of Tennessee Organ Donor Services. She is responsible for developing and implementing various plans to increase public awareness and participation in the organ and tissue procurement process. Tennessee Organ Donor Services is part of the National Transplant Society. Fred Lupton as program chair was responsible for bringing the presentation to us. As most of the members may know, Fred was a heart transplant recipient. Fred told us about his experience as a recipient. Robin Burton, a guest of Ms. Boss, also shared her story as a mother of a donor. Her fifteen-year-old son, passed away after a car accident in May 1999. The Burtons made a life giving decision during a very emotional time. Many of us did not know that the deceased does not have the last say on organ donation. Our next of kin has the ultimate say on the body we left behind. It is important that we discuss the issue of organ donation with our family and make our wish known. The science of organ transplantation has made immense strides in recent years. Our understanding of the medical, pharmaceutical, and procedural requirements for success in this critical area has grown dramatically in a very short period of time. The outlook for the technological future is very bright. The success stories are with us daily. Unfortunately against this backdrop of success in the area of transplantation science, the process of securing and allocating organs has been less than adequate. Despite the presence of hundreds of organizations and programs dedicated to various areas of organ donation and transplantation, we continue to face a critical shortage of organs. The shortage may be due to our own ignorance. Many potential donors may not have consulted with their family. Many may hesitate to become a donor due to lack of information. Over 71,000 Americans are currently listed on the national transplant waiting list, there are 1300 listed in Tennessee. The list is growing at the rate of one person every 18 minutes or 30,000 each year. Organs only become available after a person has been declared brain dead, this is not the same as someone that is in a coma. There is only a small window of opportunity to use an organ, hearts are only usable within four to six hours of removal, lungs have six hours, livers with twelve hours, and kidneys have 24 hours. The time often determines how far an organ can be transported. In most cases a heart donated in Tennessee are used in Tennessee or the southeast region. National Transplant Society is the government agency that maintains the integrity of the organ donation program. Tennessee Donor Services is an organ procurement organization. Organ procurement organizations coordinate activities relating to organ procurement in a designated service area. They evaluate potential donors, discuss donation with family members, and arrange for the surgical removal of donated organs. OPOs also are responsible for preserving organs and arranging for their distribution according to national organ sharing policies. There are procedures in place to match the organs with recipients, make sure both donors and recipients are good candidates. It is illegal in US to sell human organs. With more education, hopefully, more people would consider being a donor. You can find more information on www.organdonor.gov or call 756-5736. COMING PROGRAM________________________________________________________ October 30 - Field trip, LiteSpeed Racing Components. --- Chattanooga Technology Council Mailing List | A free service provided by To unsubscribe, e-mail: ctc-unsubscribe@cdc.net | CDC Internet, Inc. For additional commands, e-mail: ctc-help@cdc.net | http://www.cdc.net "