For Immediate Release:
June 15, 2006

Contact:
Nanci Gonder, Chief
Office of Public Information
573-751-6062

Missourians are urged to sign up for organ donor registry
Missouri man celebrating Father's Day with a new heart

This Sunday, David Jeter will celebrate his 31st Father's Day, but this will be his first Father's Day with a new heart. Several years ago, Jeter's own heart stopped working as it should, but through the generosity of an organ donation, he hopes to celebrate many more Father's Days with his family.

The attorney and father of two from Blue Springs, Mo., received his new heart last year. Now, as he approaches the first anniversary of his transplant, he urges Missourians to sign up for the state's organ donor registry.

“I will be forever grateful to the donor's family and to those involved in the process which led to the gift of my new heart,” Jeter said. “It is the ultimate gift.”

Missouri's organ donor registry is a voluntary, confidential list of potential organ and tissue donors. The registry was established by law in 1996 and is operated by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

When a person dies, hospital officials can access the registry to determine if that person wanted to be an organ or tissue donor. Family members are told of the person's desire to donate his or her organs. The family must make the final decision about organ donation, but knowing the wishes of their loved can often make that decision easier.

Currently, more than 90,000 people in the United States are waiting for an organ transplant. Nearly 2,000 men, women and children in Missouri are on the waiting list. Since 1988, more than 9,000 Missourians have received an organ donation, but due to a shortage of organ donors, many people die every year while waiting for a transplant.

“Donating an organ is one of the most generous decisions a person can make,” said Julia M. Eckstein, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. “I encourage all Missourians to consider placing their name on the registry.”

Missourians can sign up for the organ donor registry at any license bureau in the state. They also can register using a new online enrollment form on the state health department's web site at www.missouriorgandonor.com/ . Missouri residents submitting their enrollment form online will receive a confirmation letter from the health department notifying them that their name has been placed on the registry.

Like many people, Jeter knew about organ donation before the onset of his heart condition, but he learned much more about the process when he was told in 2004 he needed a new heart. Jeter's doctors had done all they could through medication and a pacemaker to treat his cardiomyopathy. He was put on the transplant waiting list in February 2005.

The life-saving call came during Fourth of July weekend last year. Jeter and his wife traveled to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis for the operation. On July 6, Jeter received his transplant. He was told his new heart came from a 32-year-old woman.

Jeter readily acknowledges the tragedy that had to occur in order for him to experience the joy of receiving a new heart.

“There is always joy and grief inherent in every organ transplant. In order for the joy to occur however, those suffering in grief must be willing to consent to the donation and offer new life to another,” Jeter said. “Organ donation is an opportunity to give life to someone who needs it and create something good from a terrible tragedy.”

Now with a stronger heart, Jeter helps spread the message about organ donation. In April, he became a member of the board for the Gift of Life, an organization that promotes organ donation in the Kansas City metropolitan area. As a guest speaker, he shares his experiences as an organ recipient with civic organizations and church groups.

The Gift of Life organization also focuses on educating high school students about organ donation at a time when many young people are beginning to drive and can sign up for the registry when they get their driver's license.

More information about Missouri's Organ Donor Registry can be found at http://www.dhss.mo.gov/OrganDonor.

Additional information about the Gift of Life organization can be found at http://www.giftdonor.org.