April 18, 2008

The annual Alabama Organ Center Celebration of Life Picnic (formerly the UAB Transplant Celebration Picnic), brings together doctors, nurses and other staff with hundreds of the 5,000 patients who consider UAB their transplant center and families of organ donors. The picnic will take place Saturday, April 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the UAB Min-Park, located at University Blvd. and 14th Street South. The picnic will include a short program hosted by Jane Geloneck, donor family liaison, photo sessions and a brief ceremony at the Donor Tree, planted several years ago to commemorate those who lost their lives and became organ donors. Also on hand will be Devin Eckhoff, MD, director of the UAB Division of Transplantation and Medical Director of the Alabama Organ Center, and Dem Lalisan, Director of the Alabama Organ Center.

April is National Donate Life Month. It seeks to spotlight the need for more families to be aware of the critical, ongoing need for organ donation. More than 8,100 organ transplant recipients identify UAB as their transplant center.

However, there are more than 3,000 people in Alabama still waiting for a lifesaving organ. "We urge families to talk about organ donation. It is an opportunity to give people a second chance at life," said Dem Lalison, AOC director. "One donor can give a heart, liver, lung, kidneys and other organs, and also can help dozens through tissue donation."