Mid-South Transplant Foundation, Inc. Spring 2020

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Ways To Participate - Donate Life Month & Blue & Green Day Update

Sara Beth Silverman was recently named Mid-South Trans-plant Foundation’s Ambassador of the Year. Sara Beth has worked tirelessly

throughout the year by attending numerous health fairs and special events and teaching driving school classes to promote donation. In addition, Sara Beth came to MSTF’s office weekly to assist the Community Outreach staff doing office work such as making calls, booking events and performing data entry duties. She also cut out squares of material for our donor families who want to complete a square in honor of their loved one for a Donor

Quilt. Other Ambassadors recognized for all they’ve done included Bobbie Betonti, Vera Milam-Johnson, Natalie Yates, Wanda Mason and Lois Braden. MSTF Ambassadors worked approximately 1548 hours this past year to make sure events were covered. Many thanks to our Ambassadors who made it possible to do more than 500 events last year. According to Melody Ramsey, Volunteer Coordinator, MSTF: “Our Ambassadors are amazing, and we appreciate and honor all of them. They are the face of Mid-South Trans-plant Foundation in the community. Their commitment, their passion and their willing-ness to share their experiences make a profound difference in the work we do. Quite simply, we could not do what we do without our Ambassadors.”

AMBASSADORS RECOGNIZED

Due to COVID-19 we are cancelling all in-person events for National Donate Life Month (NDLM) in April. Our priority is the safety and health of everyone including the public, our employees, volunteers and partners. These events include all flag-raising ceremonies and other in-person events with our community partner schools, businesses and organizations. April and Blue & Green Day (April 17, 2020) may look different than originally planned, but there are still ways you can safely participate. We hope that you will find an opportunity in your organization or home to promote donation in a variety of ways (visit our website

www.midsouthtransplant.org and click on the Blue & Green Day button for more ideas and information). For example, many of our partners are committed to shining Blue & Green lights on April 17, 2020 and posting on social media. Mid-South Transplant Foundation is still committed and working every day to saving or improving the quality of lives for people in need of transplants, while also ensuring donors’ end-of-life wishes are fulfilled. We appreciate your support and hope you’ll promote donation any way you feel comfortable as we “Give hope, Give life” in the Mid-South. 

www.midsouthtransplant.org1-877-228-5433

Inside This Issue

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2 Ride for Life Program

3 Donor Remembrance Day

4 Transplant Games

3 Donation Champions

3 Be A Blessing

2 Walk of Honor

4 Ambassador Training

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M i d - S o u t h T r a n s p l a n t F o u n d a t i o n , I n c . 2Spring 2020

MSTF Joins Local Church And Fraternity For A Family Affair

Walk of Honor

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is extending the REAL ID deadline until October 1, 2021. This is great news for everyone! Mid-South Transplant Foundation salute the staffs at the Tennessee Depart-ment of Safety (DOS) and County Clerk offices who do licensing; the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. These staff members have been working so hard with the huge increase in the amount of people who were trying to meet the previous dead-line. Great job!

On Friday, February 7, 2020, a true family gathering took place with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. & Hope City Church Memphis at the Alpha Education Building in Whitehaven. The event was created to foster a hope that will lead to a brighter future through education on pertinent health issues in the African American community. Emceed by WLOK’s Twana Coleman, the night included food from donation supporter Louis Martin of Uncle Lou’s Fried Chicken, games and an informative video presentation about organ and tissue donation. Also, an open panel discussion of recipients and supporters from the organ and tissue donation community shared their personal journeys and experiences of the impact donation has had in their own lives. Southwest Community College Nursing Program students provided blood pressure checks and a representative from Census 2020 gave valuable information regarding jobs available and details how to submit household information for the upcoming Census Day. In addition to Mid-South Transplant Foundation, the event was also hosted by Anthony Sledge, President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. who is in need of a kidney, and Pastor Shedrick Heard of Hope City Church of Memphis, and his congregation. Mid-South Transplant Foundation is always excited to partner with organizations in the community and educate the public on the importance of organ and tissue donation. For details how you can register to become an organ a tissue donor, get involved, or partner with us for a community event, please visit www.MidSouthTransplant.org.

We want to let you know that Ride for Life has come to an end after eight years. On behalf of Mid-South Transplant Foundation and Memorial Park, we extend many thanks to everyone who has taken part in, supported, produced or volunteered with us during the years. We wish our past participants safe and enjoyable cycling. Mid-South Transplant Foundation thanks the staff at Memorial Park for their years of support in sponsoring Ride for Life.

Hospitals continue to offer families the option of a Walk of Honor when the time comes for a loved one to be recognized as a Hero as an organ donor. For the families who choose to honor the legacy of their loved one this way, hospital staff, family members and friends line the hallways from the ICU Room to the Operating Room. This is a way to ensure these last steps are as meaningful as possible for the family.

Real ID – Deadline Extended

Mid-South Transplant Foundation thanks the staff at Memorial Park for their years of support in sponsoring Ride for Life. left to right: Dr. James Latta , Hannah Moore (Office Manager), Kim Van Frank (Executive Director, MSTF), Micheal Gremling (Chapel Location Manager), Joe Lowery (General Manager)

This year Blue & Green Day 901 (April 17) has been expanded to include Blue & Green Day Mid-South to shine the light on donation in all the counties we serve in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. Promoting it in Forrest City are (l to r): Arlene Scott Freeman, Membership Sales Manager, AirMedCare Network joins Tammy Pate, Community Relations Coordina-tor for Mid-South Transplant Foundation at a recent Kiwanis

Club meeting (under the direction of Janet Benson, President). Attending the Rotary Club meeting is Carlos Fields and his mom Candance Fields. Carlos, now 14 years old, received a liver transplant when he was four months old and is doing great!

Donation Champions

#IGIVEME Campaign

M i d - S o u t h T r a n s p l a n t F o u n d a t i o n , I n c . 3Spring 2020

Donation Champions are hospital staff members recognized by Mid-South Transplant Foundation for helping spread awareness about donation throughout the hospital. Gloria Thomas (front) is currently on the waiting list for a liver. Champions recognized at Methodist University Hospital and pictured with her are Mohomd Kahlid, RN, Chase Logan, RN and Bailey Bruce, RN.

Donor Remembrance Day is a day to honor and celebrate our donor heroes who have given the Gift of Life through organ and tissue donation. Together we ‘plant’ forget-me-not flowers to symbolize that these heroes and their gifts will never be forgotten. This virtual event will be by way of Social Media. We encourage all donor families to share their stories and “plant” forget-me-nots in the virtual garden of memories in honor of their hero. For more information visit aopo.org.

Participants of the #IGIVEME campaign celebrated at a luncheon at Mid-South Transplant Foundation’s office. These Ambassadors helped increase awareness among African American students on area college campuses. They were trained to speak to organizations and the media and participated at campus events. In addition they expanded donation messages and videos on social media.

Mid-South Transplant has expanded its faith-based program through “Give hope, Give life, Be A Blessing“ - an ongoing campaign to help spread the message of donation to all congregations. More information available soon about National Donor Sabbath in November 2020.

Donor Remembrance Day

Be A Blessing

Blue & Green Day Mid-South in Forrest City

Transplant Games Postponed

Shelby County Schools Support Blue & Green Day 901

We encourage recipients, living donors, donor family members and supporters to join Melody at the next Ambassador Training session. (date to be announced and it may be virtual!). You’ll have an opportunity to learn the facts about donation and transplantation while letting us know the type of events and activities you’d like to participate in the future.

8001 Centerview Parkway, Suite 302Cordova, TN 38018

A Donate Life Organization

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Team Mid-South

Transplant Games of America

Team Mid-South

Kylon Golden, an 8 year-old second grader at Shelby Oaks School, received a heart transplant last year. He spoke at a recent meeting of all Shelby County School (SCS) principals. He told everyone he loves to play basketball and is now able to and his favorite team is the Grizzlies! Dr. Joris Ray and SCS are partners and supporters of virtual Blue & Green Day 901.

The 2020 Transplant Games (TGA) scheduled for July 17-22, 2020 in Meadowlands, New Jersey, has been postponed. According to the Transplant Life Foundation who produces TGA, they promise that once the COVID-19 health crisis subsides, they will announce a new set of dates for the New Jersey Games. Bill Ryan, President, says: “Rescheduling is a massive undertaking and we will collaborate closely with our incredible partners and sponsors and are committed to bringing everyone the biggest and best Games ever.” There will be many questions and everyone is working to get answers at this time.

Graduates of our most recent Ambassador Training session.