Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District
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Olympic Medalist Chris Klug Joins Inslee to Introduce Organ Donor Legislation
April 23, 2002
U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee announced the introduction of the "Floyd D. Spence Organ Coordination Improvement Act" at an event today at the U.S. Capitol. Chris Klug, who underwent a liver transplant in 2000 and went on to win a bronze medal for snowboarding in Men's Parallel Giant Slalom in the 2002 Winter Olympics, joined them to call attention to the thousands of patients in need of transplant organs.
"Today is significant because we are gathered here to help give the gift of life. With this bill, we will put organ donor coordinators in hospitals," said Inslee. Inslee explained why organ coordinators are so effective, saying that, "comprehending the organ/tissue procurement process at such an emotionally traumatizing time can be very difficult for families. Organ coordinators will work with families by helping them to understand what is involved in an organ donation."
Said Chris Klug, "I am here today because of a donor family. Because of this donor family I was able to win great success in the Olympics and all over the world." Klug added, "Being on the organ waiting list was a very scary place to be, but I was very fortunate not to be one of the sixteen people who die everyday while waiting for an organ transplant. No one should have to be on the waiting list. My goal is to eliminate the organ donor waiting list - to make that list a thing of the past."
Frank Curtin, a Computer Specialist at the Federal Trade Commission who is on the waiting list at the Inova Fairfax Hospital for a liver transplant, said, "I am one of those with a deadly disease… relying on the probability of the waiting list to save my life. The Spence Organ Donor Bill offers a very tangible and measurable way to encourage donation, and to bring about a solution."
Judge Daryl J. Hollis explained, "I was on dialysis for three years and eight days while I waited for a kidney transplant. If we had this bill, I would not have had to wait that long. Now, after receiving my transplant, I have fulfilled a number of lifelong goals. From learning to play the piano to singing opera to regular exercise, I am now able to do one push-up for every year of my life. I am 55 years old!"
Kathy Garde, a mother who chose to donate her sixteen year-old son's organs after he died in a car accident, explained, "Being given the chance to choose life amid death was a profound opportunity. Donating Andrew's organs and tissues helped me to obtain some consolation from this tragedy."
The availability of organ donor coordinators has been shown to dramatically increase the rate of organ donations among patients. A four-year study conducted by an independent organ procurement organization concluded that implementing an in-house organ donor coordination program in trauma hospitals resulted in a sixty-four percent increase in consent rate, and an overall increase of ninety-four percent in the number of organ donors. Under the legislation announced today, grants provided by the department of Health and Human Services will fund organ donor coordination programs jointly carried out by representatives of the hospital and the organ procurement organization. The legislation is named after the late U.S. Rep. Floyd D. Spence because he was the longest surviving organ recipient of a double lung transplant.
Quick facts:
- Waiting lists have increased by 350% over the last decade.
- It has been estimated that one person on the organ waiting list dies every two hours.
- The need for organs for donation is growing almost twice as fast as the supply.
- Last year (2001), 22,827 organs were transplanted, while the number of persons on the waiting list for an organ was more than 76,000.