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Show Friday, May 10, 1991 News THE SIGNPOST Organ donations misunderstood Local residents owe their lives to selfless planning by others By Cindy Greenland Staff writer of The Signpost Every 30 minutes someone needing an organ transplant is added to the national waiting list. "Currently there are over 22,000 nationally waiting for transplants. There is an increase of up to 300 more per month. There is a tremendous shortage, the demand for organs is far exceeding the supply," said Danny McMahon, transplant procurement coordinator for the Intermountain Organ Recovery System. Ken Rylands of Washington Terrace was given a few weeks to live after seven bypass surgeries in 1985. His life was spared because of a heart transplant. "It was a matter of life and death," he said. "With my first transplant I had a bad rejection within a month and had to have a second transplant. I bowl, golf and lead a normal life now." Rylands is the oldest man in the world who has ever had two transplants. "I don't feel any different. It was like putting a new water pump in a car. I have to take medication for the rest of my life, but I feel great," he said. "If anything ever happens to me I will donate my organs. I think it's a great program. It saved my life." It's possible for a single donor to give 25 different organs and tissues. One donor may help as many VETERAN (continued from page 1) ward to their trip stateside. However, they volunteered for one more mission. The plane was attacked by 12 Japanese aircraft and the fuel tank was hit, causing an explosion. Two of the crewmen parachuted to safety and one was taken prisoner. The other seven, including Gardner, were listed as missing and presumed dead. Over the years the remains of Mothers ers l. x . I Si i jCarye. Selection: Cookhooks Qifl hooks Uldiaion hooks Caris&CilsrCSmU SdrU "Reluctance to donate organs is based on misinformation. The donation is a gift and it doesn't cost anything for the donor. " Danny McMahon, Recovery specialist as 40 different people, said McMahon.There are two types of organ donors," he said. "The vital organs are recovered only when a person is brain dead, the tissues can be recovered from practically every-one. Stephanie Taylor, a Weber State student nurse, said, "I saw the procedure of removing the organs, called harvesting. It was very interesting and a valuable learning experience.""The organs are cooled down to about four degrees in a saline solution," McMahon said. "We are able to store some tissues but for most there's such a shortage that we can't." The donor organs are removed surgically and the donor's body is the crew were found, all except Gardner's. It was assumed that his body was destroyed during the explosion, until recently. Blanche Taylor of Ogden, a former neighbor and friend of the Gardner family, told The Signpost, the nose section of a B-17 had been found in the dense forest of New Guinea a few years ago. In the nose were the remains of a U.S. serviceman. Identified by a few buttons and tailor-made shoes, Gardner's remains were flown home for burial in the Hyrum City Cemetery Saturday. "It made sense," said Blanche jjmi uvimi izta ?0-$0 off I -. i 'I' ' 3 V t t i it (kfrc Li CXirrunt closed as in any major surgery. "A lot of reluctance to donate organs is based on misinformation," McMahon said. "The donation is a gift and it doesn't cost anything for the donor. Open casket funerals are possible through the use of prosthetics. It does not delay the funeral. Most people have unrealistic fears based on misconceptions." You can become an organ donor through the state driver's license division or by signing an organ donor card. "Even when someone has signed a donor card, the next of kin must sign a consent form for the donation and still has a right to revoke it, so it's best to have a discussion with your family about it beforehand," said McMahon. Jason Christensen, organ donor and WSU nursing student, said, "I figure if I'm dead I'm not going to be needing my organs, so I think someone else should be able to benefit from them. Ithinkthegift of life is the biggest gift that you can ever give." The survival rates for people who receive transplants are good. "Liver transplants are 70 to 80 percent successful, kidneys 90 to 95 percent, pancreas 60 percent, lungs 35 percent and the survival rate for heart transplants are 90 percent for the first year," said McMahon. "The key to increasing the number of organ donors is educating the public." Taylor of Ogden, a former neighbor and friend of the Gardner family. "Winslow was so tall and thin he had to have specially-made shoes because his feet were so narrow." Taylor said that Gardner had to eat a lot of bananas to get his body weight up enough to join the corp. "He said he hoped he would not have to eat another banana as long as he lived, once he made the corp," Taylor said. Gardner was born Nov 23, 1920 to Ford Gardner and Ella Mae Green in Menan, Idaho. He attended Weber State in 1939. rjiA -Mil 7 . ... ' ? 1 r is The Campus Calendar is a listing of upcoming events and announcements of general Interest, lhe bignpost accepts such items free of charge as a public service, but reserves the right to edit or refuse to print any information due to space or editorial considerations. 1991 SUN FESTIVAL: Bigger and better than ever. Saturday, May 1 8. Money will go to the WSU Library. Breakfast from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Athletic spot clinics, fashion shows, children's games musical entertainment, dance performances, contests and exhibits from 1 1 a.m. to 4 p.m. Food vendors, commercial booths from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Live band performances and other student activities around the duck pond from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. If you have any questions, or know of a group that would be interested in performing or vending please call Cindy Wilson at 626-6352 for details. FIRST ANNUAL EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND FITNESS DAY: Wednesday, May 15. Meet at Lindquist Plaza at 11:30 a.m. Walking tours start at noon, 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. GREEK WEEK ACTIVITIES: Academic Bowl,Monday-Friday at 1 1 :30. Runswimride. Awards banquet Friday at 7 p.m. in the UB. BOTANY PLANT SALE: Friday, May 10 at the Lind Lecture Hall. HONOR SOCIETY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS: Pinnacle, the non-traditional honor society is accepting applications for membership until May 10. Applications are available at the student government office in the Union Building. LOST AND FOUND AUCTION: Includes coats, gloves, jewelry, textbooks, calculators. Held in the basement of Annex 5 Wednesday, May 8 to Friday, May 1 0 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a closed-bid auction. SUMMER DAY CARE: Melba Lehner Children's School slots for your child are going fast. Slots are for June 1 0 to Sept. 20, 1991 from'7:30 a.m. to 1 2 p.m. Monday - Friday. Contracts will need to be signed for a position foryourchild by May 7. Contact Tina Fox at 626-6507. CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST "PRIME TIME": Thursdays, 7 p.m. in the basement of Wasatch Hall.Non-denominational Bible study. For more information call John Knight at 626-6972. OVESON (continued from page 1) to know," he said. Oveson said European nations have considered what the United States has had for the last 200 years and are convinced it is a good idea. 'They look at the individual states, the variety of races, religions and ethnical backgrounds and see how we have created a central government based upon a Constitution that fascilitates a free market very well," he said. Oveson said a united Europe will create a market of 320 million people. A North American Trade Agreement proposes the opening of free trade between the United States, Canada and Mexico, open-inga market foranothcr360 million people. "Make use of foreign languages or improve the one you have," Oveson said. "Many of you have been outside the country for religious purposes and have no idea of the politics and economics of these countries to be of real economic value," he said. "Go back and learn." Oveson said people need to value diversity more than they do. "A lot of institutions want to make us conform to their standards in every way," he said. "Yet, some of these very same institutions have excellent track records to get you to break out of the mold." Oveson talked about the "Syncrcte fiasco" and told of how everyone was looking for someone to blame. The synthetic overlay was to protect the concrete surfaces of 1-15 between 45th South and 33rd South in Salt Lake City. Within throe weeks the overlay began to crumble and the state had to pay out approximately $80,000 in insurance claims. 'The governor shook his head trying to figure out what to do," Oveson said. He said the bickering was sending a message to all state employees to never get involved, to stay in a box and never stick your head up to get shot off. 'The ironic thing is that we are always accused of doing nothing and then when we do something, and it goes wrong, the sky falls in on us," Oveson said. He said because of the Syn-crete failure, the road department used a technique of grinding off the product and what was left was a completely rejuvenated concrete surface. "You can't be so afraid of doing anything that you you end up doing nothing," he said. "We must encourage people to take risks." |