COLBY FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER
OUR MISSION IN ACTION: RAISING AWARENESS THROUGH THE COLBY CASSANI ENDOWED LECTURESHIP SERIES
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) students learn about organ and tissue donation and transplantation through the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series.
All three of LECOM’s sites (Bradenton, Florida; Erie, Pennsylvania and Greensburg, Pennsylvania) were previously awarded the Colby Foundation’s endowment and each year they have ensured that their medical students receive current information in the field of organ donation and transplantation. In February, Colby Foundation trustees John and Starla Cassani went to LECOM - Bradenton, FL where Starla presented her personal story of organ donation brought about by the tragic loss of their son, Colby.
Starla’s presentation was followed by Dr. Edward Faber Jr., D.O. who spoke to the students about the work he does with bone marrow transplant patients. Dr. Faber is a LECOM alumnus and currently works as an assistant professor of oncology/hematology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
Following these presentations, Melissa Kelley, R.N., C.P.T.C., Vascular Coordinator of LifeLink in Tampa, FL gave a presentation about the LifeLink Foundation and their role with organ and tissue transplantation. The event was personalized further when Warren Tittle spoke to the students as a bilateral lung transplant recipient; thanking students both for their commitment to medicine and for the number of hands raised when he asked the question of how many of them were signed up to be organ donors.
This event was repeated at LECOM’s Erie campus on March 17th and again at the Seton Hill (Greensburg, PA) campus on March 18th.
Again, Starla Cassani started the event with an emotional story of the loss of her son Colby and what led her and her husband John to begin the Colby Foundation. Students were touched by the passion and commitment to teaching others about organ and tissue donation. This is what led Tim Smith, a LECOM student to jump onto the Colby Foundation website and post a note thanking the Cassani’s for “everything that you do. It is a blessing that people can turn a tragedy into a lifelong act of giving.”
Dr. Faber Jr. D.O. presented how bone marrow transplantation is helping cancer patients. The final speaker was Susan Stuart, R.N., President and C.E.O. of the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) who spoke to the students about the role of CORE in organ procurement and recovery.
These programs, organized and presented at LECOM, are the living example of the Colby Foundation’s mission!
DIRECTORS’ NOTES
The Colby Foundation welcomes contributions that make the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series possible! - 100% of your contributions go to educating individuals about organ eye and tissue donation. Click here to contribute now online.
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STORY OF HOPE: INTRODUCING MANU - TRANSPLANTATION LED TO A MEDICAL EDUCATION
Manu is currently a first-year medical student and his excitement about medicine stems from the kidney transplant he received when he was 18 years old.
Manu grew up in Pittsburgh and was plagued with a childhood illness that ultimately resulted in end-stage renal disease. He had been in and out of the hospital due to infections and surgeries and made many friends with other patients and staff alike. Having formed these relationships, he was very aware of organ transplantation but did not know that it would ultimately affect him a very personal way.
Manu was lucky because there was a living donor, his father, who was able to donate a kidney when Manu had become so sick. Manu received his kidney transplant at a time when he was at new beginnings; he was just completing high school, heading to college and establishing his independence. Receiving his kidney at the same time as all the other new transitions was another new beginning. However, he also states that he felt a new sense of maturity and responsibility. “My transplant happened on the cusp of adulthood, and greatly influenced my plans and outlook on the future,” said Manu.
Manu has done exceptionally well with his kidney transplant and states that he understands how lucky he was to have such a great medical team working with him and his family. With his health status in good shape, he was able to concentrate on other areas of his life but always with a clear understanding about what he had just been through with his transplant.
Inquisitive by nature, Manu soon found himself with a strong curiosity about medicine and an even stronger desire to help others. This desire has led him to the field of medicine where he hopes to be able to continue to feed both his curiosity and his desire to give back to his community.
Click here for more Stories of Hope
Update - We wanted to update you about one of our Stories of Hope in waiting. It is with sadness that we let you know that Ralph, our Story of Hope in our Autumn of 2009 newsletter, lost his battle with leukemia. Although he never found a bone marrow donor match, he never gave up hope. In memory of Ralph we wanted to remind you that you can sign up to be a bone marrow donor through the “Be The Match Registry” if you are 18 to 60 years old and meet the health guidelines.
A REMINDER ABOUT GOOD SEARCH: ANOTHER WAY TO CONTRIBUTE. SEARCHING THE NET SUPPORTS THE COLBY FOUNDATION...IT REALLY DOES!
We know that not everyone can send in a contribution but here is another way to contribute! To those of you who have already begun using GoodSearch as your search engine...we THANK YOU for your support! For those who have not yet made the switch, we hope you will consider it because the Colby Foundation earns a penny every time you use GoodSearch to search the internet.
How does that work? GoodSearch.com is a Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations to the Colby Foundation add up!
To learn more, just use the GoodSearch icon (top right of this page) or go to www.goodsearch.com and please spread the word. We appreciate it!
