Summer 2008

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COLBY FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER

FOUNDATION NEWS

OUR MISSION IN ACTION:  RAISING AWARENESS THROUGH THE COLBY CASSANI ENDOWED LECTURESHIP SERIES

Big News:  The Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series (CCELS) was started as the main focus for the Colby Foundation.  John and Starla Cassani, founders of the Colby Foundation, wanted to ensure that future physicians learned about organ and tissue donation during their medical and clinical education.

2008 has been an incredible year for our growing CCELS.  We were able to watch as Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU-COM) had a two day event, in April, that helped educate and raise awareness about organ and tissue donation for their students using their CCELS funds.  Students, alumni and other professionals were able to hear about organ transplantation from Dr. Kirby Slifer, D.O., from the Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute at Integris Baptist Medical Center.  The entire event was a great success.
 
Big Announcement:  The Colby Foundation is awarding Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) an endowment to have similar programs at two sites in the next year and a third site the year following.  This means that using the CCELS program, three more schools of medicine, with approximately 504 students per year, will add organ and tissue donation education to their curriculum for future physicians.  Our goal was to add another school, but with LECOM we have added three.  We see big events in the future for our foundation!

NATIONAL NEWS 

ANNUAL NATIONAL EVENTS RAISE AWARENESS REGARDING ORGAN DONATION

August 1st was National Minority Donor Awareness Day--a day designated to encourage healthy living and disease prevention, and to promote life-saving organ, eye and tissue donation.  For more information, please go to the Office of Minority Health or to Donate Life America

 

PERSONAL NEWS 

ORGAN DONATION, ONE FAMILY's STORY OF HOPE

After their beloved son Colby died, the Cassani's decision to donate his organs saved the lives of three others.  The Cassani's story is one of hope experienced through donation.  Foundation Director, Katie Parker recently had the great pleasure of connecting with a family whose story of hope is experienced as a recipient family. Their story speaks a loud "THANK YOU" to those who have decided YES to organ donation.

Macie, an exhuberant and inquisitive child of two years of age, keeps her parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents busy.  However, the family doesn’t mind, because at four months old Macie was just struggling to stay alive.  After what seemed a normal pregnancy, Macie was born prematurely and with a severe case of cardiomyopathy (an inflammation of the heart that interferes with its ability to pump blood).  Although she was allowed to go home after her birth, she continued to have significant medical problems and went into cardiac arrest twice.  It was just after her second cardiac arrest that Macie, while in the ICU, had a donor heart become available. 

Macie received a heart transplant at just four months old and came through the operation well enough to return home quickly.  The family saw an immediate change in Macie, both in her eating abilities and her new energy.  Although she will always take anti-rejection medications, she will be able to do all the things other children do, including sports. “Macie is catching up from all the time she was in the hospital and is developing very well” says her mom, Michelle. “I can’t stress enough the importance of organ and tissue donation.  I’d ask people to give organ donation a chance.  It saved Macie’s life.”

Click here to learn more about becoming an organ donor.

DIRECTOR'S NOTES:  SUPPORTING OUR MISSION

SEARCHING THE NET SUPPORTS THE COLBY FOUNDATION...IT REALLY DOES!

People often search the internet using a search engine like Google or Yahoo or MSN.  But what if you knew that the Colby Foundation earned a penny every time you searched the Internet using another search engine called GoodSearch?  Would you possibly do your internet searches via GoodSearch?  We sure hope you'll consider it!!

GoodSearch.com is a Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, 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!

Just use the GoodSearch icon (top right of this page) or go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter the Colby Foundation as the charity you want to support. Search away, know how much we appreciate it...and, be sure to spread the word!

ANNUAL SUPPORT OF THE COLBY FOUNDATION:

Thank you to our many generous supporters!  We will kick off our annual Fall Fundraiser in November 2008.  Please consider the Colby Foundation as part of your annual giving.  Our goal this year is $15,000

THE COLBY FOUNDATION WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.  HOW HAS YOUR LIFE BEEN TOUCHED BY ORGAN DONATION?  PLEASE CONTACT US!