Mac is grateful an organ donor saved his friend’s life

In June of 2023, the UW Organ and Tissue Donation (UW OTD) community outreach team used philanthropic funds to launch a partnership with the Madison Radicals professional ultimate disc team to raise awareness about organ donation. The team, and their rapidly expanding fan base, are among the age demographic who often forget to register their donation decision but are more often organ donors.

Mac Weber, a Madison Radicals team member who has a close friend who is a liver recipient, was quick to volunteer to serve as the team’s donation champion.  “An organ donor saved my friend. I was thrilled our team could show people how important–and easy it is to register to become an organ donor,” he said.

Organ, tissue and eye donation improves the rate at which we can save lives, and this is just one of many outreach activities UW OTD hosts throughout the year.

The Radicals partnership included a Donate Life event with a booth staffed by UW OTD volunteers, signage, messaging and a season-long supply of mini orange donor dot frisbees with a QR code linked to the donor registry. The Radicals and UW Health used social media to support the event and the importance of registering as an organ donor.

For most people, it’s an easy decision to “say yes” to becoming a registered organ, tissue and eye donor, so the team at UW OTD makes sure they know how to register online or check the box on their driver’s license renewal form at the Department of Motor Vehicles. For the team at UW OTD, that “yes” indicates another person who considers donation a lifesaving opportunity.

“We could not get this important information to as many people without the generous support of philanthropic donors,” says Holly Thomas, UW OTD manager.

For every accurate message shared, the opportunity to save more lives increases. The UW OTD team also hosted the biannual Douglas T. Miller Symposium on Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation in May of 2023. The symposium provides an opportunity to share best practices with physicians, nurses and other hospital staff who work with donors and their families during the donation process. Philanthropy provided grants to expand the number of attendees and to bring in experts from other areas of the nation to share their successes. 

Donations also support two annual events: the Award of Hope Ceremony, which honors hospitals teams from across the region who provide exemplary care to donors and their families; and the Gift of Life Ceremony, which honors the previous year’s donors and their families.

The UW OTD team is honored to receive philanthropic gifts, noting that many are given by families and friends of organ donors.

“Perhaps they see it as a memorial to their loved one’s decision,” says Holly. “We also hear from recipients who donate funds in honor of their donor. We gratefully receive all gifts with appreciation and respect. They allow us another way to share the gift of life.”

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