Resource Newsletter Archive
Council Reaches Out to Montanans
The Governor's Council on Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness is making it easier for Montanans to make a difference for patients in need. Chaired by Lt. Governor Judy Martz, who donated her own kidney for a relative, the council is committed to provide every man, woman, and child in Montana the opportunity to make an informed decision about organ and tissue donation.
One of the Council's key accomplishments was the July 1 passage of legislation supporting donation awareness. The legislation allows Montana residents to contribute a dollar or more when registering for vehicle tabs to support public education. The educational campaign encourages people to make the lifesaving decision to donate organs and tissues and to share that decision with their loved ones. The vehicle registration contribution designation is a separate program from, and does not affect, the organ donor indication that people can elect to have on their drivers' licenses. Since its passage, contributions have exceeded projections with nearly $7,500 donated by more than 1,300 individuals.
The Council is taking advantage of many opportunities to share its message and facilitate communication with residents, donor families and transplant recipients. The first edition of a quarterly newsletter was distributed in December 1999 and will be available, along with a wide variety of other relevant information on the Council's web site:www.shareyourlifemontana.org. More than 40,000 Council brochures offering information on organ and tissue donation have been distributed through a variety of organizations, including the Department of Motor Vehicles and through a toll free information line, 1-877-275-5269. Montana residents are also reminded to consider donation through 90 new billboards posted throughout the state.
The Council-sponsored annual picnic and donor family recognition ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 19, 2000 in Missoula. At last year's event more than 75 individuals, including donor family members and transplant recipients, celebrated the courage and generosity of Montana families who had carried out their loved ones' decisions to donate organs and tissue.