More Honors forTissue Donation Program Creator

	Detective Steve Stockwell

Detective Steve Stockwell's brainchild has not only changed countless lives, but it has also garnered nationwide recognition for him and his cause.

The Washington State Patrol Tissue Donation Program he started three years ago in partnership with Northwest Tissue Center and Northwest Lions Eye Bank is an innovative method for offering tissue donation to families of people who die in traffic accidents.

Most recently, Det. Stockwell was named winner of the 2006 Dr. James S. Wolf Courage Award, which honors individuals employed outside the donation and transplantation community who make significant contributions on a national level to increase organ, eye and tissue donation. He accepted the award June 19 in Boston. The Tissue Services' Candy Wells, who worked on the program with Det. Stockwell, nominated him and was there to see him receive the award.

Previously, Det. Stockwell was one of a select group of Americans—and one of just five in Washington—to win a prestigious Jefferson Award, the “Nobel Prize for public service” founded by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Senator Robert Taft, Jr. Again, Wells nominated Stockwell. Puget Sound Blood Center, the Tissue Services' parent organization, started Det. Stockwell's string of awards in 2004 with a community service award at its annual Partners in Life luncheon.

Last year, the American Association of Tissue Banks voted the Tissue Services winner of three awards, with the most prominent for “best promotional campaign,” for the program started by Det. Stockwell.

And so far, that program has benefited more than 625 patients and aided the families of the tissue donors involved. In addition, several western states and New York State have adopted the program.

Currently, Det. Stockwell is working with donation agencies and 911 centers in Washington State to offer tissue donation when a person dies before reaching the hospital.