The FAIR Foundation is dedicated to fair and equitable distributions of Nation Institutes of Health (NIH) research funds for all diseases, including the sixteen that kill more Americans than AIDS.

OneLegacy's Donate Life Community Conference...

provided an opportunity to honor and recognize the organizations' Ambassadors who work
tirelessly throughout So. CA communities to educate that each person can save eight lives with
organ donation and benefit fifty other patients with tissues under perfect circumstances.
Ambassadors, organ donor families and recipients gathered for this special day.

Elizabeth Pratt is a heart transplant recipient who is about to publish
a definitive book, A Book from the Heart, that takes the reader on a complete journey through organ and tissue donation. We are honored to have Elizabeth as a new FAIR member with the dozens of others who joined, including those below.

Debbie Morgan is President of the United Organ Transplant Association, a non-profit organization that provides support to transplant patients. Hugh Thompson is a OneLegacy Ambassador and a lung recipient.

Jesus Nava with friends Icela Hemer and June Monroe.

Jesus received a heart transplant from donor mom, Denise Armstrong, who allowed Jesus to receive the "Gift of Life."

Denise is pictured below.

Thank you donor mom, Denise Armstrong, for saving Jesus's life by donating your loved one's heart.

Clinique Burrell is one of the tireless OneLegacy employees whose efforts
insure that if you are ill and in need of a transplant, this organization will work with the utmost diligence to achieve a successful result for you.

As a OneLegacy Ambassador, Jim Stavis educates the public of the life-saving and life-enhancing benefits to the ill that can be realized by notifying their loved ones that if they are mortally injured, they would like to help others by being an organ and/or a tissue donor. Jim states,
"I was the first triple organ transplant candidate ever at Cedars Sinai Hospital. There have only been a handful of such surgeries performed in the world. In November of 2005 I received a new heart and kidney and then in October of 2006 I also received a new pancreas. After thirty years I no longer have diabetes, which was the cause of all these medical problems. So far I have been doing incredibly well with my new organs with no signs of rejection.” Jim is clearly the “poster boy” for all multiple transplant recipients and he gives them great hope.

At a business conference, Patricia Abdulla met a very ill African-American man who was in need of a kidney. Her generous spirit came forth and she saved his life by giving him one of her kidneys. Patricia, a writer, then wrote a book for African-American children that educates about organ donation and altruism. It is entitled "Saving Daddy" and it can be ordered at www.eecisavingdaddy.com. To donate a kidney, your kidney tissue must match the recipient's organ. The doctors called Patricia back for a second test because she matched so perfectly they could not believe the results. They stated that the only way the match could have been better would have been if Patricia and her recipient were identical twins. Further evidence that the color of one's skin is meaningless in matters of the heart...and kidney.

Ron Taubman is seen here with his wife, Arden. Ron is President of TRIO (Transplant Recipients International Organization)- Ventura County, West Valley in California and he serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors of TRIO National. TRIO is a non-profit corporation dedicated to providing a shoulder to lean on for the patients of organ transplantation, their families and caregivers and to donor families. Through support group meetings, and public awareness events, TRIO seeks to spread the word about organ and tissue donation through education and advocacy. This Chapter is one of many chapters located around the United States, Italy and Japan. For more information on the Chapter click on Ron or email him. Ron received a combination kidney-pancreas transplant after being an insulin-dependent diabetic for 46 years.

Michael Benebow is a kidney recipient and Eunice Gibson is not only a lung recipient, but she is also an RN. We transplant patients have special love for not only our donors and their families, but also for the tireless work of the RN's to keep us alive until we receive the "Gift of Life." Michael has offered to take an active role in approaching California legislators with the need for new organ donor policies of Presumed Consent.

Mina Gonzales is seen here with her proud husband, Richard. Mina, a District Leader for Primerica Financial Services, is a transplant recipient.

FAIR's President and CEO, Dr. Darling, with Lise Engebretsen. Lise's sister could not attend, but her transplant history is quite amazing at it's conclusion. Having received a liver transplant when a very small child as a result of inheriting Alpha-1 Antitrypsin disease, she is now a young lady who no longer needs medicine to protect her from rejection of her liver. That is quite unusual, remarkable and special.

Randy and Patricia Pavin continue the fine tradition of OneLegacy Ambassadors, Randy as proud caregiver who guided his wife through her life-saving liver transplant.

Summer D'Auria's is a heroic donor mom, having donated her second daughter, Annalise's, heart valves. Summer turned tragedy into life for her child's recipient and afterwards she created a real book of memories about her special daughter. We were surprised to learn that Summer can guide us through making a book of our own that includes our special memories--all from digital photos on our PC. If you would like to learn more of this technique to create a book for under $50, simply click here or email Summer for an informative, instructional CD. In this picture, we see Summer with her first daughter, the very precious Faith.

Jennifer Choe is also a truly special donor mom who donated her loved one's tissues--corneas to provide sight to a blind person. Watch the Donate Life Rose Bowl Parade float (see picture at bottom of page) New Year's day and you will see Jennifer riding the float in honor of her loved one.

Susan Friesen joins the other loved donor moms on this page. Indeed, Susan donated her daughter's heart to a patient in dire need. She now home schools three heart transplant patients to help them in their time of need.

Don Silvius is very proud of his wife, Jean, who donated two kidneys and her liver at age 70! and she did this after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. Jean's journey to transplant is proof that there are no age limits on one being an organ and/or tissue donor anymore.

The National Organization for Renal Disease is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to preventing kidney disease through education. Mamie V. Jackson founded the organization in 1998 when she realized that there was a need for a heightened awareness of appropriate medical information within communities chronically affected by renal disease and related illnesses. Mamie developed a four-phase program promoting Awareness, Prevention, Education, and Research. Joining Mamie in this venture are the members of the board, several of which are practicing physicians specializing in the appropriate fields of medicine.

Arlie Hopwood (L) is seen here with lung recipient, Nancy Kitzmiller. Nancy suffered from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which kills 124,000+ compared to 16,000 for HIV/AIDS annually yet our government is spending $3,042 on each AIDS patient and only $5 on each COPD patient like Nancy.

And it is also an honor to have Anne Stamm as a new FAIR Foundation member, who even won the door prize we contributed!

At this event, the Director of Communications for OneLegacy, Bryan Stewart,
displayed the upcoming Donate Life Float for the Rose Bowl Parade New Year's day. Twenty-three
transplant recipients will be riding on the float itself and the hot-air balloons will have pictures
of those who lost their lives, yet donated to save the lives of others. In addition, walking
next to the float will be the family members of the deceased and to complete the connection
and spirit of donation within a donor family, the family members will be tethered with a line
directly to their loved one. Please take a moment to view the artist's rendering below.

Please click on this link to send a prepared letter to you Congresspersons easily--using zip code
technology--in support of new organ-donor policies to reverse America's organ-donor crisis of 97,000 persons on the waiting list with one dying every 82 minutes while waiting for a life-saving organ.