Transplant Miracles Foundation Event Supports Organ Donation Awareness

The Transplant Miracles Foundation is inviting the community to attend their Evening on the Canal, in support of organ and tissue donations. This year's event will take place September 27th from 5:30pm- 8pm at West Side Rowing Club and Frank Lloyd Wright Boathouse.

Tickets are $35 per person or $60 per family and include food, drinks, raffles, games, music and fun for the whole family. Proceeds from the event support organ transplant and surgical research, the treatment and care of transplant recipients and to promote organ donation. 

Now in its fifth year, the "Evening on the Canal" is a chance for families to come together and raise awareness for the Transplant Miracles Foundation. Jack O'Donnell and his family created the Transplant Miracles Foundation after he went through an emergency transplant procedure. In May 2007, O'Donnell went to the hospital with severe stomach pain. One day later he was diagnosed with an infection that was destroying his liver and causing his entire body to shut down. Jack needed a transplant but was considered to be too sick for the surgery. He was given last rites and told he had 24 hours left to live. At the last moment a donor was found and despite the risks, Jack was transferred to Rochester's Strong Memorial Hospital and received the transplant. 

O'Donnell was able to make a full recovery and has since made it his mission to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation, and help others as they adapt to life after a transplant.

"I am forever grateful to the family who chose to donate their loved one's organs, and saved my life" said Jack O'Donnell, chair and founder of Transplant Miracle Foundation. "Once I was given a second chance on life, I knew that I wanted to make it my mission to help other families at this difficult time, and raise awareness for organ and tissue donation and research."

In the past two years, the Foundation has donated $20,000 to Strong Memorial Hospital to support a technique that allowed researchers to get healthy cells from livers being transplanted rather than the standard technique of obtaining cells from sick livers post transplant. Every little but given to researching techniques such as this, can help to save and increasing number of lives down the road. 

Founded in 2008, the goal of Transplant Miracles Foundation is to raise transplant survival rates, improve the quality of life for transplant recipients and promote organ donation through education, support for organ transplant recipients and support for research to improve transplants. Visit www.transplantmiracles.org for more information.