Gov. Schwarzenegger Highlights the Importance of Life-Saving Organ and Tissue Donation in California

BRYAN STEWART:

Good morning. My name is Bryan Stewart, president of Donate Life California. Working in conjunction with the state's four organ recovery agencies: California Transplant Donor Network, Golden State Donor Services, Lifesharing and OneLegacy, we are dedicated to saving the lives of thousands of Californians in need of lifesaving organ transplants. Today we've gathered on the last day of national Donate Life Month to celebrate the more than 3 million people who have volunteered to save lives by signing on to the Donate Life California Registry.

Our donor registry owes its success to the compassionate people of our great state; the work of gifted health care professionals, including Dr. Perez of UC Davis Medical Center; the extraordinary partnership of the Department of Motor Vehicles led by Director Valverde; the support of our state legislators, including Assemblymembers Berryhill, Benoit, Lieber and Runner; and the leadership of a man who inspires us all to make California a truly Golden State, the Honorable Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Applause)

GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER:

Well, thank you very much, Bryan Stewart, for your great introduction and also for doing such a great job as president of Donate Life California. I also want to thank Senator George Runner for being here today and George Valverde, director of the DMV -- he's right over here -- and then Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, thank you very much for being here also. And especially I would like to thank Assemblymembers Benoit, Berryhill and Runner for showing such courage and bringing their personal experiences to this lifesaving cause.

I'm very proud to announce today -- and we just heard that announcement already earlier -- that we hit the 3 million mark today for people who have signed up for the Donate Life California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. Now, this is really an extraordinary accomplishment, I must say and as part of our celebration I have proclaimed April as DMV/Donate Life Month in California.

The benefits of organ and tissue donation are simply staggering. Each person who signs up to be an organ and tissue donor can save the lives of eight people and dramatically improve the lives of 50 people. It is truly a gift of life because nationwide 17 people die every day waiting for an organ transplant. Now, California is, of course, the home of 20 percent of the people on the nation's waiting list.

Becoming a registered donor can also help your family during difficult times, because you have already made your wishes known and ease the burden of decision making in the event of a tragedy.

This is why we must view today as just the beginning in our efforts to save lives through organ and tissue donation. Our goal is to sign up 15 million donors by the year 2011 and I know that everyone here believes 100 percent that we will exceed this number, because California has the most compassionate and the most generous people anywhere.

So I encourage everyone to check ‘yes' when you renew your California driver's license or your ID card. Or if you want to sign up sooner, visit the Donate Life California website at donatelifecalifornia.org. The signup process is simple, the information is private and the precious act of kindness can give others a new chance at life.

Thank you very much. And now I would like to bring out a woman that is a hardworking woman that I admire a lot; Assemblywoman Runner. Thank you very much. (Applause)

ASSEMBLYMEMBER RUNNER:

Thank you, Governor and I do appreciate your encouragement by participating with us today to help educate Californians about organ donation. With you at the lead I'm sure millions of people will sign up because you've asked them to take some action. Also thank you to my husband who is here, who is always behind me with love and support for the 35 years we've been married.

Two words I'd like you to remember today; saving lives. What can you do today that costs you absolutely nothing but a few moments of time that will save lives? You can register. And the Governor has already talked about that website you can go to.

I've always been an advocate for organ donation, signing up myself decades ago, only to have that little pink dot on my driver's license fall off and lose my little piece of paper behind it. But a few years ago we actually passed a bill in the legislature, that this governor signed into law, that allows you to register online and when you renew your driver's license and it only takes a moment.

After having a chronic illness myself, limited scleroderma, for over 20 years -- okay, what's that mean? I am now in need of organs myself; I need new lungs. At first I thought I was being selfish in asking others to sign up for organ donation because I need lungs myself but then I learned in California alone there are 20,000 people waiting for organs and about a third of those Californians may die because there are not enough donors. So I now believe I can be the advocate for organ donations throughout California to help save thousands of lives.

I appreciate so much the efforts of Donate Life California, the DMV and the organ procurement organizations over the past couple of years. And people have stepped forward with, as you heard today, 3 million people registered, but we need more. We appreciate so much the families, some of those that are here today, that have made decisions to give life to others after their loved one has been taken from them. But how much easier it would be if all the adults would make the decisions themselves and not leave family members to make that difficult, heart-wrenching choice in the middle of their loss.

Bringing awareness to this way of saving lives is what I am committed to do. We passed a resolution in the legislature and I'd like to present that today to Bryan at Donate Life, that you can hang in the office. And I thank you for your work and what you have done to save lives.

BRYAN STEWART:

Thank you so much. (Applause)

ASSEMBLYMEMBER RUNNER:

And now George Valverde from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

DIRECTOR VALVERDE:

Thank you. First I need to thank the Governor for signing SB 689 that provided the authority for DMV to partner with Donate Life. Certainly that occasion established the partnership that we have today.

I also want to acknowledge the leadership of the legislature and our members that we have here today to celebrate this occasion with us. You know, I can tell you that DMV is genuinely proud of our relationship with Donate Life that was created in 2006. In partnering with Donate Life we offer an opportunity to 25 million drivers and ID card holders in California to register online. Over the last two years we've averaged about 100,000 registrations through DMV on a monthly basis; that's truly phenomenal. And I can tell you, the 9,000 employees of DMV are very proud of our relationship with Donate Life and we look forward to many more celebrations to come.

With that, let me introduce Assemblymember Berryhill. (Applause)

ASSEMBLYMEMBER BERRYHILL:

Thank you. Thanks, everybody, for coming today. It's a beautiful day, isn't it? It's very much a beautiful day for me, every day, because as a matter of fact May 10th will be my seventh anniversary of a heart transplant. So -- thank you. (Applause)

Very emotional. You know, across this country there are about 100,000 people on that list today and as we sit here, because of donations that aren't out there, 12 people will die each and every day of the week waiting for a transplant. I was a lucky one, to say the least and it gives you a new appreciation of life. The gift of life that this program has given me and has given so many others -- 3 million now that are signed up for it -- is very, very special.

And I just want to be brief today, thank Bryan for everything that Donate Life does. He saved my life and it's just good to be here. I want to thank the Governor also; thank you. (Applause)

We've got John Benoit here now that also wants to say a few words.

ASSEMBLYMEMBER BENOIT:

Well, thank you to everyone who has spoken ahead of me. It's a great privilege to stand with this group and to be a part of this. Two years ago we were down the hall in the press conference room. And my sister-in-law Desiree was with us and Desiree was at that time hoping to get a kidney. We lost Desiree waiting in the interim, but we have made huge strides for many, many others. At that time when she was here we were really proud to be reaching 300,000, as I recall, on the list and today we announced 3 million. The chances for everyone in Desiree's situation have improved tenfold and they will improve another tenfold in the next three years.

It's a wonderful thing that the cooperation between the state and the DMV and Donate Life has accomplished and it will save lives in the future. It will also save those agonizing moments, as I recall holding the hand of a widow of a CHP officer who was at that time near death and praying with her and her family, trying to make a very difficult decision at the wrong time. And so this program and our words here today hopefully will encourage people to have that discussion early and sign up when they have the opportunity.

Thank you for the opportunity to be here. God bless you all. And I'd like to introduce someone who has benefited from the program, Indra Michaca. (Applause)

INDRA MICHACA:

Good morning, everyone. Let me share with you a little about what organ donation means to me. When I was 17, right before the beginning of my senior year, I fell ill. It changed my life completely, it turned my world around. It was something unexpected. I was always a healthy kid and all of a sudden I'm rushed to the emergency room because of dehydration. And about three days later my family was told that needed a liver transplant as soon as possible or I would die.

I was one of the lucky ones. I was so fortunate. In less than 24 hours I received a liver which saved my life. And because of that I'm here today, I'm able to stand here and talk to you guys about organ donation means, not only to me but to all those people who have been touched by organ donation.

I'd like for you to take a minute and just consider organ donation. It's something wonderful. My sister and I, we go to college now and we have a club. It's called Students for Organ Donation and we advocate organ donation. We go around to different schools and talk about our experience and what it means to us so that they see that it's something real, something that could happen to anyone, not just certain people. It's everyone, it could touch anyone at any time. And that's what we do, so it's something important and I'd like everyone to consider it at some point.

And now I would like to bring up Ms. Jennifer Choe. (Applause)

JENNIFER CHOE:

Although Erin was the youngest of three children she was mature far beyond her years. However, she went home to be with the Lord one and a half years ago when she was five and nine months. Erin celebrated life. She loved people. Erin loved to sing, role play as a drama queen -- because she was -- draw, write endlessly.

And she left a lot of writings expressing her faith in Jesus, for that age and this is why my husband Victor and I were able to consent to organ and tissue donation. God gave us the conviction and the peace that Erin's spirit is forever in heaven with Jesus and that we will join later and her body can serve to give life. We were so thankful when we were notified that her cornea tissues were recovered to restore the vision of a 38-year-old man and 47-year-old woman.

Since then Donate Life California and One Legacy have given us the platform to share Erin's legacy to inspire, give hope, comfort and strength lives. And our family has been strengthened to endure the life struggles that have come before us with joy and pride and purpose. We did not know that when we initially consented to donation, but partnering with Donate Life gave us an awareness of how significant and needed organ and tissue donation is. In addition, we have realized that by people signing up on the Donate Life Registry prior will make it less painful to make that decision for those families in the first 24 hours upon the passing of their loved ones. And therefore we want to partake in this endeavor to share, continue to share Erin's legacy so others will make a wise decision, a generous decision to give life.

So I'd like to thank the Governor, the state legislators, for passing the legislation and the support, along with the DMV, Donate Life California and all the organ procurement organizations.

And now I'd like to close with our message: Sparkling princess of God, have a great time with Jesus. See you soon, Baby Erin. Love, Mommy, Daddy, Hannah and Caleb.

Thank you. (Applause)

BRYAN STEWART:

Thank you, Jennifer and Indra, for opening your lives to us so that we can learn from and be inspired by you. I'd like to thank all of the speakers and volunteers who joined us today to celebrate DMV/Donate Life California Month. You're all invited to join us for brunch on the Capitol's west lawn where you will have an opportunity to meet donor families, transplant recipients and living donors who have traveled from all corners of this state thanks to the generosity of the UC Davis Medical Center. We also invite you to walk through our Donate Life Garden on the lawn, where you will be deeply moved by loving memorials to those who in their passing saved and healed the lives of those in need. Thank you so much.