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Thursday, May 22, 2003 Press Release SOURCE: LifeSharers Innovative Organ Donors Group Celebrates MilestoneLifeSharers Notes Accomplishments of First Year in Operation NASHVILLE, Tenn. – May 22, 2003 – LifeSharers, an innovative and controversial grass-roots network of organ donors dedicated to ending the shortage of human organs for transplant operations, today marked the completion of its first year of operation. “Despite the controversy we’ve generated and the opposition we’ve attracted, we’ve accomplished a lot more in our first year than anybody thought we could,” said David J. Undis, the founder and Executive Director of LifeSharers. “Most notably, our membership growth is way beyond what I expected. That’s the best proof that our innovative approach will some day save thousands of lives a year by putting a serious dent in the organ shortage.” Since the launch of the network one year ago today, LifeSharers has attracted 776 members in 43 states and the District of Columbia. LifeSharers is a non-profit group of organ donors. LifeSharers members agree to donate their organs when they die. They direct their donations first to their fellow members. Non-members can have a member’s organs if no member who is a suitable match wants them. By creating a pool of organs available first to members, LifeSharers members create an incentive for non-members to become donors and join the network. This incentive, which will become more powerful as membership in LifeSharers expands, is the key to reducing the organ shortage and saving lives. The organ shortage kills over 6,000 people in America every year, and it is getting larger every day. According to statistics compiled by the United Network for Organ Sharing, over 81,000 Americans are now on their waiting list for an organ transplant, and another name is added to the list every 14 minutes. Somebody on the waiting list dies about every 90 minutes. LifeSharers’ growth has been fueled by the well-known and well-respected experts who have agreed to assist the organization in an advisory capacity. They include:
“Our advisors bring a lot of credibility and intellectual firepower to our organization. Their willingness to associate with us speaks volumes about the ideas behind LifeSharers,” adds Mr. Undis. Another significant accomplishment in LifeSharers first year was getting certified by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt charitable organization. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity, LifeSharers can assure its supporters that their financial contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Responding to opponents of LifeSharers, Mr. Undis says, “Some people don’t think it’s fair to give organs first to other organ donors, but they’ve got it backwards. About 80% of the organs transplanted in this country are given to people who haven’t agreed to donate their own. That’s unfair, and it’s one of the reasons the organ shortage is so large and deadly.” Membership in LifeSharers is free and open to all at http://www.lifesharers.org. LifeSharers does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical handicap, health status, marital status, or economic status. Commenting on LifeSharers’ plans for the upcoming year, Mr. Undis predicted that membership would triple to about 2,500 in the next twelve months. Spreading public awareness of the existence of LifeSharers is his biggest task. He also hopes to recruit more advisors. About LifeSharers LifeSharers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit network of organ donors. Membership in LifeSharers is free. Since its launch on May 22, 2002, LifeSharers has attracted 776 members in 43 states and the District of Columbia. The LifeSharers web site is at http://www.lifesharers.org. Contact:
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