TransplantTalkSC.org is under construction.
Thank you for your patience.
Join ANY FUTURE MONTHLY Zoom Meeting :
https://claflin-edu.zoom.us/
WHO: PRE-TRANSPLANT CAREGIVERS AND ORGAN RECIPIENTS PLEASE JOIN US VIA ZOOM
WHEN: THE LAST TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH AT 4:30
TransplantTalk SC is the Organ Support Group in the region. Participants and members include pre-transplant patients, organ recipients, caregivers, MUSC Staff and other organ donation advocates, and guest speakers who impart important information. The program includes listening to the transplant community, providing information by MUSC professionals, and others, that would benefit patients. It also provides a forum for the pre-transplant patient to share concerns, or inquire about issues that may be encountered on the Transplant Path. So mark your calendar and join us by clicking the link that you may also receive via an e-mail invitation, or go to the TransplantTalk SC webpage where the invitation will be posted.
The remaining meeting dates in 2023 include:
Jan 31
Feb 28
Mar 28
Apr 25
May 30
Jun 27
July 25
Aug 29
Sept 26
Oct 31
Nov 28
Dec 26
How to join TransplantTalk SC so you can communicate with the regions organ support group:
Go to the TransplantTalk SC webpage link below.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/172432203709322/
Hit join and answer the four questions.
Association of Organ Procurement Organizations – AOPO:
https://m.facebook.com/AOPOhq/?_rdr
Other websites of interest related to the Organ Donation and Transplantation Community:
www.SaveALifeGroup.org – SALG is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Gary Simmons in late 2013, eight months after his liver transplant. The primary goal of the non-profit is to educate people about the myths associated with organ donation so that more folks will learn the facts which may lead them to register and be potential donors. The greater number registered, the greater the number of patients saved. In addition, the group has provided mentor and financial resources to many pre-transplant patients and recipients. Since being founded in 2013-14, the group has mentored many patients. While we can save more patients by getting more to register, providing concrete mentoring and financial resources can likewise help the pre-transplant patient navigate the Path to a Transplant.
www.TransplantTalkSC.org – In 2018 after becoming the Facilitator of the Organ Transplant Group, Gary and other organ recipients created an identity for the group, naming it TransplantTalk SC (TTSC). As referenced, the monthly meeting is held via zoom at 4:30 on the last Tuesday of each month. Those participating include pre-transplant patients, organ recipients, caregivers, MUSC nurses, doctors or other Transplant Department staff and organ donation advocates. Each meeting has a guest speaker who discusses their expertise and the services offered to support the transplant community. The focus of our program is the pre-transplant patient. Please join us in the zoom meeting, as you can, by clicking the referenced link just prior to 4:30 that day. After the website is completed, much more information will be provided that will be helpful to the transplant community.
- Mentor-Mentee Program – In recent months our group of organ recipients has developed this program that most of us organ recipients never experienced. The purpose of the program is to offer one-on-one communication by a Mentee (pre-transplant patient) and a Mentor (organ recipient). We believe through the organ recipient’s experience of navigating the transplant Path that the recipient can be of great value to the pre-transplant patient. The Path to a Transplant will have numerous issues and obstacles that the recipient can help the pre-transplant patient, or mentee, overcome, we believe. If you are a pre-transplant patient and feel like having a mentor would be of interest to you, please fill out the below Mentee Questionnaire and return to us just by hitting send. We will contact you after receiving to discuss and answer questions.
- TTSC Monthly zoom meeting – All patients are invited to join us on zoom the LAST TUESDAY of each month at 4:30. We have speakers that bring an expertise of issues related to the transplant community. The details of the speaker will be on the referenced invitation. The invitation is emailed the Wednesday before the last Tuesday of the month. Please call (704-699-3046), or send an email to me Gary Simmons (11garysimmons11@gmail.com) and I will make sure you are added to the invite list.
Above is a snapshot of what to expect on the TTSC website – The Mentor-Mentee program, details of how the program works including: who qualifies, list of resources the pre-transplant patient may need as they navigate the PATH, ways to communicate with team members, the role of MUSC, and much more. The programs greatest benefit to the pre-transplant patient is to provide an opportunity to speak to the post-transplant patient to bounce questions off of them that may help them feel more comfortable as they navigate the PATH.
The following are a few key websites that the pre-transplant patient might want to learn more about. They include:
https://muschealth.org/medical-services/transplant
MUSC – Organ Transplant – This site provides details about Organ Transplantation services offered by the Medical University Of South Carolina. It also provides appointment contact information and available physicians. The organ transplant direct number is 843-792-5097. The Living Donor Program is a most important feature of https://muschealth.org and details how one can be a living kidney or liver donor.
The United Network For Organ Sharing is a private, non-profit that manages the US organ transplantation system under contract with the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) who is under the federal governments of HRSA (Human Resources Service Administration).
The OPTN is operated under contract with the US Department of Human Resources Services Administration (HRSA).
We Are Sharing Hope is a non-profit that serves as the organ procurement organization for the State of South Carolina. Its primary purpose is to provide personnel and equipment to conduct organ recovery and transportation services to the hospital or transplant center where the identified recipient is located. It works closely with UNOS and all Transplant Centers, primarily MUSC, in the State. It also provides education to the community about organ donation through events, seminars, and other programs. They are the link between the donor/donor family and the transplant hospital during the donation process. They meet with the donor family and educate them more about organ donation. They are instrumental in increasing organ donation in the state to help save more patients.
Donate Life South Carolina is the non-profit organization mandated by SC Legislation to maintain the SC Donor Registry. 98% of those registered are from DMV registrations and updates. They also work closely with the OPO We Are Sharing Hope to establish and execute organ donation promotion events throughout the State.
Donor.gov allows a person to register to be an organ donor, plus it provides facts about donation and the current status relative to the number of patients on the organ transplant waiting list and much more.
Register to Be an Organ Donar Here: https://registerme.org/
