Contact(s)	Willa Lang 312.321.1500 wlang@nkfi.org	Tony Marusic 312.658.0445 amarusic@jaynethompson.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2006

NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION OF ILLINOIS APPLAUDS GOVERNOR
FOR LEADERSHIP IN EXPANDING ORGAN DONATION

3,000 people in Illinois, on average, have been waiting
8 years or more for a kidney transplant

(CHICAGO) ——The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois (NKFI) today applauded Gov. Rod Blagojevich for signing HB 5259, which allows more families the option to give life-saving organ donations.

The Anatomical Gift Act of Illinois sets the framework for all organ donations in the state. HB 5259 amends the Act allowing for organ preservation in instances of death by cardiopulmonary arrest and when efforts to resuscitate the patient are unsuccessful.

Every day in the state’s emergency rooms and hospitals, patients die from trauma resulting in cardiac death. In many of those cases, family members are not immediately available to provide their consent for organ donation. Organs are no longer viable after a certain period of time.

The new law allows major trauma centers and hospitals to preserve organs after cardiac death for a period of time until the family is available to provide consent on organ donation.

“There are approximately 3,000 individuals in Illinois who are waiting for kidney transplants, some as long as 6 to 8 years. Without question, there is an organ shortage and individuals continue to wait for the gift of life,” said Willa Lang, NKFI executive director. “This legislation is a substantial and thoughtful step at addressing that reality. Now, thousands of families who have lost a loved one from cardiac death will be able to make timely decisions about organ donation.”

Lang notes that in her work as a former member of the National Donor Family Council, families who have opted to donate organs and tissue for transplantation comment that their decision helped them with their grief and helped them celebrate the life of their loved one.

“Too many Illinoisans die each and every day for lack of an available organ, and this new law can help reverse such tragic scenarios. It’s one very practical and important step toward preserving life,” said Dr. Peter Eupierre, Illinois State Medical Society president.

ISMS, representing 14,000 physicians statewide, worked actively with NKFI to shepherd this bill through the state legislature. ISMS makes available to patients, free of charge, a kit of materials called “A Personal Decision” which helps patients make end-of-life decisions, including organ donation.

HB5259 reached Gov. Blagojevich’s desk with strong bi-partisan support in the Illinois General Assembly. Sponsors of the measure include Rep. Tom Cross, Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, Rep. Randall M. Hultgren, Rep. Dan Brady, Rep. John A. Fritchey, Rep. Patricia R. Bellock, Rep. Kathleen A. Ryg, Rep. David E. Miller, Sen. James F. Clayborne, Jr., Sen. Arthur J. Wilhelmi, Sen. Kwame Raoul, and Sen. Maggie Crotty.

NKFI provides prevention programs, educational services and materials for Illinois patients, transplant recipients and communities, as well as funding for medical research. NKFI also is committed to increasing the availability of all organs for transplantation through school, corporate, and community organ donor programs and legislative initiatives.

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