FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 25, 2011 Houston Texas & Chicago, Illinois
The Living Kidney Donors Network facilitated two workshops for St. Luke's Cooley Transplant
Center in Houston. One was for existing patients who are in need of a kidney transplant…this
workshop educated patients about the living kidney donation option and helped them develop
a communications plan that expresses their need to family members and friends.
The second workshop was for St. Luke’s alumni, those who received or donated a kidney. In this
workshop, those attending were volunteering to learn how they could facilitate future patient
workshops.
The FREE workshops, “Having Your Donor Find You!” are for individuals, family members and
friends that are interested in learning more about the living kidney donation options and how
to let others know about their need. The workshops are peer taught and provide those who
need a kidney transplant with a better option than to wait 3 – 5 years for a kidney transplant
from a deceased donor. It is widely accepted that an organ from a living donor is preferable to
one from a deceased donor. Among the many benefits is that a kidney from a living donor can
last twice as long as one from a deceased donor.
The workshop is not a typical lecture – but an interactive program offering personal attention
and practice time for the participants.
The St. Luke's Cooley Kidney Transplant Program is dedicated to improving outcomes for
transplant patients. They are a leading transplant hospital and have performed more than 1,500
transplants to date.
The Living Kidney Donors Network is a nonprofit organization that offers workshops and
webinars to educate those who need a kidney transplant about the living donation option and
also has programs to inform the general public about the living kidney donation.
For more information contact:
Sofia Perches at St. Luke's Cooley Transplant Center 832-355-9312
http://www.stlukeshouston.com/OurServices/Transplant/index.cfm
sperches@sleh.com
Harvey Mysel at the Living Kidney Donors Network 312-473-3772
