MIKE/TV SHOWS

April 2, 2002

Just my opinion.

When got her living donor transplant (in 2000) MANY of us wrote to Oprah asking her to do a show on their surgery. We never heard back. Nada Zip Zero!! They had a wonderful story line. Much better then just a few people asking to do "a show" Only a few LDLT's had been done at that time.The surgery was new and dangerous, but Handi said (I still remember the quote) "Some one helped me once and I want to do the same thing." lived in New Hampshire, and Handi - the donor ('s friend) lived in Indiana. Handi also runs a dog rescue. (I still send them coupons) They had pictures of the two of them in the hospital. It was a perfect story for TV. NADA ZIP ZERO

As for Sally - I think most of her guests (and probably some of the people who watch her show) look like walking advertisements

for HEP C.

Dateline has done a show, so has 60 minutes. If they decided to do another show, right now wouldn't be a good idea. I think they would focus on the LDLT in New York that went wrong, and the hospital having to shut down their program for 6 months. They probably would throw in the problems the Hospital in Az. is having and UNOS going out there to investigate. Is this what we want?

I think a better tact to take would be for us to work behind the scenes. What about writing to Benz (both PSC groups U.S. & Europe-where they have their home office) could write to them. Talk about a marketing tool. They could run ads stating "if you have had a liver transplant and have the Benz logo on your tummy we will give you $_ _ _ off a new car. And, oh by the way all the employees of M. Benz have signed up to be organ donors." "We only want the best for our customers!" Or, "with each purchase Benz will donate $ _ _ _ to a transplant hospital or OPO." Sounds like a good ad for TV to me. They could write off the gifts to charity and probably write off most of the ads that would run.

We could also write to major/large companies in the U.S.asking them to join Tommy 's "thing" I forget the name of it now.

Or write to Congress demanding that they pass a law that says YOU ARE A DONOR - UNLESS YOU STATE OTHERWISE.

We could write to funeral orgs. asking them to add 2 words -

ORGAN DONOR written in bold print, to the bottom of every obit. That is something that if ok'd by them, would be put into place all across the US. It would be so easy for them. All they would have to do is ask one question of the families. Was he/she an organ donor? What could be simpler? Yet every time someone turned the page the words would jump out at them.

There are many other things we could come up with. But it would take more then just a few of us and more then just a few letters.

I don't think TV shows are the way to go.

Sorry if I made anyone mad - I'm in a VERY pissy mood today. I would love to round up all the powers that be and put them in one room. Then I would slap the shit out of them and say HELP US!!!!!!!!!!!! There should be NO reason for anyone to wait for an organ. NO reason for anyone to get cancer or wait until they are so sick to get a liver. NO reason at all.

Barb In Texas

Son Ken (27)

UC 91 PSC 99

April 2, 2002

>

>athan: Boy, oh Boy have you gotten the ball rolling, it will be

>of great help. don't forget to try and enlist those that have been

>saved. Some who have received their tx have said they are too shy to

>call attention to themselves but that seems a little selfish, so

>give them the works and get them to help out. Glad you have such a

>caring brother and hope he can help. Once the spot gets filmed maybe

>we can enlist him to mail some shortened film off to different

>places. I'm sure everyone here can give suggestions. This isn't

>cheap so we could all send him a few bucks to help offset the cost.

>Just let us know and I'll send my donation.

Dee in Peoria wife of Bob ileo,psc

>

April 2, 2002