Rising Stars founder and President Paul Savramis is well aware of the need of organ donation. Rising Stars director of funding and close personal friend Althea Williams is a kidney transplant recipient and therefore, participating in a campaign with National Donate for Life Foundation was a no-brainer for him. The organization offers strong community and educational outreach programs to inform the public about organ donation.
Q: Is it fair to assume you are a supporter of organ donation?
Paul Savramis: Absolutely. Using organs and tissues to help sick people is a wonderful thing.
Q: How extensive is the current shortage of organs?
Paul Savramis: In the US, more than 120,000 people require organ transplants to save their lives. Thousands more are in need of tissue and cornea transplant to restore vision.
Q: How are Rising Stars and National Donate for Life Foundation working together to spread awareness of the national donor registry?
Paul Savramis: Our Rising Stars ambassador Jay Williams received the Donate Life Champion award in 2012 for his involvement with the organization. Jay’s mother and one of my closest friends Althea Williams is a kidney transplant recipient. Jay also shares his family’s story on various social media platforms where he encourages people to donate.
Q: In what ways does National Donate for Life inform the public about the importance of organ donation?
Paul Savramis: Their work includes donor registry supervision, a Division of Motor Vehicles outreach and school education.
Q: Should organ donation be part of the health and science curriculum, in your opinion?
Paul Savramis: Yes. Many students are unaware of what being a donor means and how they can save lives. Learning the facts about organ donation can help students make an informed decision.
Q: How does a person become a donor?
Paul Savramis: There are a few different steps you can take. First, sign up with your state’s Donate Life registry. You can also add the words “Organ Donor” to your driver’s license and complete a living or health care proxy.
Q: In your opinion, what is the biggest hurdle to increasing organ donation?
Paul Savramis: I believe the main hurdle to be apathy or laziness.Many people would be happy for their organs to be used but they just never get around to joining the registry. In addition there are many misconceptions and rumors that surround the decision to become a donor.We hope to create a greater awareness of the truth behind organ donation and answer many of those concerns.
For more information, click here: https://www.donatelifenc.org
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