Ohio State University Group Puts Heart Into Organ Donor Awareness

By Christine Wolfe

The Lantern

(U-WIRE) COLUMBUS OH -- While many college students enjoy running, playing Frisbee and frolicking around the Oval, some are hoping to live until tomorrow.

The national waiting list for an organ contains 72,248 names and is rising at an alarming rate of 500 new names each month. In Ohio alone, there are almost 2,300 individuals waiting for organs, and every 14 minutes another desperate patient is added.

Chris Dickman, a management information systems major at Ohio State University, received a heart transplant this past August.

Dickman was born with a congenital heart defect and underwent two open heart surgeries before the age of 10.

"My open heart surgeries held me for about 10 years. Then during the second semester of my freshman year of college, I started having heart failure," Dickman said. "My only option was to go ahead and do the transplant. So in May, they put me on the bottom of the waiting list."

Dickman said that though his condition got worse, he remained on the bottom of the list until a large blood clot in the centric portion of his heart was found.

"I was put in the hospital right away and they bumped me up to the top of the list," Dickman said. "I was really lucky in that I only waited for six days until they found a heart for me. The surgery went well and I was released from the hospital after one week. I felt extremely fortunate."

Dickman said the difference between the before and after of the transplant is incredible. He will soon be able to do physical activities like running and competitive sports.

"I always had to sit out in gym class because I would get too tired," Dickman said. "Now I'm going to be able to do things that I've only dreamed of. I can hardly comprehend it right now. Not only that, but I'm still alive and that's the best part."

Dickman recently moved back to the Columbus area and spoke at the Lifeline of Ohio press conference to try to give the audience a more personal perspective.

"I like their campaign because it's a little controversial and in your face," Dickman said. "But I think it's necessary. People don't think about organ donation on a daily basis. It's such a simple decision that can save up to seven lives."

With the launch of this new campaign, Lifeline of Ohio CEO Linda Jones has called upon young adults, ages 15-25, to help promote organ and tissue donation.

"We didn't feel as though we were getting our point across on how important this issue really is," Jones said.

"People don't realize that everyday 16 men, women and children die on a national level from not receiving an organ they desperately needed. So this campaign is really focused on creating an emotional response to this media effort."

Dave Carlson, manager of developments in public relation for Lifeline of Ohio, said he is pleased with the responses they have gotten from OSU students so far.

"We did get some good responses from students in various organizations around campus," said Carlson. "We know that it will take some time to generate a real interactive exchange between Lifeline of Ohio and these targeted groups. We are happy that we've been able to raise students awareness on what is going on in their community and we're excited to build from that."

Students and faculty wanting more information can contact Lifeline of Ohio through their Internet site at donor.lifelineofohio.org.

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Copyright © 2000 At Home Corporation.

This article posted November 15, 2000.