Team Of Transplant Survivors And Donors To 'Ride Across America' As Part Of National Donate Life Month

From California to New York, First of Its Kind Program to Promote Community Education About Need for Organ and Tissue Donation

April 13, 2004

LOS ANGELES /PRNewswire -- Today more than 84,000 candidates are registered on the nation's organ transplant waiting list and every 13 minutes a new name is added. Only 30 percent of those candidates will receive a transplant in 2004, leaving the remaining 70 percent waiting for the transplant they desperately need. Tragically, 16 people every day die waiting for an organ transplant.

To help close this gap, a team of all terrain vehicle (ATV) riders, all affected and inspired by organ donation and transplantation, will "Ride Across America" to raise awareness about organ and tissue donation. From the Santa Monica Pier in California to Chelsea Piers in New York, and in the 52 Ride stops between, awareness activities and events have been planned with assistance from the Coalition on Donation network, a not-for-profit alliance of national organizations and local coalitions across the United States that have joined forces to correct misconceptions about donation and create a greater willingness to donate. The public is invited to support the Ride by attending the local events. At the conclusion of the Ride, the creatively designed, highway outfitted ATVs will be auctioned to raise funds for donation education.

"During our two week ride, 224 people will die waiting for an organ transplant," said Kevin Monroe, coordinator of the Ride and a living kidney donor for his brother Elliott, a fan of off-road adventures who succumbed to kidney disease. The start of the Ride was selected carefully -- it would have been Elliott's 60th birthday. "Most people don't know that one person's donated organs and tissue can benefit more than 50 people. If we can save just one person through this Ride, then we have been successful."

While a signed donor card and a driver's license with an "organ donor" designation are considered legal documents, organ and tissue donation is always discussed with family members prior to a donation. One of the goals of the Ride is to inform people that family members need to communicate their wishes to each other, and that it is important to share your decision about donation.

Another member of the Ride team, Brian Hinsley, received a liver transplant more than four years ago and because of a donor and advancements in anti-rejection medicines like Prograf, is able to participate in the Ride. Brian is a father, husband, and a firefighter paramedic for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. "I could not have survived much longer and my family and I are very grateful for the second chance at life I now have," said Hinsley. "We are thankful to all donor families and to companies like Fujisawa Healthcare, OneLegacy, the National Kidney Foundation, the Coalition on Donation, and ConocoPhillips, among many others, who conduct ongoing awareness and education, or research and develop medications that allow transplant recipients to live long and healthy lives."

Facts on Organ Donation and Transplantation

• One person's organs and tissue can benefit more than 50 people.
• Every 13 minutes another name is added to the national transplant waiting list.
• On average, 16 people die each day from the lack of available organs for transplant.
• The gap between those waiting for transplants and donors is growing because of the increase in obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.
• For more information on organ and tissue donation, visit www.donatelife.net or www.transplantlife.com.

A Ride Across America

A Ride Across America is a newly formed non-profit organization. Its mission is to increase public awareness on the need for organ and tissue donation, increase awareness about diabetes and to raise funds for organizations and programs involved with these diseases. For more information, visit www.arideacrossamerica.org.

About Prograf and Fujisawa Healthcare, Inc.

Prograf is indicated for the prophylaxis of organ rejection in patients receiving kidney or liver transplants and has been marketed in North America, Europe and Japan. Worldwide, Prograf is commercially available in 68 countries. Currently more than 60% of new kidney transplant recipients take Prograf. Common adverse reactions are nephrotoxicity, impaired glucose metabolism, neurotoxicity, gastrointestinal disturbances, hypertension and infection. Increased susceptibility to infection and the possible development of lymphoma may result from immunosuppression. For full prescribing information visit www.prograf.com or contact Fujisawa Healthcare, Inc. at 1-800- 727-7003.

Fujisawa Healthcare, Inc. is the primary sponsor of the 2004 Ride Across America. The company, headquartered in Deerfield, Ill., develops, manufactures, and markets proprietary products in the United States and abroad. Fujisawa Healthcare, Inc. is a subsidiary of Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. based in Osaka, Japan. Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., founded in 1894, is a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer and is actively developing its international operations in North America, Europe, and Asia. Additional information on Fujisawa Healthcare, Inc. and its products can be found on the Internet at http://www.fujisawa.com.

Copyright © 2004 PR Newswire.

This article posted April 13, 2004.