University Of Wisconsin Student Fights For Driver Education About Organ Donation

By Molly Houlihan

The Daily Cardinal

University Of Wisconsin

(U-WIRE) MADISON WI -- Look at the back of your driver's license. Is it signed? Did you tell a family member that you want to be an organ donor?

Robert Trim, a University of Wisconsin-Madison nursing student, is fighting to pass a bill that would require all Wisconsin driver's education courses to include 30 minutes of organ-donation information.

Trim said he was reading The Capitol Times on Jan. 7 when he came across the story of Sauk City high-school student Kelly Nachreiner.

Nachreiner had recently passed away from severe injuries she sustained as a passenger in a car accident. After turning 16 in December, Nachreiner had expressed her interest to her mother in becoming an organ donor. She then signed the back of her temporary license.

Nearly one month later, Nachreiner's donated organs saved three people's lives: two in Wisconsin and one in Kansas.

Writing what is called the "Kelly Nachreiner Bill" is just one of many things Trim is doing to draw attention to organ donation.

Trim spoke about the cause with city administrators of Sauk City, Wis. and Prairie du Sac, Wis. The towns have named the week of Feb. 13-19 Organ Donation Week in recognition of Nachreiner.

This Friday an assembly has been organized at Sauk City High School to honor Kelly's memory and promote interest in organ donation.

"[Organ donation] is a hot topic right now," Trim said.

In Gov. Tommy Thompson's State of the State address on Jan. 26, about 10 minutes of the speech were devoted to awareness of organ donation. Both a family who donated a deceased child's organs and a family whose daughter was saved by organ donation spoke.

Stephen Freese, the Sauk City representative in the state Legislature, is helping Trim with the bill.

Rob Richard, policy advisor to Freese, spoke about the importance of passing the bill.

"When I was 16, I was never taught the importance of [organ donation]," Richard said. "We're trying to send a message so people can say, 'Hey, I learned about this,' and it's something that people can and are willing to do."

Lori Shinstine, the transplant coordinator at the UW Procurement Organization--which acquires organs for the UW hospitals and clinics, said it is difficult to estimate the number of willing organ donors in Wisconsin.

A person's willingness to be an organ donor is recorded only if they sign the back of their license while they are at the Department of Motor Vehicles. If a person decides to sign their license one month or one year later, there is no way of knowing that, Shinstine said.

Shinstine spoke highly of Trim's efforts for the passing of the bill.

"We hope it will encourage people to think about [organ donation], about what is best for themselves and their loved ones," Shinstine said. "It's a positive thing, and not a difficult thing to institute. It's not costly."

Trim is trying to encourage support of his bill across campus.

"We've contacted 36 different student organizations on campus to participate in a lobbying effort to get this done," Trim said.

Trim encourages as many people as possible to call their congressmen and representatives between Feb. 14-18 to support the bill.

This week the bill is being presented for co-sponsorship. Trim hopes the bill will be on the governor's desk by June 1 and passed as a formal law by July.

Richard emphasized the main point for passing the bill.

"Our goal is to educate as many people as possible. It's all about awareness. It's all about educating."

University Of Wisconsin Student Fights For Driver Education About Organ Donation

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