July 17, 2015 – new heart = new beginnings

Time to relax, with a big cold one.

About 3 months ago the weekend really didn’t mean that much to me. You see, I stay at home taking care of my daughter. Even though she is 25 years old, I am listed as her caretaker. Lauren has a form of MD, so she still isn’t as strong as she used to be before her heart transplant. As a caregiver for Lauren, the weekends don’t mean anything to me. That part of my life is the same no matter what day it is.

But, now this is a big but, the weekends do mean, take some time for myself. Couple of months ago, my husband blatantly told me I am entitled to enjoy the weekends. He has been telling me this for a while, but I finally listened to him. In that content, to me it means….no laundry, no yard work, no mopping the floors, no ironing, anything that I can get done during the week when he is at work, so on the weekend we can relax together. It was hard at the beginning, but I put a schedule together on certain days, all the choir are to be done.

I can honestly say, I am not the type of person who knows how to relax. I always have to be doing something. I always felt guilty if I was just chilling out. I had to learn, I’m entitled to relax just like everyone else.

So, I learned how to do this. Now I can sit by the pool with my husband, or watch a movie on a lazy Saturday.

With that being said

Enjoy your WEEKEND

LYNNE

Please take a minute to read this post……

ECHO, which stands for : Every Community Has Opportunity

The Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT) Teams Up with Donate Life America (DLA) to Launch New National Observance: Donate Life ECHO

(Richmond, VA—July 6, 2015)—The Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT) and Donate Life America (DLA) are joining forces to launch “Donate Life ECHO,” a new national observance designed to reach multicultural communities. ECHO, which stands for: Every Community Has Opportunity, is being launched to bolster engagement with African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino, and other multicultural communities.

The new observance, ECHO, has two objectives: one is to focus on the power of sharing one’s personal decision to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor with members of one’s community; the second is to encourage registered donors to ask members of their personal networks and extended communities to register as donors. Through the ECHO concept of reiteration and repetition—with people sharing the life-affirming message of donation within their community—more lives will be saved and healed.

“This strategic initiative is about empowering individuals to echo the message of donation throughout their respective communities, while building momentum together,” said Remonia Chapman, president of AMAT. “We are delighted to collaborate with DLA for this groundbreaking effort to equip people from all backgrounds with a host of culturally relevant tools and resources that have been designed to foster meaningful conversations and personal testimonies about the vitally important health topic of organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation.”

The two-week observance will be held during the second and third full weeks in July. This year’s inaugural observance will be held July 12 – July 25. ECHO is not intended to replace current programs and commemorations; rather, it offers a new mid-year opportunity with tremendous social media and community potential. As nearly 60 percent of the current U.S. transplant waiting list is comprised of ethnically diverse patients, the need for increased education efforts and new strategic approaches is a critical step toward increasing the number of registered donors in multicultural communities.

David Fleming, DLA President and CEO, added: “DLA is excited to be working with AMAT on this new observance, which has the potential to reach specific communities in an innovative way. It is no coincidence that the words ‘community’ and ‘opportunity’ both include the word ‘unity,’ as together, we can create lifesaving change. This transformative observance highlights that great good that can come from sharing the importance of registering as a donor with our family, friends and communities.”

The new observance will be translated into multiple languages, including Spanish. Done Vida ECO, which stands for Esperanza, Comunidad y Oportunidad, translates to “hope,” “community,” and “opportunity.” Together, AMAT and DLA will offer a Donate Life ECHO digital toolkit that will include: social media banners, graphics, talking points, and an array of resources that can be customized for specific audiences. To learn more, visit: http://www.amat1.org/programs/echo and http://www.DonateLife.net/echo.

About the Association of Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT)
AMAT was established in 1992 to address the increasing need for organ and tissue donors in the multicultural communities while simultaneously offering support, shared expertise and professional development opportunities for its members as they save and heal lives. AMAT is a self-sustaining, self-governed organization operating solely on voluntary contributions from individuals, corporations, and other affiliated organizations. For more information, visit: http://www.AMAT1.org.

About Donate Life America (DLA)
Donate Life America is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit alliance of national organizations and Donate Life State Teams across the United States committed to saving and healing lives through increased organ, eye and tissue donation. Donate Life America, with the help of its corporate partners, is dedicated to spreading the word about the importance of being a registered donor so that others may live. For more information, visit: http://www.DonateLife.net.

Media Contacts:

AMAT
Ayanna Anderson, Public Relations Chair
aanderson [at] dnwest [dot] org, Ph: (510) 251.7003
Donate Life America
Aaron Kelchner
akelchner [at] donatelife [dot] net, Ph: (804) 377.3584