The single most important thing you can do is go to www.donatelife.net to discover how your state registers the wishes of its residents regarding organ donation.

For Californians, it's easy: go to www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org and take three minutes to register your decision to save lives. Then tell your family so that they too may consider this life saving step. It's free. It's easy. It's painless. It saves lives. You probably don't need another reason.

How can I help my family and myself?
How can I help others?
How can I help the John Brockington Foundation?
How can I add myself to your mailing list?

How can I help my family and myself?

One of the best ways to decrease the need for donor organs is to insure that fewer people go into organ failure. The majority of people waiting for an organ are waiting for a kidney, yet the two major causes of kidney failure, diabetes and hypertension, are controllable conditions. Two simple and inexpensive tests for kidney failure can help you determine if you or anyone you love is on the road to renal failure, dialysis, and transplantation. Remember, one in nine Americans have kidney disease and most of them don't know it. Find out by asking your physician for a simple urine test for proteinuria and a simple blood test for serum creatinine levels. Both provide early and dependable answers to the question: "Am I at risk?"

In addition, when you or a loved one goes to the doctor, get ready. Bring a list of all your questions and all your medications. Bring a friend or family member along to help you if you feel nervous or confused. When you see the doctor, ask for the urine test and blood test, and before you leave ask these three questions:

• What is my main problem?
• What do I need to do?
• Why is it important for me to do this?

There is no reason to feel rushed or embarrassed. Write down what your doctor says. Ask her to explain it one more time if the information is confusing. And remember that nurses and pharmacists may also be able to answer questions that you have after the visit.

The website www.helpingpatients.org is designed to help you find patient assistance programs that help pay for medications. The online service is free and completely confidential. You will be asked a number of questions and will be told how to get an application for the medicines you need. The companies that make the medicine will determine if you qualify for program coverage.

Is your organization a Workplace Partner for Life? No? Click here to learn how to become one of the hundreds of organizations that have committed to increase organ donation.

How can I help others?

For those seventeen people who will be removed from the National Transplant Waiting List because of death, not donation, please think about something Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson said in April 2004: "Imagine yourself on your deathbed. Your organs have a vote. Wouldn't your eyes vote to continue seeing? Your heart to keep beating?... It is simply a mistake to die without donating."

Two hundred thousand (200,000) Americans die each month. Their organs don't have to. Help us make that happen. Contact us with your feedback and ideas.

How can I help the John Brockington Foundation?

The John Brockington Foundation currently holds events in California, Ohio, and Wisconsin. We would like to see our golf tournaments, dinners, prevention and awareness seminars, and fund raising events in every state. Would you help us become a presence in your area? We need ideas, donations of auctions items, in-kind contributions, whatever you believe you can do to help make organ donation the norm, not the exception, in the United States.

Contributions are gratefully accepted. Ours is an all volunteer 501 (c)3 charity with proceeds from our events going to support the Patient Emergency Fund for San Diego dialysis patients and Donate Life San Diego, our initiative to create donor friendly workplaces in Southern California. Your tax deductible check may be made out to The John Brockington Foundation and sent to the address below. Tax id # 68-052-6419.

The John Brockington Foundation
1835 Fort Stockton Drive
San Diego, CA 92103

Our email address is info@johnbrockingtonfoundation.org.

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