MINUTES: March 22, 2016
Posted by Wes Brooks
on Mar 28, 2016
President Sean Priebe presided over the meeting. He thanked Jaclyn Adams for filling in for him and presiding at last week’s meeting. Thanks to Freddy Walter who gave the invocation and to Wes Brooks who led us in the Pledge of Allegiance...
Thanks to Paula Brahan who served as our greeters today.
Jaclyn Adams then welcomed today’s visitor. Joey Holifield is visiting today and will be inducted later in the meeting.
Today’s Mystery Rotarian is a fourth generation native of Hattiesburg and is the youngest of 3 sons. He graduated from Hattiesburg High in 1984 and then graduated from Millsaps College. He originally majored in pre-med but found he was better suited for accounting and business. He graduated from the Ole Miss Law School and then worked in Jackson for the next 12 years. He returned to Hattiesburg on September 15, 2004 which was the day Hurricane Ivan struck. He likes to hunt and has been hunting with Governor Phil Bryant and the last Justice Scalia. He has been a Rotarian since 2005. Today’s Mystery Rotarian is Bill McLeod.
It was noted that next week’s meeting will take place beginning at noon at the Children’s Center for Communication and Development. Those who plan to attend are asked to sign up. Lunch will be served at noon and tours will be conducted beginning around 12:15 pm.
Sean reminded members that the District Conference is coming up April 7 – 10 at the Island View on the coast. Volunteers will be needed for the food fest event being co-sponsored by our club and the Sunrise Club.
The Bike-A-Thon is scheduled for September 24. That committee will begin work on the project in the coming weeks. Anyone interested in assisting with the event is encouraged to see Jonathan Shemper or Sean Priebe.
The Night-in-Ital event is scheduled for May 3. Volunteer sign-ups will begin next month. Maura McLaughlin and Jennifer Payne were thanked for putting this year’s event together. Maura noted that they are tweaking the menu to make it healthier. She also noted that the cost for the event is going up $2 per ticket.
Jennifer Payne then introduced today’s guest speaker Trisha Byrd, the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA). Joel Stevens the organization’s hospital development coordinator was also available to answer medical related questions.
Trisha noted that there MORA is one of 58 recovery agencies throughout the nation. There are currently more than 121,000 people on an organ transplant waiting list in America. In Mississippi there are currently 595 people awaiting organ transplants. Trisha noted that 22 Americans on the transplant waiting list die each day. Ten more are added to the list daily.
There are living or deceased donors. Living donors can donate tissue and sometimes organs or parts of organs. Deceased donors must die in a hospital while on a ventilator and must be pronounced brain dead by a physician before an appeal can be made to the family. Donated organs include hearts, lungs, small intestines, kidney and hearts. For each donation, eight lives are saved and 50 lives are aided.
Tissue donors can donate corneas, skin, tendons, bones and heart valves. These tissues can be used in a variety of ways to save or extend lives.
Hearts and lungs must be transplanted into the recipient within 4 hours of the recovery. Livers can exist outside of the body for 8 to 16 hours. Once the consent process begins recovery is quick. Matches are made by the UNOS which manages the waiting list and matches. There is no cost to the donor or the donor’s family. The recipient pays all costs.
Trisha suggested that we each talk to our loved ones to be sure that we know what our preferences regarding organ and tissue donation is. DMV’s are required to ask everyone if they wish to be a donor when they apply for or renew a driver’s license. Trisha notes that the organ donation choice does not automatically renew with your license renewal. Sometimes you may have to request the renewal.
If you are interested in becoming an organ donor or if you’d list like more information, visit their website at www.donatelifems.org.
Minutes provided by:
Lamar Evans, Executive Secretary