"Pat's Promise" Promotes Organ Donation This Sunday

Austinist


It’s not often in the world of philanthropy that an organization calls for nothing more than a signature, a sign up, or a commitment that you’ll support the cause. No donations, no Saturday morning volunteer shift, just a promise that you’ll save a life if the opportunity presents itself.

For Pat Buchta, this is a request that is personal. Buchta, a television producer at KVUE, told Austinist that six months ago he made a commitment to take on the challenge of increasing the number of organ donors across Texas, which currently ranks as one of the lowest in the country at less than 10%. He was in the hospital, recovering from a liver transplant, when he said "[I heard] sobs come from across the hallway, and [I] realized some one was going home to die, because they missed their chance to have a transplant." His doctor explained that there just isn't enough supply to meet the demand. Allocation of organs was and is based on who has the best chance for survival. If more organs were available, it would be a moot point. It was then that Buchta decided to create Pat's Promise, a non-profit organization that promotes organ donation and donor education.

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{Register to be an organ,eye and tissue donor. To learn how, www.donatelife.net or www.organdonor.gov}

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