The Donor Alliance Media Kit is full of helpful facts, terminology and resources related to organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. Reporters, please review the below before beginning a story and let us know if you have any questions!

Donation 101: What Reporters Need to Know

Terminology:

The words “harvest”, “cadaver” or “cadaveric donor” are outdated and no longer appropriate. “Recover” and “deceased donor” are used by organ procurement and transplantation professionals instead. The word “ventilator” is used instead of “life support.” “OPO” stands for organ procurement organization.

Who is Donor Alliance?

Donor Alliance is the federally-designated, Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) and American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) accredited, non-profit organ procurement organization tissue bank serving Colorado and most of Wyoming. As a recognized leader in facilitating the donation and recovery of transplantable organs and tissues, Donor Alliance’s mission is to save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

To achieve this mission, Donor Alliance employs effective family approach and recovery programs in more than 100 hospitals. Donor Alliance also inspires the public to register as organ and tissue donors through community partnerships, public outreach and education campaigns throughout our donation service area.

Vision Statement: Donor Alliance serves all who need transplantation by optimizing available organs and tissues with a commitment to education, collaboration, innovation, and influencing policy.

Who Donor Alliance is not:

Donor Alliance is not a hospital or transplant center, yet it officially deals closely with all area hospitals on donation and recovery and transplant centers and UNOS on allocation of organs.

What Donor Alliance can provide:

If you are a member of the media and need some information, Donor Alliance is happy to provide help in any way, specifically with:

• Local and national waiting list patient totals
• Personal Testimonials:
  Donor family members
  Organ transplant recipients
  Tissue transplant recipients
  Living donors
  Volunteers who want to help educate the public by telling their own experiences

For Media Inquiries: Contact Cheryl Talley Donor Alliance’s Director of Public Relations and Communications or Heather Burke, PR and Communications Manager, at 303-329-4747. 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After normal business hours, the media specialist on call will be paged.