ROTARY LUNCHEON: National Donor Organ Network

Kristina Ruiz-Healy is a member of the Rotary Club of San Francisco. Her great grandfather, grandfather and father have all been Rotarians. Born into a family of physicians, Kristina comes to us with a message that saves and heals lives through organ and tissue donation. 

April is National Donate Life Month, a time when Donate Life organizations across the country strive to make LIFE possible by educating and motivating individuals to register their decision to be organ, eye and tissue donors. DONATE LIFE CALIFORNIA is the state-authorized nonprofit organization responsible for managing the organ, eye and tissue registry and represents the four federally designated Organ Recovery Organizations (OPOs) in the state of California charged with educating the community about the need and importance for people to register their donations.

Kristina will provide an overview of how Donor Network West, an OPO, works with hospitals, clinics and high schools to help save and heal lives throughout the community. She will explain which organs are transplantable, who can be a donor, the organ donation process in California, and why we still need more people to register to prevent 22 people from dying each day. In 2015 we had 728 people waiting for Organ transplants in San Francisco County alone and only 43 people received a transplant. Kristina's presentation will explain why this is happening.

Kristina will introduce Amy Baghdadi, a liver recipient, and Olivia Lemen, the donor. Amy is a mother of two children, a devoted wife and a COO. Amy is taking a break from her career after receiving a letter from a living donor, her Mother's best friend's daughter, Olivia Lemen. Amy had a rare form of liver cancer and getting a living liver donation was her only option. Amy has been featured on the Anderson Cooper talk show.

This is a weekly membership meeting for The Rotary Club of San Francisco, open to all Rotarians, visiting Rotarians, prospective members and guests.

Each luncheon meeting includes three-course lunch from Scala's Bistro. Individual lunch tickets are $40, or purchase a book of four tickets for the discounted price of $145. Cash, check and credit card payment options available. Tickets available for purchase at the door.