San Antonio Site of Largest Transplant Reunion in the Country
WHAT:
Transplant recipients, living donors, and patients on the transplant waiting list will gather in San Antonio to celebrate the gift of life at the Texas Transplant Institute patient reunion. Approximately 2,000 people, including more than 825 organ/tissue donors or recipients are attending from throughout the U.S. To our knowledge, this is the largest transplant reunion in the country. One of the most comprehensive and integrated transplant programs anywhere, Texas Transplant Institute (TTI), a member of Methodist Healthcare, is nationally known and recognized for the number of transplants performed annually as well as for excellent outcomes, program stability and innovation. TTI offers blood and marrow stem cell, heart, liver, kidney and pancreas transplant programs and end-stage disease management. The TTI live donor kidney transplant program was ranked number one in the nation for 2009. Approximately 60 percent of the patients are Hispanic, qualifying TTI as one of the largest kidney transplant centers for Hispanic patients in the nation.
WHEN:
Saturday, October 9 from 11:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
WHERE:
Nautilus Theatre, SeaWorld-San Antonio
WHY:
The reunion celebrates life and the many advances in organ transplantation that have given transplant candidates and donors more options. Persons attending represent bone marrow and solid organ transplantation.
WHO:
Attendees are coming from throughout Texas and from Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. Texas cities represented include Austin, Corpus Christi, Houston, Pasadena, Laredo, El Paso, Waco, Killeen and many Rio Grande Valley cities including McAllen, Harlingen, Mercedes, San Benito, Mission, Weslaco, Pharr, and Alton.
STORY IDEAS:
With advance notice, we will work with you to identify participants from your city. Former San Antonio Spurs basketball star and kidney recipient Sean Elliott will speak to attendees.