Month:

Organ Transplant Recipients of SWFL Inc.
Meeting Minutes
May 5, 2016

Opening

The monthly meeting of the Organ Transplant Recipients of SWFL Inc.was called to order at 11:49 a.m. on May 5, 2016 at The Sanctuary located at 8960 Colonial Center Drive in Ft. Myers by Shamie Kelly, President of the group.

Announcements

•    Anniversaries: Chelsea Bley-Kidney (5/96), John Craig (passed last year)-Heart (5/1/93), Joseph Haug Jr.-Heart (5/2/97), Michael Janiver-Kidney (5/27/02), Greg Okon-Heart (5/14/07), Wayne Ormsby-Kidney (5/30/03), Norma Waughn-Liver (5/1/02), and David & Janet Weinstein are celebrating their 9th wedding anniversary this month!
•    Member Updates: Barbara Pratt is having surgery and John Hall’s hip popped out and he is currently undergoing care for that. Cards are being passed around for both of their speedy recoveries, everyone is encouraged to sign.
•    Visitors: Joe (caregiver) & Joyce (stage 3 kidney disease) Rudder (sp?), Cathy (kidney recipient) & Vicki (mom/caregiver)

Reports

The Secretary’s report was unavailable. The Treasurers report shows a previous balance of $1179.87 with contributions of $35.00 from the monthly 50/50, $40.00 in membership dues collected, and $70.00 in additional donations resulting in $145.00 in deposits. $134.72 was paid to Shamie Kelly for last month’s meetings food, and $600.00 to Lucas Marketing for the website leaving an ending balance of $590.15 The Fletcher Fund is in “great shape” per Donna Williamson but we do not have a full report at this time. Donna reports that as of March 9th the fund had $183,145.00 available.
Ticket sales from the Pitch for Life event raised approximately $80 for the group, membership dues should have been paid as of January 1st so if you have not paid yours, please see David Weinstein to take care of them. Everyone also please be sure to visit the new website and recreate your login so that we can keep you up to date on all events and news related to our group.

Old Business

A Night for Life IX press release is scheduled to go out next week formally thanking all of our sponsors. To those members who personally collected donations please be sure to thank your contributors! We will be having a formal Night for Life IX wrap-up meeting hopefully next month pending Jenniene Moran’s (event co-chair) return. Changes to the checkout procedure and suggestions on how to improve the event will be held for discussion until then.

Doug McGregor, an illustrator from the News-Press made a donation and has offered his services to design signage for next year’s Night for Life. The Pitch for Life event with the Fort Myers Miracle was a great success and the team pulled off the win at the very last inning. There was a lot of interaction with attendees and while most people were already registered organ donors the event was still considered a great success and we are looking at doing this annually.

Name tags are $8.00 each and will display our group name, your name, and your affiliation as a recipient, donor, caregiver, family member, etc. An email will be sent with an example once research can be done to find some that are not magnetic for members with pacemakers. Shirts will also be ordered soon for $13 each and more information on those will also be included in the same email as the name tags. Business cards for the group will be available at the next meeting, please take some and leave them at clinics, hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other support groups you may attend.

New Business

Janet Milan, the new transplant social worker from Lee Memorial was able to get away to introduce herself and briefly discuss the restructuring of the kidney transplant program at the hospital. They anticipate there being two transplant surgeons, and two nephrologists on staff who will be obligated to follow transplant patients for at least 3 years post-op. They expect to have a fully functioning transplant clinic when the changeover is complete.

Janet has previous experience in the kidney field as a social worker for Davita when she lived in New York. President Shamie Kelly proposed a tour or meeting for the group, or at least the members who can attend on one of their lighter workload days so that members of the group can become affiliated with the staff at the new transplant clinic. Janet says they have a projected reopening date for July and she will also be serving on the Fletcher Fund board. The two visitors to the group this month have both decided to share their stories with us for our monthly member share. Joyce Rudder (sp?) is in stage 3 kidney failure and is attending with her caregiver husband, Joe who both moved from Pittsburgh to Cape Coral in 2000. She is doing well at stage 3 and hopes to continue to maintain her level of health to prevent her kidney disease from progressing any further. Their friends purchased the Day of Basketball with Shaquille O’Neal for them at the Night for Life IX benefit which they are really looking forward to.

They plan to take the ball included in the package and have Mr. O’Neal autograph it then they would like to re-donate it back to the group for next year’s event. Joyce also mentions that she has experience in event and party planning and she looks forward to contributing to future fundraising and awareness events with the group. Cathy, who is also new to the group moved down to Florida from Kansas with her husband in August 2011 because she needed a kidney transplant and her mother moved down not long after to help as a caregiver. Her best friend Tracy donated her kidney 2 years ago via the paired exchange program which resulted in a 6 donor chain.

The first 3 months after transplant were rough for her but now she is doing well. Cathy is very excited to be a member of the group and very willing to help out with any events we may be hosting in the future. Steve Williamson proposes having the food catered versus dragging it in every month. Further research will be done to weigh the cost effectiveness and availability of agreeable restaurants who deliver in the area. Members are asked to bring in at least one menu from a restaurant or catering service in the area surrounding The Sanctuary.

If catering is found to be too expensive or an agreement on food cannot be reached it is then asked that other members offer to step up and volunteer to pick up lunch from Publix where we currently get it. Secretary Melissa Tuff seconded the notion. Steve Williamson also won the 50/50 drawing and donated his winning back for a total of $73 coming back to the group. The medicine table is available as always, please be sure to look for any medications you can use before leaving.

Adjournment

Meeting was adjourned at 1:26 pm by President Shamie Kelly. The next meeting will be at 11:30 am on June 2, 2016, at The Sanctuary located at 8960 Colonial Center Drive in Ft. Myers.
Minutes submitted by:    Melissa Tuff, Secretary

Organ Transplant Recipients of SWFL Inc.
Meeting Minutes
April 7, 2016

Opening

The regular meeting of the Organ Transplant Recipients of SWFL Inc. was called to order at 11:30 a.m. on April 7, 2016 in The Sanctuary located at 8960 Colonial Center Drive in Ft. Myers by Vice President Mariann Jefferson standing in for President Shamie Kelly who was absent today. This meeting will be shortened due to the extended Night for Life IX planning meeting to immediately follow.

Announcements

•    Anniversaries: Shamie Kelly-Kidney (4/3/15), Derrick Thompson-Liver (4/6/1997), Joseph Myers-Heart (4/9/1997), Cheryl Abraham-Kidney (4/15), and Frank Tutay-3rd Kidney (4/24)
•    Member Updates: Tim & Caroline Elkins will be returning to North Carolina, John Hall went back up north also. His Prograf has been dropped to 25% and all reports for his follow-up are good. He and Dee will be back in October.
•    Visitors: Leah joins us in support of her husband who recently received a heart in Tampa.
•    General: Night for Life planning meeting to follow immediately after conclusion of monthly meeting and another will be held on Saturday to prepare items for auction.

Reports

The Secretary’s report was approved. The Treasures report shows a previous balance of $1,174.65 with contributions of $54.00 from the monthly 50/50, and $45.00 in membership dues collected resulting in $99.00 in deposits. $93.78 was Shamie Kelly for the February meetings food expense leaving an ending balance of $1,179.87 There was no report available from the Fletcher Fund but there should be next month.
Old Business

Everyone please make sure you visit the new website! The updates make it much more user friendly and it is also mobile compatible so it works much better with your smartphone. The Ft. Myers Kidney Walk was a great success! Over 300 people walked and $42,000 was raised! Next year’s date is scheduled for March 12th so mark your calendars now and plan on joining us next year if you couldn’t make it to this one. Close to 20 people from our group including family, friends, and LifeLink participated in the event. Thank you to everyone who came out! The Pitch for Life event with the Ft. Myers Miracle is coming up on April 23rd, be sure to invite your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers as a portion of the ticket sales purchased using our password (pitchforlife) will benefit our group! Jeff is not here to discuss group shirt purchasing further so that discussion will be delayed until next month.

New Business

Barbara Miller, Gulf Coast Medical Centers Transplant Department Director and Janet Milan, the new Social Worker were not able to attend this month’s meeting but hope to attend next month. Rick Keatley and Donna Willamson shared their transplant stories today. Rick went through quite a battle when his liver began to fail. He was in denial about his diagnosis until he went into acute kidney failure multiple times, wound up in a coma and was told by doctors that he was going to die. While admitted in the hospital again in late April, Rick finally got the call for a liver. He has been doing very well since. He wrote his donor family and initially did not hear back but then in January he received a card. He continues to write and they even plan to meet sometime in the near future. Donna’s story starts back in her early 20’s. When she was initially diagnosed she prayed to just be able to stay healthy and raise her daughter which she did.

In 1998 her kidneys took a turn for the worse and her husband was also diagnosed with liver cancer around the same time. She had her first transplant in February 1999 and then her most recent one was from a living donor from her church which she has had some pretty unusual complications with but between her faith and her medical team she thanks God that she is here today to share her story. The complications of her most recent transplant have been identified and treated so that her new kidney is now functioning very well and she is thriving. Janet and David Weinstein are going to the Transplant Games June 10-15 in Cleveland, OH. Janet will be running in the event.

If you are interested in attending please see the Transplant Games website. Flyers for the group are available on your way out and you are encouraged to take some to leave in your doctor’s offices, transplant centers, and dialysis clinics. Norma presented her artwork “Life is a Feather” which she is donating to the Night for Life benefit. Her son Marshall was a member who has since passed and we are very grateful for her continued presence in our group. Don’t forget to wear your blue and green on Donate Life day which is April 15th. Rick Keatley won $36.00 in this month’s 50/50 drawing.

Adjournment

Meeting was adjourned at 12:19 p.m. by Vice President Mariann Jefferson standing in for President Shamie Kelly who was absent today. The next general meeting will be at 11:30 a.m. on May 5, 2016, at The Sanctuary located at 8960 Colonial Center Drive in Ft. Myers.
Minutes submitted by:    Melissa Tuff, Secretary