Olympic Medal Winner Visits Wisconsin to Support Organ Donation

Snowboarder Chris Klug reached great heights when he secured a bronze medal in the parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Winter Olympics. But his feat at the Salt Lake City, Utah, games pales in comparison to his accomplishments as a liver transplant recipient.

Nearly three years after receiving his new liver, Klug arrives in Madison this week to show his support for organ and tissue donation. Klug was diagnosed in July 2000 with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a rare degenerative bile duct condition that required a liver transplant. Just two years later, Klug went on to win the Olympic medal and now—by any definition—leads an incredibly active life.

“To receive the gift of life is a humbling experience,” says Klug. “I will forever be grateful for my second chance.”

Klug will voice his support for organ donation and discuss his own experience at the Ninth Douglas T. Miller Symposium on Organ Donation and Transplantation. The event will be held in Wisconsin Dells April 24 and 25, and is hosted by University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics’ Organ Procurement Organization (OPO).

The conference draws a large audience that addresses the full spectrum of issues relating to organ donation and transplantation. In addition to Klug, the Deputy Surgeon General of the United States, Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu, is a distinguished guest. He has a close personal connection to organ donation and transplantation, which he plans to share with the audience at the symposium. Additionally, several donor and recipient families as well as healthcare providers involved in the organ donation process will be in attendance.

“The conference happens to fall during April, which is National Donate Life Month,” says Anthony M. D’Alessandro, MD, executive director of the UW OPO. “During this time, we not only take the opportunity to thank those who have selflessly given the gift of life, but to encourage others to learn more about the importance of organ donation.”

Though thousands of Americans have given their organs to save others’ lives, the current rate of donation is inadequate to meet the current needs. Today, nearly 81,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Each day, 16 people die waiting.

As a hospital-based program, the UW OPO is recognized as one of the most effective organ procurement programs in the nation. In 2002, the OPO recovered 100 donors in its region (which includes Wisconsin and parts of Michigan and Illinois). These generous donors resulted in 575 total transplants performed at UW Hospital during that year. That milestone placed UWHC OPO among the top five OPOs nationally. Other accomplishments reached in 2002 include:

• UW Transplant Program performed its first-ever pancreas islet cell transplant
• UW Transplant Program performed its 500th heart transplant
• UW Transplant Program performed 100 liver transplants

This year, the UW OPO has reached yet another milestone. In March alone, organs were recovered from 15 donors —the highest monthly total ever in the history of the OPO. “This increase is a result, in part, of the work we perform as a team in partnership with our local hospitals, to make sure that all families are offered the option of organ donation,” says D’Alessandro. “But it is also a direct result of the generosity of those families that are saying ‘yes’ to donation.”

The Ninth Annual Douglas T. Symposium

Snowboarder Chris Klug is keynote speaker at National Organ Donation Symposium.

Doug Miller was a transplant coordinator at UW Hospital and Clinics for eight years until he passed away in 1985. Doug developed chronic kidney failure as a teenager and began dialysis in 1967. A few years later, he was one of the earliest recipients of a kidney transplant.

Doug worked tirelessly as coordinator of the organ transplant program and was particularly effective in sensitizing healthcare professionals throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest to the critical need for organ donation. Like previous symposia, the Ninth Douglas T. Miller Symposium is dedicated to him and the continuation of his valuable work.

Become an Organ Donor

Transplantation saves lives, but only if you help. All you need to do is say yes to organ donation on your donor card and/or driver's license and discuss your decision with your family.

Talk to your family members about organ donation so they know your wishes.

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First published: 07/15/02 Last updated: 08/19/08 webmaster@surgery.wisc.edu
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