Hi all, It’s the annual Kritter Memorial, Saturday night after 6 pm at Wiborg beach East Hampton.
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All are welcome. Food and drinks will be provided.
Kat
Thinking of you as I often do. I will always miss you, cant say that about many things you run into in your life.
-Jake
Publication: The East Hampton Press
Donate organs, save lives
By Carolyn Kormann
Apr 7, 09 3:43 PM
In 2003, Frank Dalene’s son Kristopher died after a car accident. He was 21.
After Mr. Dalene and his wife Gwen said goodbye, they sat on a bench outside Southampton Hospital in shock and disbelief, Mr. Dalene recalled. A short while later, a New York Organ Donor Network representative sat down next to Mrs. Dalene and put her arms around her. She then began to compassionately explain the benefits of donation—how many lives would be saved or improved by making a decision on behalf of their son.
They decided to consent when they remembered several conversations they had had with Kristopher eight months earlier after their niece died of an extremely rare and aggressive form of cancer at the age of 35. Kristopher had said he wished to be a donor, and so, the Dalenes gave the gifts of bone, heart valves, veins and eyes.
If it weren’t for the worker approaching them from the New York Organ Donor network, Mr. Dalene said he and his wife would not have participated in the program. “Because of our decision, two people can now see,” Mr. Dalene said.
Since then, Mr. Dalene has actively worked to raise awareness about the importance of registering to become an organ donor. He joined the East Hampton Lions Club, of which his brother Roy was the president, after his brother told him that the club had been one of several on Long Island that helped to form the Lions Eye Bank at the North Shore Medical Hospital. He and his brother have worked to encourage Lions Club members to become donors.
This year, Mr. Dalene became the Lions Club president and wants to see the organization work closely with the New York Organ Donors Network. “They have common goals,” Mr. Dalene said. “The Lions Club is a service organization that does a lot related with health and sight—one of its focuses is sight and sight restoration.”
On Wednesday, April 15, the East Hampton Lions Club and Southampton Hospital will sponsor the New York Organ Donor Network’s third annual “Celebration of the Gift of Life,” called “Save Lives New York” at Southampton Hospital. The event is open to the public and intended for anyone who wants to find out about organ and tissue donations. Donor families and recipients will be there to share their stories.
“The whole purpose is to create awareness and start the process—encourage people to talk about donation with their spouses, children and parents.” Mr. Dalene said the need for organ donors is greater than ever. While the number of donors remains flat or is declining in many regions, the number of people awaiting organ transplants across the nation for the first time exceeds 100,000, according to the New York Organ Donor Network. In the greater New York metropolitan area, including Suffolk County, approximately 7,500 need organ transplants. Thousands more need eyes and other tissues to either save or improve their lives.
While one organ donor can save up to eight lives, the challenge is getting people to register. “Nobody wants to enter conversations about these things,” Mr. Dalene said. “Talking about death is very difficult for people unless it hits them very close. We always think we have plenty of time. But then something tragic can happen and we don’t expect it.”
To make a reservation for the Save Lives New York event, send an e-mail to dcraven@southamptonhospital.org or call 631-726-8700, extension 8.
It has come time to create a new and improved website. I have moved the site to WordPress to make it easier to use and maintain. Please check out the menus at the top of the page to get to the different sections of the site.
In the Music of Kris section I have included an inline player that will let you play the songs from the site, or if you like download them.
I have also include and random picture box that pulls from all the photos in the gallery.
Please leave comments and let me know what you think