Arizona HCR 2042: living kidney donors day 2018

Bill Text

HCR2042 - 532R - I Ver 

 REFERENCE TITLE: living kidney donors day 2018

 State of Arizona

 House of Representatives

 Fifty-third Legislature

 Second Regular Session

 2018

 HCR 2042

 Introduced by 

 Representative 
 Carter

A 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

proclaiming march 8, 2018 as living 
kidney donors day in arizona.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Whereas, nearly 2,000 people in 
Arizona and 100,000 people nationwide are in need of a kidney transplant; and

Whereas, each year 90 people in 
Arizona die without receiving the life-saving transplant, and another 50 
Arizonans are removed from the transplant wait list each year due to advanced 
illness caused by the long, unpredictable wait for a deceased donor's kidney; 
and

Whereas, our nation's organ 
shortage continues to steer an ill-fated destiny of these kidney patients; and

Whereas, the only hope for these 
kidney patients is to get their name to the top of the transplant wait list 
before it is too late; and

Whereas, living kidney donation 
can end the life-threatening wait by offering a better and longer quality of 
life to those in need, at the time of their need; and

Whereas, most healthy people do 
not realize they can impact or even save a life by donating one of their two 
kidneys to someone in need; and

Whereas, though a living donor 
must be healthy enough to qualify for donation, the donor does not have to be 
related by blood or even blood type-compatible with the recipient in a paired 
exchange program; and

Whereas, the majority of those who 
donate go on to live full and vibrant lives; and

Whereas, to date, living kidney 
donors have successfully improved and extended the lives of more than 145,000 
kidney transplant recipients, over 2,800 of whom received transplants in 
Arizona; and

Whereas, the number of living 
kidney donor transplants in Arizona has consistently dropped the last eight 
years, with the most significant decrease occurring in 2017, which reflects a 
39% drop since 2009; and

Whereas, the TransplantFirst 
Academy advocates to increase awareness of and participation in living kidney 
donation, while supporting protections against insurance discrimination and 
recovery time off work by recognizing living kidney donors as selfless 
humanitarians who give chronic kidney disease patients hope for a better and 
longer life; and

Whereas, while living kidney 
donation is not for everyone and there are risks, those who participate should 
be celebrated for leading the way in this remarkable life‑saving 
opportunity.

Therefore

Be it 
resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate 
concurring:

1. That the Members of 
the Legislature proclaim March 8, 2018 as Living Kidney Donors Day in Arizona.

2. That the Members of 
the Legislature acknowledge the commitment of organizations such as the 
TransplantFirst Academy, the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona and the Erma 
Bombeck Project for giving patients with kidney failure hope for a better 
tomorrow.

3. That the Members of 
the Legislature honor the brave citizens of Arizona who have selflessly donated 
a kidney and saved a life as a living donor.