I have been a bad blogger (as many of you have pointed out)! In fact, I have just recently downloaded my Christmas pictures from my camera. Recent pictures to follow. For now, I wanted to alert my friends and family that I will be soliciting them by mail on behalf of D/B/A or Dare to Be Alive, a local non-profit benefiting transplant recipients. If you can afford to give, please do. Here's a preview of what's to come. No guilt required, but if you do have some and it helps you open your check book, more power to you!
Serving individuals with organ transplants!
Winter 2008
Dear Friends and Family,
As you know, since I received my first transplant in April of 1999 I have been dedicated to advancing the cause of organ donation awareness and education. Through my volunteer efforts, I met Deanna Arnold, a liver recipient and founder of Dare to Be Alive Foundation Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. D/B/A has been serving individuals with organ transplants by providing financial, mentoring and social supports on the Cape and Islands since 2004. This year D/B/A is serving all of Massachusetts. I affiliated quickly with the group and now serve on the Board of Directors.
There are currently 98,000 people waiting to receive an organ transplant and 17 will die each day waiting to receive the gift of life. Thankfully, I am not one of them. Though I knew that not everyone was as fortunate as I to have such a wide network of family and friends to lend a hand, my work with D/B/A has put a face to those who struggle to handle this new blessing and financial burden. The average cost of maintaining a healthy organ after transplantation is $5,000.00 per month and not all individuals have the funds or proper health insurance to cover the cost of this new life long expense.
Therefore I am turning to my network to ask that you consider D/B/A when you make your charitable donations this year. Heck, there’s no time like the present! All donations are tax deductible and directly benefit programs and services for transplant recipients like me. I know that many of you work for giving corporations that may be willing to offer matching donations or contributions. Will you ask?
Dare to Be Alive Foundation Inc. will be hosting its 4th Annual Track & Field Event Fundraiser on Saturday May 17, 2008 at the Barnstable High School in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The Track & Field Event is open to individuals of all ages who want to participate in a non-competitive track and field event or to improve on their abilities for the up coming season. This year’s event will include a Martial Arts demonstration from Mid Cape Tae Kwon Do, raffle prizes including a chance to win a 2008 Corvette, and pledge prizes. Mark your calendar and spread the word! While I don’t think I’ll be running, I will definitely be volunteering and cheerleading- about as athletic as this girl gets!
Please feel free to visit the website listed below and here more about the organization! There you’ll also see the highlights of Deanna, who, with her new liver, runs marathons!
Warm Regards,
Jill Marie Balboni
Double Lung Transplant Recipient (1999)
Kidney Recipient (2005)
230 North Main Street South Yarmouth, MA 02664 (508) 398-1260
www.daretobealive.org
