New Maryland bill introduced to increase organ, eye, and tissue donation education in public schools

BALTIMORE - Feb. 7, 2018 - PRLog -- The Living Legacy Foundation (LLF) will host a press conference to introduce and explain bill HB0442, Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Instruction in Public Schools, in immediate anticipation of its hearing on February 15, 2018. The bill, a joint effort between local college student Shani Kamberi and The LLF, will require Maryland county boards of education to provide age-appropriate organ, eye, and tissue donation education to students in grades 9-12 in public schools. Providing education to these students will allow them to make an educated and inspired decision about registering as an organ, eye, and tissue donor. The bill is sponsored by Delegate Pamela Queen of Montgomery County, and co-sponsored by Delegates Conaway, Hill, Hornberger, Kelly, Lam, Luedtke, Morhaim, Platt, M. Washington, and Wilkins.

The press conference will include various speakers who will be speaking on the bill:

Mr. Jonathan Bos is a high school English teacher in Montgomery County, Maryland. He received a heart transplant in 1999.

Dr. Macey Henderson, J.D., Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery in the Division of Transplantation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with a joint appointment in the Department of Acute and Chronic Care in the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Dr. Henderson is the Director of Policy and External Affairs for the Epidemiology Research Group in Organ Transplantation and a member of the Board of Directors for the national organ transplant system (the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network).

Dr. Tanjala Purnell, PhD, MPH is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Transplantation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She holds joint faculty appointments in the Departments of Epidemiology and Health Behavior and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is the Director of Community and Stakeholder Engagement for the Epidemiology Research Group in Organ Transplantation, the Associate Director for Education and Training at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity, and a member of the Minority Affairs Committee for the national organ transplant system (the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network).

Shani Kamberi is a second-year undergraduate premedical student at the University of Maryland in College Park. Her passion for educating others regarding organ, eye, and tissue donation has driven her to lead the effort to create and introduce this bill. Ms. Kamberi aspires to be a transplant surgeon.

Delegate Pamela E. Queen is a member of the house of delegates from District 14. She is a member of the Judiciary Committee, Vice Chair of the Metro Washington Area Committee, Montgomery County Delegation, member of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, and the Women Legislators of Maryland.

EVENT DETAILS:

What: Press Conference for Bill HB0442 – Education – Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Instruction in Public Schools

When: February 15, 2018 at 10 AM

Where: The Living Legacy Foundation, 1730 Twin Springs Rd. Suite 200, Baltimore, MD, 21227

ABOUT THE LLF: The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland (http://www.thellf.org/)is the federally designated organ procurement organization and licensed tissue bank for the state of Maryland excluding Prince George's, Charles, and Montgomery Counties. The LLF, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, is dedicated to providing advocacy, family support, and public and professional education about organ and tissue donation.