Maggie Gyllenhaal Discusses Organ Donation and D TOUR

Here is a shocking statistic: on average, 18 people die everyday waiting for an organ transplant.

Watch the exclusive video below with Independent Lens host Maggie Gyllenhaal who discusses D TOUR, which chronicles musician Pat Spurgeon’s search for a living kidney donor and the challenges associated with finding a viable match. The program will air on November 10 at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS (check local listings).

Spurgeon’s story highlights the need to regularly monitor kidney health for those who are in at-risk categories.

Learn more about kidney disease, organ donation and the film >>

Tags: healthcare, indie rock, kidney, organ donation

D TOUR Events Draw Potential Donors and Increase Awareness of Organ Donation

D TOUR director Jim Granato and June R. Wallace, Community Affairs Coordinator, California Transplant Donor Network at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center

Throughout the month of September, Community Cinema presented free preview screenings of the documentary D TOUR. Each of the 36 events between September 1 and September 29 connected audience members with information about local organ donation registries and shared the stories of transplant recipients and the donors who saved their lives. The emotionally moving film follows indie rock drummer Pat Spurgeon on a “dialysis tour” as he waits for a kidney transplant match and tours with his band, Rogue Wave. The film lead to many deeply personal and heartfelt discussions with speakers afterward. When D TOUR airs nationally on PBS on the Emmy Award winning series Independent Lens on November 10, 2009 (check local listings) you can still easily connect with the local donor registry in your area.

And, you should. The need is dire. Every 13 minutes another person is added to the national organ transplant waiting list. One in nine American adults— more than 20 million –have kidney disease, and most don’t know it. Nationally, about 106,000 people are awaiting transplants of all kinds. In the Puget Sound region around Seattle there are over 1600 people waiting. In the DC area alone, there are nearly 2,000 people waiting desperately for an organ to save or enhance their lives. More than 3,400 individuals live in the New England region waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. 20,000 people on the wait list live in California.

Every D TOUR event gave audience members a chance to hear the local stories of transplant recipients, donors, doctors, nurses, and/or those living their lives while waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.

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Tags: kidney, music, organ donation, transplant

Community Cinema Screening of D TOUR in Chicago

Over the weekend, Community Cinema screened the Independent Lens film D TOUR. The film chronicles musician Pat Spurgeon’s search for a living kidney donor and the challenges associated with finding a viable match. Find out what happened at the screening from Regional Outreach Coordinator Naomi Walker.

I met Evan Farrell, former Rogue Wave bassist, several years ago when I was visiting an old friend in Bloomington, IN. My friend played in a bluegrass combo with him (they also worked construction together to pay the bills). Evan is not someone you can forget. He was an in-your-face kind of guy with an infectious lust for life. You got the feeling that if things ever got dull, Evan would shake it up in a hurry and not allow complacency to set in anywhere he was at. That was in my previous life, back when I worked at a record label.

Having been involved in the underground arts and music scene, I am well aware of the health issues faced by struggling artists. Each month there is a benefit at some venue in town for a musician dealing with health care costs. So it was especially important to me that our post-screening discussion included not only the crucial story of organ donation, but also to pass along resources for uninsured or under-insured artists.

I found out about the work of Dr. David Hinkamp and his Health in the Arts program at the University of Illinois at Chicago. With a background in occupational health, Dr. Hinkamp cares very deeply about the health of artists, including touring musicians. He LOVED the film––and watched it three times.

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Tags: Chicago, Evan Farrell, kidney, organ donation

Q&A with Indie Musician Pat Spurgeon at Community Cinema Screening in Philadelphia

On Wednesday, September 23 at 6:30 PM, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia will host a Community Cinema screening of D TOUR with a special “Skype appearance” afterward by Pat Spurgeon from the indie rock band Rogue Wave.

D TOUR chronicles Spurgeon’s search for a living kidney donor and the challenges with finding a viable match. Learn about the myths and facts of organ donation from a panel of local experts and get a chance to ask Spurgeon questions about his life, what he’s learned and how he’s moving forward. Staff and volunteers from the Gift of Life Donor Program will also be on hand to sign up organ donors and answer your questions.

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Tags: kidney, organ donation, Philadelphia, Rogue Wave

Donate Life California and ITVS Partner for D TOUR Community Cinema Screening

Currently there are more than 100,000 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, of which 20,000 on the wait list live in California. Due to a lack of donors, 18 patients die every day awaiting a second chance at life.

Donate Life California and ITVS have recently partnered to spread awareness about organ donation for the upcoming Community Cinema screening of D TOUR in Oakland, CA at 6:00 PM, September 23, at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. The film chronicles musician Pat Spurgeon’s search for a living kidney donor and the challenges associated with finding a viable match.

Taking a few minutes to register as an organ and tissue donor can mean a lifetime to someone else.

For those living in California, register on the Donate Life California Web site >>

Find out about upcoming screenings of D TOUR near you >>

Tags: California, kidney, Oakland, organ donation

In the News: Fox News Affiliate KTRV Features Community Cinema Screening of D TOUR

Fox News affiliate KTRV in Boise, Idaho, recently featured this month’s Community Cinema screening of D TOUR. The film chronicles musician Pat Spurgeon’s search for a living kidney donor and the challenges associated with finding a viable match. Regional Outreach Coordinator Lynn Allen gives an overview.

Tags: Idaho, kidney, music

Community Cinema Screening of D TOUR in Nashville

Community Cinema hosted a screening of the Independent Lens film D TOUR this past weekend at the Nashville Public Library. The film chronicles musician Pat Spurgeon’s search for a living kidney donor and the challenges associated with finding a viable match. Regional Outreach Coordinator Allison Inman gives an overview of the event.

Regional Outreach Coordinator Allison Inman with Dave Pomeroy, Kenny Walker, Craig Krampf, Teresa Davidson, Sam Rogers.

It was a coincidence (but not a surprise) that we had two rock drummers on our D TOUR panel in Music City. One, Craig Krampf, helps musicians find affordable health care as secretary/treasurer of the Nashville Musicians Association (formerly Nashville Association of Musicians). The other, Kenny Walker, is a kidney recipient who regularly shares his story in conjunction with the National Kidney Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Kenny’s experience was much like Pat Spurgeon’s––he was a drummer in a heavy metal band and was sidelined when his kidney failed. He also received a perfect-match kidney from a 19-year-old donor.

Between those two drummers––as well as Dave Pomeroy, president of the Nashville Musicians Association and NKFMT Executive Director Teresa Davidson and Program Director Samantha Rogers––we had mostly every angle of the film covered during our post-screening discussion. Kenny, Teresa and Samantha schooled us on organ donation, helping us understand both the urgent need for donors and the simple steps we can take to sign up. We discussed the importance of talking with family about an individual’s choice to be an organ donor (even if you’re signed up, they can overrule). Craig and Dave addressed musicians, letting them know their options for health care through their organization and national groups like the Future of Music Coalition. This is extra important because many musicians have trouble getting covered.

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Tags: kidney, music, Nashville