AlloSource Hosts Joey Gase, NASCAR Driver And Donor Son, With The Limb Preservation Foundation At Rocky Mountain Hospital For Children

Gase, a NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver, raises awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation by driving the Donate Life® racecar

News provided by

AlloSource

May 09, 2014, 06:06 ET

CENTENNIAL, Colo., May 9, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AlloSource (allosource.org), one of the nation's largest providers of skin, bone and soft tissue allografts for use in surgical procedures, and the world's largest processor of cellular bone allografts, hosted Joey Gase, a NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver and donor son, with the Limb Preservation Foundation at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at Presbyterian St. Luke's. Gase combines his racing career with his passion for raising awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation by driving the Donate Life racecar.

Dr. John Polousky, Joey Gase, NASCAR driver and donor son, and Jake Doud, tissue recipient, gather at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at Presbyterian St. Luke's in Denver, Colorado to raise awareness of the impact of tissue donation. The visit, sponsored by AlloSource, one of the nation’s largest providers of skin, bone and soft tissue allografts for use in surgical procedures, gave Joey an opportunity to connect with pediatric patients, while also bringing attention to donation. Joey supports donation on and off the track as a Donate Life-sponsored Nationwide Series NASCAR driver, representing organizations and donors throughout the country. (PRNewsFoto/AlloSource)

When his mother, Mary Jo Gase, passed away suddenly from a brain aneurysm, Gase, who was just 18 at the time, made the decision to donate her organs and tissue. The experience inspired him to become an advocate for donation while he travels across the United States for races. AlloSource received Mary Jo's tissue to process it for transplant and it has enhanced the lives of 59 people throughout the country and in Korea.

"Joey's dedication to raising awareness about donation is inspiring both on and off the racetrack," said Thomas Cycyota, president and CEO of AlloSource. "We are honored to have been entrusted with his mother's tissue and we, like Joey, are proud that it has made a difference for so many recipients."

AlloSource invited Gase to speak to staff about his personal connection to donation and how it drives his passion for racing. He also brought along his racecar, and AlloSource invited families of employees to come see the car and meet Gase.

During his time in the Denver area, Gase visited the Limb Preservation Foundation at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital to see patients, including Jake Doud, a 17-year-old athlete and tissue recipient who had knee surgery in March. Jake received a cartilage allograft and will soon return to the sports he loves, thanks to donor tissue. If Jake did not receive a cartilage transplant, damage to his joint may have required a much more invasive joint replacement procedure.

"Tissue transplantation may not be as widely known, but in many cases, such as burn treatment, can save lives," said Jake's doctor, Dr. John Polousky. "Tissue transplantation is often limb-saving and certainly helps preserve joint function, quality of life and the patient's ability to work and care for a family. Many patients receiving cartilage transplantation go from having significant disability to having normal or nearly normal joint function, just like I expect Jake to."

AlloSource, The Limb Preservation Foundation and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at Presbyterian St. Luke's have worked together for 20 years to provide life-saving and life-enhancing possibilities for patients.

About AlloSource
AlloSource is a non-profit company that offers more than 200 types of precise bone, skin, soft-tissue and custom-machined allografts for use in an array of life-saving and life-enhancing medical procedures. As the world's leader in fresh cartilage tissue used for joint repair and skin allografts to heal severe burns, AlloSource has grown into one of the largest tissue networks in the country with more than 400 employees. It is the world's largest processor of cellular bone allografts and delivers unparalleled expertise and customer service to its growing network of surgeons, partners and the country's most reputable organ procurement organizations. As one of the leading innovators in maximizing tissue donation with the goal of offering optimal solutions for healthcare providers and their patients, AlloSource is recognized by the medical community for its ability to process and provide high quality tissue. The company is accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks and is headquartered in Centennial, CO. For more information, please visit allosource.org or our educational website, allograftpossibilities.org.

About HealthONE's Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at P/SL (RMHC at P/SL)
RMHC at P/SL is a full service children's hospital staffed by more than 300 physician specialists in private practice providing complex care to children from the entire Rocky Mountain Region. The hospital includes a dedicated Pediatric Emergency Room with board-certified pediatric emergency physicians on-site 24/7, specialized pediatric operating rooms for minimally invasive surgery, a pediatric intensive care unit with board certified pediatric intensivists and pediatric inpatient and outpatient units. With an 84-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Level IV certification) it also houses the region's most comprehensive NICU and the biggest high-risk obstetrical program through the HealthONE Center for Maternal Fetal Health.

Media Contact
Megan Duggan
AlloSource
720. 382. 2766
[email protected]

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SOURCE AlloSource