KATIE CAPLES FOUNDATION, INC.
FERNANDINA BEACH, FLORIDA

By submitting your photo and story you give the Katie Caples Foundation permission to share your story online in perpetuity. To have your story removed from our site, please make a request in writing to through our contact us form. A partial mechanical heart called an LVAD can be surgically implanted to help maintain the heart’s pumping ability until a donated heart becomes available. More than 35 million Americans are now living with chronic lung disease, and every year, close to 342,000 die of lung disease making it America’s number three killer. Blood flows from the heart through the aorta and into the kidneys, which filter wastes and excess water from the blood and balance the body’s fluids. The kidney also release hormones that regulate blood pressure, control production of red blood cells, and promote growth of healthy bones. Urine is one by-product of the kidneys elaborate blood filtering system. When the liver breaks down harmful substances, the by-products are excreted into the bile or blood; they leave the body in feces and urine. Most patients with intestinal failure can be supported on total parenteral nutrition (TPN), a procedure in which nutrients are provide directly into the bloodstream. The pancreas — which is five inches long-produces insulin, a hormone that helps the body use glucose (sugar) for energy. The pancreas also generates enzymes that help break down fat, protein and carbohydrates during digestion. About five percent of the pancreas consists of cell clusters — islet cells — that produce insulin. To help prevent the spread of infectious diseases, medical screening of potential blood donors and tests on their blood is exhaustive. Traumatic or athletic injuries, degenerative diseases like arthritis, and cancerous tumors can destroy bone tissue and joints causing pain and disability. Donated bone and connective tissues including tendons, ligaments and cartilage are used every day to help treat hundreds of different types of procedures to reduce pain, restore mobility and save limbs from amputation. Donated bone, ligaments and tendons are processed by bone banks and made available to surgeons as needed. Donated bone helps patients avoid having to use an "autograft" or segment of their own bone, reducing pain and potential for infection. Bone grafts also have advantages over synthetic materials because they will stimulate new bone growth at the site of the transplant. One bone donor can help so or more patients. Tissue that is typically donated includes the bones, tendons and ligaments of the arms, legs, hip area and ribs. Donated bone and tendons are used to repair common but serious injuries like tears to the anterior cruciate ligament, a ligament inside the knee that helps control movement of the lower part of the leg. The cornea is the clear. dome-shaped window covering the front of the eye. There are more nerve endings in the cornea than anywhere else in the body making it one of the most sensitive parts of the body. Sclera or the white part of the eye can also be donated and used to help treat injuries to the eye. The whole eye is never transplanted, but with donor family permission may be taken for education and research. Marrow or "bone marrow" is the soft tissue in the cavities of bones involved in the production of blood cells in the body. Every year, thousands of people need donated marrow to treat a range of diseases and blood disorders. Many donor registries exist in the U.S. and other countries; most share information in helping to match donors with recipients. By submitting your photo and story you give the Katie Caples Foundation permission to share your story online in perpetuity. To have your story removed from our site, please make a request in writing to through our contact us form. A partial mechanical heart called an LVAD can be surgically implanted to help maintain the heart’s pumping ability until a donated heart becomes available. More than 35 million Americans are now living with chronic lung disease, and every year, close to 342,000 die of lung disease making it America’s number three killer. Blood flows from the heart through the aorta and into the kidneys, which filter wastes and excess water from the blood and balance the body’s fluids. The kidney also release hormones that regulate blood pressure, control production of red blood cells, and promote growth of healthy bones. Urine is one by-product of the kidneys elaborate blood filtering system. When the liver breaks down harmful substances, the by-products are excreted into the bile or blood; they leave the body in feces and urine. Most patients with intestinal failure can be supported on total parenteral nutrition (TPN), a procedure in which nutrients are provide directly into the bloodstream. The pancreas — which is five inches long-produces insulin, a hormone that helps the body use glucose (sugar) for energy. The pancreas also generates enzymes that help break down fat, protein and carbohydrates during digestion. About five percent of the pancreas consists of cell clusters — islet cells — that produce insulin. To help prevent the spread of infectious diseases, medical screening of potential blood donors and tests on their blood is exhaustive. Traumatic or athletic injuries, degenerative diseases like arthritis, and cancerous tumors can destroy bone tissue and joints causing pain and disability. Donated bone and connective tissues including tendons, ligaments and cartilage are used every day to help treat hundreds of different types of procedures to reduce pain, restore mobility and save limbs from amputation. Donated bone, ligaments and tendons are processed by bone banks and made available to surgeons as needed. Donated bone helps patients avoid having to use an "autograft" or segment of their own bone, reducing pain and potential for infection. Bone grafts also have advantages over synthetic materials because they will stimulate new bone growth at the site of the transplant.