I2901

Organ & Tissue Donation

Transplant Into Another Person

Collins Cover Announcement 

Organ and Tissue Donation

This issue was conceived to raise awareness for one of our country's critical health care issues. More than 53,000 Americans are waiting for a transplant of a vital organ, and about ten die each day while waiting. By donating organs, individuals and families can give a second chance at life to someone else.

The first organ transplant operation was performed in Boston in 1954 as a kidney was successfully transplanted. Today, organs needed include hearts, the pancreas, lungs, livers, intestines, as well as kidneys. Tissues that can be used include the cornea, skin, bone marrow, heart valves, and connective tissue.

An abstract drawing of two intertwined figures is the design of the new stamp. The hands of each reach inside the other and touch the heart. I am not a big fan of abstract art, but, in this case, I think it does a very good job of portraying the subject matter in stamp format.

As for my handpainted cachet, I chose a decidedly more realistic and humanistic scene. A young mother grasps the hand of her daughter who has recently received a needed transplant. Their eyes meet in a loving gaze between child and parent. The surgeon looks upon the scene and his little patient knowing that the girl will soon leave the hospital and start her new, healthy life. The scene in this handpainted cachet was made possible because one person had previously made the decision to share his life with another. Organ and Tissue Transplant. Collins Number #I2901. $12.25.