Recycle me is a non-profit design proposal to benefit human organ donation. The idea of the proposal is t-shirts prints and jewelry in the shape of human organs. By wearing a t-shirt or jewelry people will make a pro-donation statement.

The lack of human organs today is costing the lives of many people in need of new organs. It is also taking many people’s lives through the illegal market based on organ robbery. The situation is unacceptable and must be changed. Recycle me is a step in the right direction to create a better world. Recycle me also encourages you to make your wishes known; we can all make a difference by telling others what we think about organ donation.

The profits from the Recycle me project will go to Professor Lars-Erik Gelin Memorial Foundation for Transplant Research.

If you like to support you can purchase a t-shirt or jewelry at our web shop.

You find it here;
http://shop.pamelalindgren.com/en/grp/life-jewellery.php

Photo Pontus Johansson. Design Pamela Lindgren 2014 ©.

Music Artist Kapten Röd is supporting Organ Donation Awareness by promoting Recycle Me. In photo with “Brave Heart” limited edition jewelry for Recycle Me. We are so proud!

Designer and founder of Recycle Me Pamela Lindgren has created a limited edition of a piece of jewelry for organ donation awareness called “Brave Heart”, a gold-plated heart in brass in the size of the human heart.

- My intention with this piece of jewelry was to make it large, to make it really striking; symbolically I also made it gold-plated. It takes a brave heart to make a difference when it comes to really caring for each other, a gold-hearted person.

- Reflecting on organ donation raises questions on life itself and of course on your own life. If you in a critical situation were offered a way to survive, a second chance, wouldn´t you take it? To me the answer is evident - Yes, of course I would! There is, I believe, a universal law telling that the one who wants should also give. If I was to die prematurely in a tragic accident, it would be an even bigger tragedy if my heart could have been given to another person to save his or her life but never was because no one knew I wanted to. I think we all are obliged to let others know of our readiness to donate organs, to save lives but also to put a stop to the illegal organ-market based on organ robbery causing even the death other people.
- Pamela Lindgren Designer MFA

Photo Pontus Johansson.
www.pontusjohansson.se

Design Pamela Lindgren
www.pamelalindgren.com

If you like to know more about the great artist Kapten Röd visit:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kapten-Röd/19478216908

http://kaptenrod.se/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbPNwzFNQ7E

Music Artist Kapten Röd is supporting Organ Donation Awareness by promoting Recycle Me! Thank you so much. It means a lot!!

Björn Nilson alias Kapten Röd has his own, personal experience of the importance of organ donation. In his family there is an inherited kidney disease. At present it´s incurable. In worst case it may cause kidney failure and the need for a kidney transplant. A close relative of Björn is alive today only because she underwent such a transplant surgery.

There are many causes of kidney disease. Almost one million Swedes have impaired kidney function, often without symptoms. Kidney failure is a hidden disease. If kidney function is greatly reduced or fails, dialysis becomes necessary, or even a kidney transplant.

Every time organ donation is being discussed, remember to share your thoughts and your wishes about organ donation with others. We can all make a difference by telling others what we think about organ donation. Let your family, your friends and your loved ones know what you think!

If you like to know more about the great artist Kapten Röd visit:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kapten-Röd/19478216908

http://kaptenrod.se/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbPNwzFNQ7E

Photo Pontus Johansson
www.pontusjohansson.se

Design Pamela Lindgren
www.pamelalindgren.com

This is Jan Holgersson, a skilled scientist making groundbreaking research in order to save more lives! Read about his research team and what they do here below! Jan is working with both Prof. Suchitra Sumitran-Holgersson and Prof. Michael Olausson who already supported RECYCLE ME! Thank you so much for spreading the word - Organ Donation Concerns Us All.

“The Jan Holgersson research team conducts research in the field of transplant diagnostics focusing on developing new techniques for risk assessment of organ transplant recipients. The development of new tests for more reproducible quantification and specificity-determination of ABO and nonHLA antibodies are high on the agenda, as are the development of assays to quantify cells producing such antibodies. A very active line of research involves making cell factories producing mucin-type fusion proteins with tailored glycosylation through genetic engineering. Such mucin/immunoglobulin fusion proteins are developed to function as vaccine adjuvants and inhibitors of virus infection amongst other things.” Text from: http://www.surgery.gu.se/Forskargrupper/laboratory-for-transplantation-and-regenerative-medicine/research-group/

Fun fact; Jan and Suchitra are married, they meet in the Bio lab!

For more info;
http://www.surgery.gu.se/Forskargrupper/laboratory-for-transplantation-and-regenerative-medicine/

The Rock band Rhytm aBuse supports Recycle Me! Thank you so much! By wearing a Recycle Me t-shirt or jewellery you help us spread the word about Organ Donation Awareness.

Ellinor Johansson, member of Rhytm aBuse music collective. Art Project Manager and Writer. Torbjörn Lööv, founder of Rhytm aBuse music collective. Composer, Lyricist, Producer and Musician.

They dedicated this song to us “Life” Enjoy!

http://www.reverbnation.com/Rhytm_aBuse/song/22005397-life

https://soundcloud.com/rhytm-abuse/05-life

Thank you Anna for supporting Recycle Me! Recycle Me supports organ donation and scientific research about organ donation and transplant.

Anna Ingvaldsdotter has a kidney disease called ADPKD. The disease affects the kidneys ability to filter waste products from the blood and also causes the kidneys to become enlarged which can lead to kidney failure. Today there is no cure for ADPKD, there are only treatments to manage problems caused by the condition. Anna lives a healthy and very active life; she is determined NOT to let the disease rule her life!

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that are located on either side of the back of the body, just underneath the ribcage. The main role of the kidneys is to filter out waste products from the blood and pass them out of the body as urine. The kidneys also play an important role in helping to maintain blood pressure at a healthy level keeping salt and water in balance making hormones needed for the production of blood and bone.

“Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is an inherited condition that causes small, fluid-filled sacs called cysts to develop in the kidneys. Although children are born with the condition, ADPKD does not usually cause any noticeable problems until the cysts grow large enough to affect the kidneys' functions. In most cases, this doesn't occur until 30-60 years of age. When ADPKD reaches this stage, it can cause a wide range of problems, including:
tummy (abdominal) pain
high blood pressure (hypertension)
blood in the urine (haematuria) – which may not always be noticeable to the naked eye
potentially serious upper urinary tract infections (UTIs)
kidney stones

Eventually, kidney function gets worse and worse, until so much is lost that kidney failure develops.

Read more about the symptoms of ADPKD and diagnosing ADPKD.”

Text from; http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Autosomal-dominant-polycystic-kidney-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Photo and design Pamela Lindgren 2014 ©  
This week RECYCLE ME had the pleasure to meet Håkan Gäbel, former Transplant surgeon with a great deal of experience and knowledge! He told many fascinating stories, like the one about a donated kidney from a dead donor in Belgium that was flown to Sweden. This kidney has now been functioning well for 29 years in the receiver! In this picture Håkan is helping us promote Kidney Awareness holding a YOU&ME glass kidney.

Fun facts; Håkan is also the father of twin doctors Markus and Jakob who last week helped us promoting RECYCLE ME! Håkan Hedman, President of the Swedish Kidney Association, was the receiver of the kidney from Belgium and Håkan Gäbel was the Transplant surgeon!

Håkan Gäbel about himself;
“I received my medical education at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Gothenburg. After training as a specialist in surgery in Örebro among other places, I returned to Gothenburg in 1975 and was then offered a temporary position at the Transplantation Unit. I became so fascinated by this work that I have remained faithful to it since then. I took my M.D. degree in 1983 and gained my assistant professorship after presenting my thesis on pancreas transplantation in pigs. I worked at the transplantation units in Gothenburg, Malmö and Stockholm up until 1997. I have practical experience of most of the many questions arising due to transplantation activities. I have also worked internationally, first and foremost with donation issues as well as quality and security aspects of donation and transplantation. I was recruited way back in 1995 to the National Board of Health and Welfare, to work part-time. As from 1997, I worked full-time at providing information and introducing new regulations on the donation of organs and tissues. Even though I am now retired, I keep myself up to date on developments in the field of transplantation.”

More information here; http://socialmedicinsktidskrift.se/index.php/smt
and here http://socialmedicinsktidskrift.se/index.php/smt/issue/view/62

If you like you can support the Swedish Kidney Association by buying a glass kidney. You can find it here: http://www.njurforbundetwebshop.com/

Photo and design Pamela Lindgren 2014 © 
Twin brothers Jakob and Markus Gäbel both work as surgeons and save lives. We are so thankful for their important work. Thank you Jakob and Markus for participating in the RECYCLE ME project to spread organ donation awareness.

Remember that we all can make a difference by sharing our thoughts and wishes about organ donation. It concerns us all; every YES for organ donation is a chance to save lives!

“For some people life changes dramatically and they get limited because of severe illness or disease. The disease might bind them to a lifetime of dialysis-dependency or simply end their life far too early. Transplantation may be the only remaining treatment option.”

“Transplantation Centre at Sahlgrenska University Hospital performs organ transplantations of all types; heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas and intestine. Both children and adults are treated. Most receive organs from deceased donors, but in some cases, transplantation with living donors is performed. Most patients are back at work or studies one year after the organ transplant. Survival results in international comparison (www.ishlt.org) is very good with an expected survival of 85% at 1 year, 75% at 5 years and 60% after 10 years.”

Text translated by Recycle Me from; http://www.sahlgrenska.se/sv/SU/Omraden/5/Verksamheter/Transplantationscentrum/Organdonation/