Courage Has
No Color
Tuskegee airmen
film soars to
the big screen
See Metro, page 11
Unsolved Homicides
See Metro, page 11
^3Jnrtlattb(Oliserncr
‘City 0 / Roses’
Read back issues of the Portland Observer at www.portlandobserver.com
Volume XXXXI, Number 3
Wednesday • January
Januaiy 18. 2012
Estsblished ¡n 1970
r
» A to
t Cultural
r h
i n Diversity
/ C
Committed
om m unity service
^community
service
New Life
with a
New Heart
Survivor illustrates
need for organ donors
by M indy C ooper /
T he P ortland O bserver
Luther Lockett Jr. is about to celebrate his
25th year with a transplanted heart, which
without, he would not be here today to watch
his three grandchildren grow older.
According to Lockett, he now has two
birthdays: the one his mother gave him 78-
years ago when he was bom, and the second
one his “heavenly father” gave to him 25-
years-ago, after he received a life-saving
heart from an organ donor.
“We celebrate my birthday every year,”
he said, referring to his close-knit family,
which includes his beloved wife Marie, whom
cated to educating residents
of the importance of becom­
ing a registered donor.
The mission of Donate Life
Northwest is to save and
enhance lives through the
promotion of organ, eye, and
tissue donation to ensure that
everyone waiting for a trans­
plant has the same access
and opportunity to receive
the organ they need.
“We are a single non-profit
organization that works in
collaboration and basically
These extra years have given me
a beautiful granddaughter to know
and love. I've got a second chance,
so I live each day like it's my last.
-L uth er Lockett Jr.
he has been married to for 53-years this April.
After the transplant, we renewed our vows,
he said, looking over to his wife sitting qui­
etly in their northeast Portland living room,
decorated with wooden furniture, family
photos and religious symbols of their faith.
“These extra years have given me a beau­
tiful granddaughter to know and love,” said
Lockett. “I've got a second chance, so I live
each day like it's my last.”
The couple is encouraging residents, es­
pecially African Americans, to consider be­
coming an organ donor to increase the
chances others will survive serious illnesses.
Throughout the state of Oregon, there are
currently more than 859 people waiting for an
organ transplant, said Mary Jane Hunt, ex­
ecutive director of the local non-profit Do­
nate Life Northwest, an organization dedi­
photo by M indy C( x > per /T he P ortland O bserver
represents the public,” said
Hunt. “Our message and mis­ Luther and Marie Lockett o f northeast Portland enjoy a life o f family and grandchildren thanks to
sion is about motivating and a heart transplant Luther received 25 years ago. The couple is encouraging residents, especially
educating people to register.” African Americans, to consider becoming an organ donor to increase the chances others will
Founded in 1975, Donate survive serious illnesses.
Life Northwest brought to­
recipient at OHSU.
embracing
donation,
registration
has
really
gether the organ, eye and tissue recovery
Two weeks before his first heart attack in
increased,”
she
said.
agencies throughout the area to work to­
1984, Lockett said he went to his annual
The
need
for
transplants,
however,
con­
gether on public education.
physical examination, where no one men­
“This is unique because most of the pub­ tinues to grow.
tioned to him that he should take precaution
There are currently 110,000 people wait­ because of his high cholesterol.
lic education comes from those single enti­
ties,” she said. “In the state of Washington ing for transplants throughout the nation,
Taking a vacation from work, Luther took
and Oregon procurement provides public she said.
his wife to Hawaii for an exotic spring break
“We are fortunate that in our state we have to escape the Portland rain.
education.”
According to the non-profit, there are 70 percent of our residents over 18 as regis­
“We were staying at the hotel adjacent to
about 2.2 million registered donors in Or­ tered donors,” she said. “But even though we the mall, and dressing for a dinner cruise,” he
have this huge number, we still have a long said. “My chest just started hurting, and my
egon.
“With the amount of progress with anti ways to go to improve that statistic.”
continued
on page 4
Lockett was the 25th transplanted heart
rejection drugs and the amount of the public