Dayton Based Community Tissue Services to Donate Skin for Paraguay Burn Victims

DAYTON, OHIO – Community Tissue Services (CTS), headquartered in Dayton and the number one non-profit supplier of skin grafts to surgeons for severe burn patients in the United States, expects to ship over 300 individual skin grafts this afternoon to aid burn victims of the August 1 supermarket fire in Asuncion, Paraguay. The tissue grafts are being flown from Cincinnati to Miami, FL this afternoon and will be flown to Paraguay overnight.

“The U.S. State Department contacted tissue banks throughout the country including Community Tissue Services and requested available skin grafts for shipment to Paraguay,” stated Diane Wilson, Chief Operating Officer. “Due to the lack of financial resources available to help cover the medical expenses of these burn patients, CTS has decided to donate the grafts.”

It can take up to 75 grafts to help save the life of one burn victim. The grafts shipped today will help an estimated five to ten burn patients depending on the severity of their burns. Skin grafts are utilized as a temporary dressing on patients to hold body fluids in and keep infection out. Many of the grafts came from local tissue donors who consented to be donors upon their death.

“The need for skin grafts in this country is overwhelming,” said Wilson. “The way people can help is to make a commitment to becoming a tissue and organ donor and to share their wishes with their families.”

Those interested in becoming a donor can fill out an Ohio Donor Registry Enrollment Form or download a printable donor card to carry in their wallet at Community Tissue's website. Interested persons can stop by Community Blood Center / Community Tissue Services, 349 South Main Street in downtown Dayton, to pick up a donor card. Donor cards will be available with the receptionist. For more information, call Community Tissue Services at 1-800-388-GIVE.

CTS began operations in 1986 and is currently one of the largest tissue banks, distributing nearly 10% of the tissue grafts in the United States. CTS is the largest non-profit provider of skin grafts to surgeons for severe burn patients.

Community Tissue Services (CTS) is an independent, not-for-profit organization. Community Tissue Services serves the public through procurement and distribution of human tissue donations used for transplantation. Community Tissue Services is composed of seven regional offices and two satellite facilities: Dayton, Ohio (Corporate Office); Fort Worth, Texas; Fresno, California; Indianapolis, Indiana; Portland, Oregon; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Toledo, Ohio. Satellite locations: Boise, Idaho and Medford, Oregon. Community Tissue Services is ISO 9001-2000 Registered. For more information about Community Tissue Services, visit www.communitytissue.org.

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