Transplant Recipient Moves City Council with Story of Survival

Lung transplant recipient and Donate Life ambassador Gary Foxen entranced the City Council with his story of survival Tuesday evening as he accepted a proclamation of April as DMV Donate Life Month.

“I received a new lung 12 years ago, and prior to that I was on death’s door. I couldn’t walk from here to the mayor’s seat without having to stop for air. And now here I am. This is what organ and tissue donations can do for folks. That’s the good news,” Foxen said.

Foxen then shared the bad news—that so many more people are waiting for transplants—and asked the audience and City Council to share its decision to donate with family members.

“Talk to your family, because your family shouldn't have to be put into the position of having to make that decision for you at the time of your death,” Foxen said, noting that there are 110,000 people on the national transplant waiting list, mostly for kidneys.

Foxen ended with an inspiring message he heard on the radio while travelling through Spain. 

“This fellow said, ‘when I die, you can have everything. Take my bones, organs, skin. Take it all. If my family wants to bury something, they can bury my sins and the wrongs I have committed toward my fellow man.’ ”

The mission of national Donate Life month is to raise awareness about organ and tissue donation and the importance of sharing the decision to donate with family members.

Because of the lack of available donors, 4,573 kidney patients, 1,506 liver patients, 371 heart patients and 234 lung patients died in 2008 while on the waiting list for organ transplants, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

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An Italian Festival for the Fall?

La Dolce Vida Italian festival wants to visit this fall to Laguna Niguel. La Dolce Vida—meaning the sweet life—will be a family-oriented Italian festival with free admission and free parking. If it is held, the festival will take place in September and will be a two-day event.  It will be co-sponsored by the Lions Club and the Sons of Italy. 

La Dolce Vida festival will offer a variety of Italian foods, a music contest, pizza throwing, meatball rolling, clothing and products. The proposed event will take place on El Lazo behind the Laguna Niguel Design Center. Mark Snyder, who is heading up the event, asked for support from the city including endorsement, traffic control, signage, deputies for security and logistical support. 

The City Council expressed concern over the $21,000 price tag attached to the cost of the logistical support and asked for a revision of the expense plan.  The issue will be revisited by the council April 19. 

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A Short Discussion Regarding Mara Steves’ Accident Site

The City Council opened the floor to discuss the Traffic Commission’s recommendations that additional police enforcement and radar trailers be added to Nueva Vista and Moulton Parkway. The commission also recommended that traffic conditions be reviewed on Moulton Parkway, including the sight distance for vehicles making right turns on red from Nueva Vista Drive to Moulton Parkway.

The commission is making these recommendations in light of the accident that claimed the life of Mara Steves at this intersection on Feb. 13.

Iris Arabshahi spoke to the council about her concerns over the speed of traffic on Moulton Parkway. Arabshahi said that she was worried about the speeding through the area before Steves’ death, and asked for the City Council to reduce the speed limit in the area, which is currently 50 mph.

Council member Robert Ming said that the City Council is taking the issue seriously and that it will keep an eye on the issue in addition to supporting the Traffic Commission’s recommendations for stepped up enforcement.

“We always want to avoid tragedies when it’s possible,” Ming said.

Arabshahi and Elisabeth von Gremp expressed dissatisfaction over the brief time spent discussing the accident site.  

“I don't know why they put it on the agenda if they weren’t going to spend more time talking about it,” von Gremp said.

Arabshahi said that she will be back every month to speak before the council and keep the issue on the forefront of the council members’ minds.