Members of the Rome-area organ transplant community will gather at Berry College’s Science Building Auditorium on Saturday, May 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the Georgia Transplant Foundation’s (GTF) annual Trends in Transplant (TNT) conference.

The Trends in Transplant conference is designed to provide transplant candidates, recipients, living donors, and their families with educational information and support as they experience transplantation.

Physicians and other medical professionals, including Dr. John Whelchel of Piedmont Hospital and LifeLink Foundation’s Public Affairs Coordinator Kaysha Cranon, will lead educational seminars on “Getting the right start with Georgia Transplant Foundation Programs and Services,” “Transplantation: Wellness Starts with You,” and “Planting the Seeds for Organ Donation.” GTF staff will also be on hand to provide information on financial strategies, mentoring support, and JumpStart, the foundation’s accredited employment and career development service.

“This Trends in Transplant conference is a great way for us to bring new transplant-related information to the growing transplant community in and around Rome,” said David Bakelman, executive director of the Georgia Transplant Foundation. “Approximately 270 transplant recipients and 390 candidates live in the Rome-area, and all of them qualify on some level for one of GTF’s services.”

The Georgia Transplant Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides financial, educational and emotional support to organ transplant candidates, recipients, living donors, and their families in the state of Georgia.

Transplantation is not a cure, but a treatment, and its financial, physical and emotional effects continue for life. Statewide, there are more than 2,930 people waiting for organ transplants, while more than 10,470 Georgians are living successfully with a transplant.

The Conference is free for all transplant candidates, recipients, living donors and one guest. Lunch will be provided. Please call (678) 514-1178 or email gtf@gatransplant.org to register to attend the Rome TNT Conference by May 17. For more information about the Georgia Transplant Foundation and programs offered, please visit www.gatransplant.org.