 New Transplant Exhibit Debuts at the St. Louis Science Center 
Which organ or tissue can be transplanted - brain, blood, pancreas or bone?
The St. Louis community can now find the answer to this and other questions
at a new exhibit kiosk in the MedTech Gallery at the St. Louis Science
Center.The focus of the exhibit is on transplantation - one of the fastest growing areas of medical research. Visitors start with a 3-D model of the human body, where they learn what's currently "transplantable" and what's not. Next, they head into the "operating room" where actual medical equipment provides a realistic setting as visitors become the "transplant doctor." Visitors can remove a transplantable organ from the 3-D model, "clean" it in the sterile bowl, and prepare it to be transported to the waiting patient. Videos of actual transplant surgeries add to the realism. Visitors then decide who gets the organ and learn about the amazing database system that matches hundreds of transplant candidates with healthy organs each day and why it's sometimes hard to find a match. Finally, they hear the true stories of dozens of local transplant recipients, donor families, researchers and surgeons, and discover how advances in transplantation have affected their lives. 
"This exhibit approach integrates the science of transplantation along with
the social impact," says Ron Geisler, exhibit developer and associate
director of ecology and environment at the Science Center. "We hope to
educate people about the remarkable advancements in today's medicine.
This enables visitors to make informed decisions about organ and tissue
transplants and the science of transplantation which literally allows one
person to give life to another."Mid-America Transplant Services partnered with the Science Center to create this interactive way for children and their families to learn about donation and transplantation. Work on the exhibit began in December 2000, with assistance from local and national transplantation and education specialists. Later this year, and in early spring 2002, Science Center staff will offer transplant-oriented educational programs. Admission to the Science Center, including the MedTech Gallery, is free. Call 314/289-4444 or toll-free 800/456-SLSC for recorded information or visit the Science Center's web site at www.slsc.org. |
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© 2002-2003 Mid-America Transplant Services