"KOSTAKIS MESOGITIS"

Association of voluntary blood donors, organ donors and health care

The blood donors , organ donors and health care Association <Kostakis Mesogitis> is a voluntary non profit Union, which is based in Metamorphosis of Attiki (Greece) and its main purpose spreads in two main directions; to spread the idea of voluntary organ donation for transplantations and the idea of voluntary blood donation. The Association is member of Panhellenic Federation of volunteer blood donor’s societies since the General Assembly resolution in November 1996.

The idea of establishment was born after the 1st voluntary Blood Donation organised by the Parents’ and Guardians’ Association of the 1st secondary school of Metamorphosis in memory of the student Kostakis Mesogitis.

On 1st December 1989, Kostakis Mesogitis gave life to seven people, by donating all his organs after his death, in order to be used in transplantations. The death of the thirteen year old boy became the beginning of an action taken by his friends and parents for the establishment of an Association, which could forward and couch the idea of love for other people in a specific way.

The members of the Association set out sensitization of the public opinion in Metamorphosis, having still fresh memories from the transplantation events following Kostakis’ death. In November 1990 the Union Articles were approved by Athens Court of the first instance and on the 2nd of December 1990 the first elections were held.

In the same year the number of organs offered rises impressively within the framework of voluntary organ donation, as well as the number of Voluntary Organ Donors.

Today’s Administrative Council resulting from the elections which were held on the 15th November 1998, has seven members. It’s tenure of office is two years and consists of the following members;

1.- MESOGITI Nitsa, President

2.- PAPAVASILEIOU Athanasia, Vice-President

3.- RAPANAKIS Perros, Secretary

4.- APOSTOLAKI Eleni, Treasurer

5.- PETROPOULOS Georgios, Trustee

6.- KOTOU Panayiota, Public relations’ Consultant

7.- MEGALOU Dimitra, Public relations’ Consultant

Today the Association numbers 385 members and 628 blood donors and is accommodated in a building which was made available to the Association by the Municipality of Metamorphosis. The address is 2, Kapodistriou str. (Office No 6). The Association brings out its activities by publishing articles in the local and daily