AFRICAN-AMERICAN DIALYSIS & KIDNEY RECIPIENT LAUNCHES NON-PROFIT TO HELP SAVE LIVES & EDUCATE OTHERS ON COPING WITH DIALYSIS, HOW TO GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE" & REMAIN HEALTHY

African-American Christian man received a kidney from a white muslim woman shortly after 911. He has dedicated his life to educating other living donors on how to give the gift of life by launching a non-profit organization titled One Miracle Celebration of Life Foundation on March 9, 2003 with his first fundraising event.

(January 21, 2003, Los Angeles, CA) Mike Jones, kidney recipient and organ donor educator, was blessed to receive a kidney after waiting five long years. He refused to let dialysis stop him from leading a normal productive life. His donor was a Caucasian woman of Muslim faith whom he met while enrolled in a four-day Personal Self-Development seminar back in February 2001. During that class, Mike was asked to make unreasonable request." After being puzzled and further prompted, Mike finally said to his potential donor, Will you give me one of your kidneys?"

On September 11, 2001, the same day America was overwhelmed with New Yorks Twin Towers tragedy, Mike Jones, a young African-American Christian man, was scheduled to receive the gift of life" from his donor, Patricia Abdullah, a White Muslim woman. Due to schedule conflicts with the surgeons, the surgery was postponed to September 25, 2001. Mike was told that it would take him in excess of a year to get back to his normal course of activities such as softball, racquetball, and walking. However, he was able to do these things within 6 months of his transplant.

In July 2002, Mike participated in the Dina LaVigna Breath of Life Triathlon Relay where he rode 24.8 miles on his bicycle. September 25, 2002, he celebrated his One Year Anniversary as a Gift of Life" recipient where he helped raise money for the SALUD Foundation to open the first dialysis center in South Africa. He is currently training to participate in the March 2003 L.A. Marathon and also working on his autobiography titled, One Miracle -- A Celebration Of Life." His dream is to open his own non-profit organization to help educate people on how to give the gift of life" (i.e. kidney, liver, bone marrow or blood transfusion) and remain healthy in the process.

On March 9, 2003, Mike is celebrating the launch of his dream -- the One Miracle Celebration of Life Foundation by hosting An Evening of Jazz" with Paul Jackson, Jr. and Friends at Spaghettini Italian Grill and Jazz Club in Seal Beach, CA from 6pm -- 10pm. Paul Jackson, Jr, a composer, arranger, producer, and one of the most recorded and requested guitarists in the world, is a childhood friend of Mikes. He has worked with the likes of Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross, Barbara Streisand, and a host of other accomplished artists. He and artists such as Patrice Rushen, Gerald Albright, Ndugu Chancellor, Michael Lington, Gerald Veasley, and Paul Ingersoll will be performing during this evening of jazz. Mike says, I am blessed to have Paul Jackson, Jr. and Friends be a part of this memorable accomplishment. Good friends are hard to come by and growing up together is truly a blessing." Mike will be conducting a book signing of his autobiography One Miracle - A Celebration of Life." There will also be a Silent Auction. Tickets are $50 each. Dinner or drinks are available (at an additional cost) with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the One Miracle Celebration of Life Foundation. VIP tickets are also available. Tax deductible donations are appreciated and can be made payable to: One Miracle Celebration of Life Foundation, c/o Kreative Konsepts, P.O. Box 5022-A2, El Toro, CA 92630.

If we can help spread the word, we can help save a life! For more info on Mike Jones miraculous story, visit http://www.newswise.com/articles/2001/10/MUSLIM.CED.html - the original news article that broke the story; http://www.ikidney.com/iKidney/Community/PatientProfiles/Tab_2/JonesMike - a detailed profile of his experience; or http://jewishjournal.com/home/searchview.php?id=9200 - a follow-up a year after his surgery.