Darwinian humour helping an organ donor campaign

By

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Eight of your organs can be donated. Sometimes it’s a good thing your brain isn’t one of them!

That’s the message at the heart of a campaign using some shocking humour to make you consider giving up your organs to save lives.

The campaign from Europe shows scant-brained people about to become eligible to donate — like the poster of the young beer-loving guys in the pool, floating the extension cord to their electric grill in the middle.

Peggy John with the BC Transplant Society loves it.

“I think if you look at a few places around the world, there’s a whole variety of different approaches, from shocking to humorous to sometimes compelling,” she tells News1130.

“I think really what everyone is trying to do is just to make people stop and pause to think about the impact that they could have by saving someone else’s life if something happens and they are potential organ donors.”

And sometimes it only takes a little nudge to remind people they can make huge difference.

“Nobody likes the thought of death. We know from surveys we’ve done in BC that more than 90 per cent of British Columbians agree with organ donation but so far, less than 20 per cent have actually registered their decision that they would or would not like to be a donor,” says John.

“There’s a huge gap there and so it’s about making people aware of the fact they can register their decision and making them aware of the power of what that can do — how it can give someone a new life.”

The BC Transplant Society’s current campaign tells personal stories of people whose lives have been impacted by receiving a donated organ.

“There are so many compelling stories to tell. We think we’ve only scratched the surface,” says John. “But we are always watching who is doing what. There’s a very creative campaign in Brazil right now where a fellow is burying his Rolls Royce. The concept is ‘Why would I bury something so valuable?'”

In BC, there are approximately 500 people on the active waitlist, hoping for an organ. Last year, 30 people died in this province while waiting for a transplant.

“If there’s anything we can do, we know there are missed opportunities out there. The more we can do to get the word out and help people register their decision, the more lives we can save.”

The proof it takes just a little push for some people? Stories like this one on News1130.

“We know that every time you guys do a story, it does have an impact on the number of people who register. Absolutely. You’ll do a story and we will see a spike in online registration,” says John.

It takes only minutes to register online. You can also pick up a form at any driver licensing office or at participating RE/MAX and LifeLabs locations.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today