AU's new chapter of Students for Organ Donation's main objective as a student-run nonprofit is promoting awareness of organ donation, which the founders of the club say is an underdiscussed topic.
The club was co-founded by AU undergraduate students Bridget Burke and Courtney Jones with Anastasia Snelling as faculty advisor, and was officially recognized as a university organization in January.
Students for Organ Donation "seek[s] to empower students to make a difference in a growing international public health crisis: the shortage of vital organs and tissues," according to its Web site.
Snelling said she hopes the club will bring much needed awareness to organ donation.
"Unfortunately, organ donation is a topic not discussed until a life or death situation, so the more education that can be spread to all people, the more informed decisions people will be able to make," Snelling said.
Burke also emphasized the educational aspect of the club and said many people, especially young people, are in the dark about organ donation.
"People don't know the facts and that's really why we're here," she said.
The club also put on a "Donation Drive" on March 1, where it will provide informational materials and encourage students to sign an "I made an educated decision" card indicating they have considered their options regarding organ donation. Burke said discussion about organ donation is often avoided because it's not always a pleasant conversation to approach, but "it's really about knowing what your choices are."
Burke, a senior in the School of International Service, said she was inspired to start the club by her mother, who was the recipient of a donated kidney more than 30 years ago. She said her mother was instrumental in getting her involved with organ donation awareness promotion when she was younger.
Amanda Schaeffer, the club's vice president and a sophomore in SIS, also has a personal connection to organ donation. Her mother was a donor at the time of her death in 1998. Schaeffer became involved with organ donation awareness and promotion in high school, when she organized a walkathon in honor of her mother. She worked with a local organization in her hometown of Reading, Pa., called The Gift of Life Donor Program's Berks Coalition on Organ Donation, to organize the three-mile walk in 2004.
"In the three years we have held the walk, over $11,000 has been raised for organ donor awareness education, which is used locally to fund donor awareness programs," Schaeffer said.
Schaeffer said her main focus in coordinating the walk was "donor awareness and education."
"Hopefully by providing the AU community with information about organ donation, our club can help encourage more people to become organ donors and discuss the issue with their families," Schaeffer said.
In April, the club will hold a week of religious forums featuring AU chaplains who will discuss the role of religion in organ donation, since many people have misconceptions about their own religion's position on organ donation.
About 20 students are currently in the club, which is actively recruiting.
"There's a lot we'd like to do if we can get more people onboard," Burke said.
She also said club members can give informational talks about organ donation to other groups or classes.
"I'm so excited about this new club on campus, since organ donation is a personal and important issue in my life," Schaeffer said.
Burke and Snelling said they are hopeful about the positive impact the club will have on organ donation awareness on campus.
Snelling also said the success of the club is dependent on the leadership and the connection they have to the "parent" organization, which includes about 100 other college chapters around the country.
