Civic Engagement, Sensitivity, and Compassion

Such was the message of hope, renewal, and transformation which Lisa Schaffner, director of marketing and public relations for UNOS, delivered to a group of Collegiate 8^th graders this morning as they began the discovery phase of Envision Richmond, a capstone program focusing on civic engagement and designed to enhance leadership, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

 

The plan over the week is to identify issues that affect those in their area of concentration – in this case organ donation and transplantation – and work collaboratively to develop solutions.

Each of 13 groups will deliver its findings Friday.

 

“We love doing presentations for young people,” Schaffner said. “It helps to share our story. Our story is the community’s story. The Collegiate kids came wanting to learn more. They were sponges with the new information.”

 

Statistics are a major (and fluid) part of the transplant world.

 

Schaffner reported that 114,578 people are currently on the national waiting list, that 95 organ transplants occur each day in 253 transplant centers throughout the United States, and that 22 people die each day because a compatible organ isn’t available.

 

“We celebrate the 95,” she said. “What motivates me is the 22.”

 

Seated around a conference table at the non-profit’s headquarters at Fourth and Jackson Streets, the Collegiate contingent heard heartfelt presentations from JoAnne Cockey and Christopher Woody, both of whom have been profoundly touched by organ donation.

 

Cockey told the compelling story of her 23-year-old son Luke, who died 10 years ago from a traumatic head injury. He was a registered donor whose two kidneys, heart, and liver saved four lives. She and her husband Tim have become fast friends with the heart recipient. In fact, they were guests at her daughter’s wedding last fall.

 

“Each time I tell the story, I heal a little bit more,” she said. “It helps me tremendously to be able to help somebody else.”

 

A mental health technician at Chippenham Hospital, Woody, engaging and eternally ebullient, donated a kidney to his 13-year-old cousin in 2013 when he was 25.

 

“My story tells people that it’s OK to be a living donor,” Woody said. “This was my first major surgery, so I didn’t know what to expect, but I had no hesitation. You can’t be afraid. Helping my cousin made me feel like I was giving him a second chance in life. All is well. I’d do it all over again.”

 

The first stop of the day was the Hume-Lee Transplant Center at VCU Health where Jennifer Tomasik (liver transplant outreach coordinator) gave an overview of the donation and transplantation process, Shawn Fenner and Erin Schulz (outpatient transplant coordinators) explained the functions of the liver and kidneys, and Brett Neville (interim nursing director) described the workings of a hemodialysis machine.

 

“Organ donation helps people at a time when they really need it,” said Fenner afterwards. “The students were very attentive. They asked great questions. The majority haven’t been exposed to transplant. You really don’t know until you know.”

 

The final stop was Doorways, a non-profit hotel located at 612 East Marshall Street which affords temporary lodging and support for patients from outside Central Virginia and their families.

 

“It’s really important to provide for others in time of need,” said Regan Gifford, community outreach manager. “Doorways is a home away from home for them in time of crisis.”

 

With the site visits complete, the students began in earnest the design-thinking phase of their Envision Richmond experience. Wednesday and Thursday, they will interpret the information they compiled, identify specific needs, and present their ideas to their peers, faculty, and a panel of guests from participating organizations.

 

As much as the academic exercise, though, the exposure to a world beyond North Mooreland Road is about compassion and sensitivity.

 

“It’s always important to get out into the city and meet real people,” said Wendi Moss, who led the donation and transplant group. “That’s where the learning is. They’ve taken it all in. When they identify a user and his or her needs, they’ll really understand what these organizations are capable of doing.”

  -- Weldon Bradshaw