Growing awareness one impression at a time
Gift of Life Michigan is working to educate and inspire action using data and by telling the stories of donors, their families and organ and tissue recipients whose lives are changed by their gifts.
The state’s organ donation program is expanding its reach to meet more people where they are – which is on their devices using social media and other digital platforms. The average internet user spends roughly 400 minutes a day online, providing ample opportunity to connect them to the Check Your Heart campaign, which launched in 2022.
The premise is simple: Check for the heart on your driver’s license or state ID. If it’s there, you’re a registered organ, eye and tissue donor. If it’s not, check within yourself and consider adding your name to the Michigan Organ Donor Registry.
The multimedia campaign is designed to share data, information and stories to provide Michiganders with enough facts to help them make a decision. The campaign also encourages them to share their decision with their families.
“Until no one dies waiting for a life-saving organ, we have to continue to find creative ways to get the message out to register,” said Racha Kardahji, director of marketing and communications at Gift of Life. “It’s crucial that we continue to educate and inform until we have no one left on the waiting list.”
It takes an average of seven times for a person to see a message for it to resonate and take action. Every Check Your Heart campaign impression – views of the message – is one step closer to helping someone with their decision.
Nearly 2,400 patients are waiting in Michigan for an organ transplant. One donor has the potential to save up to eight lives; tissue donors can heal as many as 125 patients.
Organ and tissue donors not only change life for their recipients, but also touch the lives of their families, friends, coworkers and communities.
“One person’s decision to help another changes life for everyone who knows the transplant recipients,” Racha said. “Registering to become a donor has that kind of life-altering reach.”
Please consider adding your name to the Donor Registry at golm.org/register or by visiting the Michigan Secretary of State’s website at Michigan.gov/sos.
For more facts, visit golm.org/faq
