What is ODAC working on now?

Brick building with red banners reading "Bard High School Early College," located on a street corner with trees and a sidewalk.

Three people standing together indoors; two women and one man, smiling, with a projection screen and red curtains in the background.

Organ Donation Awareness Corporation banner with silhouettes of internal organs and the tagline "Live life, Give life." Names "Diya Cherian & Lasya Damaraju" at the bottom.

Speaking to Bard High School Early College

In March, our Chief Operating Officer, Diya Cherian, and Director of Community Relations, Lasya Damaraju, gave a presentation to Bard High School Early College in Manhattan; they spoke about the importance of registering to be an organ donor, common myths surrounding the organ donation and transplantation process, and how to get involved as a volunteer with ODAC.

ODAC Heads to CGI U!

ODAC’s founder (Chirag Ram), Executive Director (Alexander Fraser), and Chief Operating Officer (Diya Cherian) were accepted into the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) program for 2023! Below is the poster that was developed by them and presented at the conference held from March 3rd through 5th at Vanderbilt University in Tenneessee.

Organ donation awareness infographic by ODAC, highlighting key statistics such as one donor saving 8 lives, 95% support for donation with only 54% registered, over 42,800 transplants in 2022, and 103,967 individuals waiting for a transplant. Includes educational events, collaborations, and a 'Donuts for Donation' event. Features fireside chat speakers for Youth Advocacy Month.

Group of people at Clinton Global Initiative University event with a blue background, text saying "Inspiring the next generation of leaders to tackle pressing challenges in their communities."

CGI U offers one-of-a-kind training, resources, and personalized mentorship on how to ideate, design, implement, and evaluate a social impact project. Through a year-round curriculum that includes student networking and engagement events, beginning with the global annual meeting, CGI U provides unique opportunities to connect aspiring leaders with leading experts in business, technology, social impact and each other.
CGI U participants are selected on the strength of their Commitment to Action, and ODAC was chosen to present our Commitment to Action at the conference in March.

Humanizing Organ Donation

On February 7th, three amazing speakers shared their stories with ODAC and our audience!

The Facts and Perspectives Behind Transplantation

Dr. Alexandra Shingina is a multidisciplinary Assistant Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center whose area of expertise focuses on Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. Dr. Shingina has published over 20 papers focused on a topic she is passionate about — liver transplantation. As a physician at the forefront of change in the organ transplant community, we are excited to welcome Dr. Shingina to speak with us about the science behind organ donation.
Dr. Alin Gragossian is a licensed Critical Care and Emergency Medicine physician who volunteers on the patient advisory committee at the American Society of Transplantation. While in medical training, she had to receive an urgent heart transplant after being diagnosed with a genetic heart condition in 2019. Since then, she has been using her unique voice as a "patient-doctor" to advocate for the importance of organ donation through her platform, A Change of Heart. We are delighted to have Dr. Gragossian join us on our webinar to share her story and the impact organ donation had on her own life.
Abraham (Abie) Rohrig is a 22-year-old student at Columbia University pursuing a degree in Philosophy. In 2019, Rohrig selflessly donated his kidney in an effort to help an individual suffering from lupus. Rohrig proves to be an inspiration to the organ donation community as an individual who advocates for organ donation on a daily basis. We hope to gain a better understanding of the organ donation process from an individual who has gone through it firsthand, and we hope that his story inspires our listeners as well.

Donuts for Donation

Person holding a donut and a sign that says "Donuts 4 Donation"

Person holding a sign that reads "Donuts 4 Donation @Ahsin" in an outdoor setting at night.

Person holding a donut and sign "Donuts 4 Donation" at night near subway entrance.

Person holding a sign that reads "Donut 4 Donation" in an outdoor urban setting with lit trees and buildings at night.

A smiling person holding a sign that says "Donuts 4 Donation!" and a paper bag, standing on a city street at night with buildings and lights in the background.

Person holding a whiteboard sign reading 'Donuts 4 Donation' and holding a donut, standing on a city street at night with buildings and lights in the background.

Person holding a sign reading 'Donuts 4 Donation' in a park at night, with buildings and streetlights in the background.

Person wearing a face mask holding a sign that says "Donuts 4 Donation!" in a nighttime urban setting with a box of donuts in front.

12

registered donors and counting

The goal for this event was to spread awareness of how volunteering to be an organ donor can do more good than harm and to advocate for the cause we stand by. This event allowed us to discuss the cause one-on-one with individuals of a wide range of backgrounds in an effort to disprove any myths about organ donation.

Check out the latest episodes of our podcast below:

Reaching the College Demographic @NYU

In September, our Executive Director Alex gave a presentation to New York University (NYU) Dean’s Service Honor Corps; he spoke about the importance of registering to be an organ donor, common myths surrounding the organ donation and transplantation process, and how to get involved as a volunteer with ODAC.