On May 5, 2016, MOHAN Foundation was invited to conduct an awareness session on Organ Donation at St.Gregorios School Dwarka. St. Gregorios School founded in 1981 in honour of their patron Saint Gregorios, is a reputed institute run by the Gregorian Orthodox Church Society (regd.) in Dwarka region. The School gives importance to the all-round development of the child and organizes many activities to instill confidence in the young minds. The school is striving hard to mould the pupils into good human beings by inculcating good moral values. In lieu of this Principal Boyaz and Vice Principal Miss Shyamala Nair were more than happy to have MOHAN Foundation to conduct an awareness session on organ donation at their school.
The session was started with Principal Boyaz introducing MOHAN Foundation and Miss Mareena Thomas, Programme Officer Delhi-NCR, who took the session for the students from Class 9th, 10th and 11th. Mr. Boyaz shared how on an average 15 people die everyday due to end stage organ failure and how if we pledge to be organ donor we may be able to save many such in the future. He also brought into note that if we did not wish to be an organ donor, then in the future if one of our family member needs an organ to be alive we cannot expect help from someone else.
Mareena started the session by asking if any student knows someone who has undergone transplantation. There was a girl from 9th standard whose father had undergone heart transplantation. It was good see that nearly 150 students had heard about the organ donation and brain death. But at the same time many did think coma and brain death were same. Mareena clarified that coma and brain death was completely different. Brain death is death and irreversible, whereas a person in coma responds to painful stimuli and is neurologically alive. The students were also told in length about the procedure of eye donation and that only corneas are retrieved unlike the common misconception that the entire eye socket is taken out. One student asked if the recipient has to pay for the organ or tissue received. While applauding the student for a logical question Mareena clarified as the organ is donated by someone the recipient is not charged for any organ he receives. The recipient is charged only for the operational procedures.
After the session Mr. Boyaz and Ms. Shyamala were very positive and even proposed to start an organ donation club in the school. To this when the option for peer education program of ‘Angels of Change’ was offered, they were very keen to take it up in their school.
460 students were present in the session and around 250 students showed interest to be organ donors.
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