CU students are battling against CSU for the top spot, and it’s not just at the football game.
The Students for Organ Donation is a student group that wants to bring attention to organ and tissue donation, which they say is a big issue facing the nation. According to the group website, there are currently over 100,000 people in the U.S. who are in need of a life-saving organ transplant, and about 20,00 people are added to the list every year.
Talbot Fucci, a 28-year-old senior MCD biology major, said he took over the CU branch of this organization two years ago. Although the group existed before Fucci took it over, he said it was not fully organized and was non-active.
“There was essentially nothing to it,” Fucci said. “This year has been so cool because we actually have such a big response from the campus.”
Fucci said they are finally getting some attention from the university and are more able to promote their cause.
“The primary objective would be to register organ and tissue donors on campus,” Fucci said. “We also want to spread as much knowledge about organ and tissue donation as possible.”
To help the mission, a communication class last year thought of the “Recycle Yourself Challenge” and teamed up with SOD and Donor Alliance to set up the event, Fucci said. The currently running challenge is for CU’s SOD to register more organ donors on campus than the CSU chapter by the time of the CU v. CSU football game, held Saturday.
Fucci said he is optimistic that the CU chapter will win the challenge.
“I’m hopeful we have registered more than CSU,” Fucci said. “I’ve been happy with what I have seen so far.”
Though SOD just consists of a few full-time members and volunteers, they said the campus has still shown great support for the group.
Forrest Brooks, an integrative physiology major and member of SOD, said he is happy with what the group has achieved so far.
“I have been really surprised by the level of commitment and just the interest people had,” Brooks said. “People were excited by the selflessness of organ donation. The competition aspect helps get students really excited.”
The goal of SOD, Brook said, is to be able to provide students with a great deal of information about the process so they can make an educated decision.
There is also the issue of whether someone’s organ-donation registry will hold up if the time comes. It is customary for hospitals to discuss organ and tissue donation with the family and registration makes what can be a difficult and painful process easier on those involved, an ER nurse at Boulder Community Hospital told the CU Independent.
Beth Garbrecht, a 21-year-old senior marketing major, said she signed up to be an organ donor when she got her license renewed.
“I did it because if something were to happen to me, I would want others to benefit if possible,” Garbrecht said. “I sure don’t need organs if I’m dead.”
Those wanting to become involved with SOD, or receive more information on organ and tissue donation should visit the SOD website, or contact Fucci at talbot.fucci@colorado.edu.
Those wanting to become organ donors can contact the Donor Alliance through their website where they can register to become an organ and tissue donor online, as well as receive additional information on organ and tissue donation in Colorado.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Isa Jones at Alexandra.i.jones@colorado.edu.
