Award-Winning Video About Transplantation Gets the “Thumbs-Up" From Students

As Ontario students go back to school this month, some senior secondary students will get the opportunity to watch a new international award-winning video produced in London.

The video is the introduction to the curriculum course - "One Life...Many Gifts" - that has been designed to educate senior secondary school students about the vital importance of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. It was developed by London Health Sciences Centre's Multi-Organ Transplant Program, in conjunction with the Trillium Gift of Life Network and the Kidney Foundation of Canada. It brings to life the drama, generosity and the life-saving promise of donation and transplantation. The curriculum is dedicated to the many Ontarians who have given the gift of life through the donation of organs and tissue and to the many others who will in the future.

“When we initiated this program at Central Secondary School almost ten years ago, there was an overwhelmingly positive response from students and teachers alike," says Dr. Bill Wall, transplant surgeon at London Health Sciences Centre. “The students go home and discuss this important social topic with their parents, so a second audience is also reached. It is our hope that One Life…Many Gifts will be made available not only in all secondary schools in Ontario but also across Canada so that a substantial impact can be made on Canada's poor organ donation rate."

A website has been developed as a resource for the Ontario teachers participating in the government-funded One Life...Many Gifts pilot project. Teachers representing 240 public and Catholic secondary schools from 20 school boards across Ontario were trained at day-long in-services between March and May 2008 on how to best use this curriculum resource and take advantage of all the support and assessment tools provided in One Life...Many Gifts.

The introductory video received three Telly awards in June in New York City. From a record 14,632 entries from around the world, "One Life…Many Gifts" won three bronze Tellys in the categories of 'Health and Wellness', 'Social Issues' and 'Charitable / Not for Profit'. The Telly Awards are the premier international awards honouring the finest film and video productions, outstanding TV commercials and programs, and groundbreaking web commercials, videos and films.

Produced by On Air Productions, the video is being shown during 2008/09 school year at all schools taking part in the pilot. The video is available for viewing on-line at: http://www.onelifemanygifts.ca/en/video/

Pictured in the photo are (from left to right) Sharon Young Kipp (teacher), Dr. Bill Wall, and students Samraat Paul, Jenn Faulds and Anne-Marie MacNeill