CHICAGO (CBS) — A new program launched Tuesday that aims to educate teens about organ donation and encourage them to act as ambassadors for organ and tissue donation.
The Lifesaving Education and Awareness on Donation (LEAD) program aims to raise awareness among teenagers.
“There are very few things you can do in life and in government that can truly save lives. This is one of them,” said Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. “A single donor alone can save up to 25 lives.”
High school students can earn community service credits for participating in the program. They simply need to find a faculty member to serve as a program advisor and work with the Secretary of State’s regional program coordinator, who will provide virtual training materials, answer questions, and provide guidance.
Teens are also encouraged to organize events and spread the message about the importance of registering as an organ donor.
Morgan Lietz, a senior at Alan B. Shepard High School in Palos Heights, was introduced by Giannoulias as an “outstanding young organ donor.” She explained that she learned about the importance of organ donation when her stepmother died of kidney failure.
“My dad explained that sometimes people get sick and need new organs,” Lietz said. “He also explained that there aren’t enough organs available and not everyone finds a match. When I found out about this, I was sad and wanted to help.”
Lietz noted that she was recently inducted into the National Honors Society, which requires 30 hours of community service. To achieve this goal, as well as out of her passion for the cause of organ donation, Lietz said she has worked the donor registration tables at various events, working with the Windy City Thunderbolts.
It was no coincidence that Giannoulias and his team held the event to announce the program at Walter Payton College Prep High School, 1034 N. Wells St. Legendary Bears running back Walter Payton—who died in 1999 at age 46 from a rare liver disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis—was a dedicated advocate for organ and tissue donation.
