By Shelby Peck | Copy Editor
The Baylor chapter of Student Organ Donation Advocates is hosting its first campuswide event on Thursday to bring awareness to the country’s drastic need for organ donors and to raise interest in the organization.
The event, “Handprints for Hope,” will feature a meet-and-greet with NASCAR driver Joey Gase as well as the unveiling of the Donate Life Texas NASCAR.
“[Gase’s] mother was an organ donor, and she passed away when he was 18,” Ron Varghese, Friendswood junior and president of Baylor SODA, said. “Something that comforts him is knowing that part of his mom is living in other people. … He’s able to go to bed knowing that people are breathing easier because of his mom after becoming a donor.”
The event, which is open to the public, will begin at 3 p.m. Thursday in Lots 2 and 3 at McLane Stadium. Attending organ donors and recipients will be able to put their handprints on the Donate Life Texas NASCAR, symbolizing the name of the event, “Handprints for Hope.”
“The whole event [is] just being like a celebration of life and celebration about organ donation,” Varghese said. “I think we’re very blessed that this is the first event we’re able to do as an upcoming association, and we look forward to putting on more events with our sponsors.”
Varghese’s journey with organ donation advocacy began eight years ago, when his father had critical liver failure caused by primary sclerosing cholangitis and needed a liver transplant to live. His father shared an ICU room with two other patients: a schoolteacher and a firefighter. In what Varghese described as a “miracle,” his father received a donation. However, his two roommates were unable to receive donations and died.
Varghese said the incident “opened his eyes” to the drastic need for organ donors.
“At any given moment, there’s about 100,000 people that are on the waitlist for an organ, and meanwhile, only 20,000 donor organs are supplied,” Varghese said. “So that’s a ratio of five people waiting for one organ, so there’s a huge shortage that’s going on nationally.”
A combination of his personal story and the realization that there were no organ donation advocacy groups at Baylor drove Varghese to start a local chapter of SODA.
“Now, it’s easier than ever to register as a deceased organ donor, meaning that instead of going to the DMV and filling out a lot of paperwork, now you can register on your phone,” Varghese said. “You can say what you want to donate, what specific organs, who you want to donate to, and you can remove yourself from the registry anytime, free of cost.”
Varghese said SODA focuses on educating the Baylor community about common misconceptions and concerns regarding organ donation.
“Skepticism is definitely very valid and reasonable, especially since it’s a controversial topic,” Varghese said. “We try to give as much information to people, and we encourage them to become donors. But I think at the end of the day, we’re OK if they don’t become donors, because we think our main mission is to let people know that there’s an important choice to be made and that the right information is needed to make the right choice.”
Saratoga, Calif., junior and vice president of Baylor SODA Adithya Nair said that when Varghese reached out to him with the idea for a Baylor chapter of SODA last semester, he didn’t know much about the process of organ donation despite being a registered donor himself. After hearing the story of Varghese’s father and the drastic shortage around the country, he decided to go all in.
“A lot of people, especially in Waco since there’s not an organ transplant center, don’t really know what organ donation is, and therefore not that many people are signed up to be organ donors,” Nair said. “The whole purpose of SODA is basically a public health initiative to get people signed up as organ donors and to promote awareness about the organ shortage that’s happening.”
Since holding its first interest meeting on Sept. 14, SODA has around 10 members and is looking to grow. SODA welcomes students from all scholastic backgrounds — not just pre-medical students — who are interested in organ donation awareness.
“I was more than happy to help Ron set up … and advertise about all these events, because I think this is an issue that we can tackle through hard work,” Nair said.
Varghese and Nair said those interested in joining SODA, attending organ recipient speaker events or participating in volunteer opportunities should follow the organization’s Instagram to remain updated.
“We train members and we educate them to then be able to talk to other people, because you can’t talk and educate other people about donation without being educated [yourself],” Varghese said.
Varghese said some people’s hesitation with organ donation may stem from religious reasons. However, after reading several studies, he said he believes different religions “interpret donation as a great charitable event.” He said this message could especially resonate with the substantial Christian population at Baylor.
“I don’t think it’s ever too late to make a change,” Varghese said. “I actually had the idea of starting the organization two years ago, and I never really acted on it because, well, I was kind of nervous about sharing my story.”
As a junior, Varghese said he wondered if it was too late to begin a successful club and make an impact on Baylor’s campus. However, he said he soon realized it’s never too late as long as he puts one foot in front of the other and feels passionate about where he’s headed.
“My parents were always very supportive of me doing something like this … turning our story or situation into a positive, because a lot of my high school life … it really had a negative experience on me — psyche and mental health,” Varghese said. “Over time, I really tried to get myself together and be strong to share my story, and hopefully that would be influential enough for people to go and be a part of the change and become a donor.”
Varghese said he has received lots of support from Dr. Walter Matthews, a clinical professor in the Honors Program and the adviser for Baylor SODA, as well as friends and alumni.
“Push yourself out there and just believe that you really can make a change, and you can make a difference even if you think it’s too late,” Varghese said. “I only became a donor maybe like a year ago, and I had all this happen. So it’s never … too late to make a change. It’s OK if you’re not a donor or you may believe something else, but we as an organization are there to be alongside you.”
