BYU PRSSA NODAC CAMPAIGN

To promote the importance of organ and tissue donation, Brigham Young University

PRSSA students implemented a one-day campaign-based event, “Celebrate LYFE.”

Research

After reviewing and studying the information found in the NODAC history facts,

www.unos.org​,​ ​www.donatelife.net​ and other various secondary sources, we wanted to better

understand what factors differentiated registered donors and non-donors specifically at BYU. We

created and distributed a Qualtrics survey via social media to gauge student responses and held

further focus groups and interviews with donors and non-donors. The research revealed that a

majority of BYU students are registered donors. However, those identified as non-donors were

uneducated about the facts and benefits, resulting in common misconceptions about the practice

of organ donation. Our research indicated that students needed both further information about

and emotional connection to organ donation in order to choose to register as an organ donor.

Goal and Objectives:

Our goal was to promote organ and tissue donation awareness on BYU campus. Our PRSSA

team accomplished this by:

● Increasing awareness and understanding of organ and tissue donation.

● Encouraging discussion of organ and tissue donation with family and friends.

● Promoting the facts and benefits of organ and tissue donation in addition to clarifying

myths that hinder donation.

Event Tactics and Activities

The BYU organ donation campaign, “Celebrate LYFE,” focused on connecting students

to organ donation through the stories of local organ donors and recipients. The following tactics

were implemented:

1. A promotional video of donor and recipient experiences optimized for social media.

2. Earned print and video media placements in local news outlets, including KSL, the Daily

Herald and Good4Utah.

3. Distributed infographics, instructions to register, organ donation keychains, plush hearts and

wristbands during the campaign event on April 9, 2018.

4. Provided free Kona Shaved Ice to students who registered to be organ donors.

5. Displayed pictures and stories of organ donors and recipients in attendance at the event along

the canopy and tables of the booth, allowing for personal interaction with potential donors.

6. Hosted a social media raffle for students to win a BYU campus gift card by sharing a picture

with the #CelebrateLYFE.

Results

1. 85 students registered online using the BYU indicator on the Yes Utah site during the event.

2. KSL Radio show and evening news, Good4Utah evening news and the Daily Herald all

produced stories on the event and featured Lauren Holbrook, a BYU PRSSA student and

three-time heart transplant recipient.

3. Promotional video as posted on Facebook had an overall reach of more than 4,800 people and

1,536 views. The video also received 435 impressions on Twitter and Instagram.

4. Over 400 students visited the informational booth during the one-day event from 10 a.m. to 2

p.m. on April 9, 2018.

Primary and Secondary Research

As mentioned in the prior summary, we studied the data found at ​www.unos.org​,

www.donatelife.net​ and other various secondary sources in connection with those sites. That

information laid the foundation for our campaign and led us to know what questions we needed

to ask about our targeted audience of BYU students. d to ask of our target audience. We

produced a Qualtrics survey for that we distributed throughout social media. To ensure we only

had our key public of BYU students taking the survey we used that as a qualifying first question

once the participant began the survey. We earned 206 responses and discovered that the large

majority of BYU students are in fact organ donors. With that in mind, we needed to find the

driving factors as to why some are and other aren’t registered donors. To find these answers, we

conducted five personal interviews and three focus groups of six participants each with BYU

students. These results, coupled with the survey made it clear that those who were not donors

were uneducated about its facts and benefits, resulting in common misconceptions about the

practice. It was a very foreign concept and often taboo concept for multiple students, but for

those who had a personal connection to the organ donation, they had very strong, positive

feelings for the cause. Our research indicated that students needed to be informed and build an

emotional connection to organ donation.

Interview/Focus Group Questions:
● Are you a registered organ donor?
● What do you know about organ donation?
● What questions do you have about organ donation?
● What reasons have you heard that impede people from becoming an organ donation?
● Would you be interested in learning more about organ donation?
● “We are putting on an event…..” What kind of event would entice you to come learn
more?
● Have you or someone you know had an experience with organ donation through either
giving or receiving a donation?

Interview 1:

Q: Are you a registered organ donor?

A: Yes

Q:What do you know about organ donation?

A: Not much. Organ donation is giving my organs

Q:What questions do you have about organ donation?

A: Who do they go to?

Q:What reasons have you heard that impede people from becoming an organ donation?
A: That their bodies will be science. No open casket funeral

Q:Would you be interested in learning more about organ donation?

A: I am an organ donor so it would be good to know. I wouldn’t wanna take a class, maybe a 60
second insta video

Q:“We are putting on an event.” What kind of event would entice you to come learn more?
A: A booth outside giving away pizza. Something I could be informed in a couple minutes

Q:Have you or someone you know had an experience with organ donation through either giving or
receiving a donation?
A: Bone marrow. My aunt had leukemia and had a bone marrow transplant It seems like a very
happy joyful grateful experience

Interview 2:

Q:Are you a registered organ donor?

A: Yes
Q:What do you know about organ donation?
A: When you die they take your organs and give it to people who need it

Q: What questions do you have about organ donation?

A: What’s the process like? How does it work?

Q:What reasons have you heard that impede people from becoming an organ donation?
A: Misinformation

Q: Would you be interested in learning more about organ donation?

A: Yes.

Q: “We are putting on an event…..” What kind of event would entice you to come learn more?
A: No event. Testimonial videos of people who have received videos from donors. With free
food.

Q: Have you or someone you know had an experience with organ donation
through either giving or receiving a donation?
A: A friend got a living donation. She received a third of 2 guys’s lungs. She had cystic fibrosis
and now she’s a mom and has thriving career. I am all for it

Interview 3:

Q: Are you a registered organ donor?

A: No

Q:What do you know about organ donation?

A: You sign up for it and if you die they donate your organs. I don’t have anything against
it. I would do it. The Egyptians say you need your organs for the afterlife

Q: What questions do you have about organ donation?

A: Is it easy to become one? They mark your license right? Which organs are they looking for?

Q: What reasons have you heard that impede people from becoming an
organ donation?
A: Personal reference? Or religious beliefs, people like jehovah’s witnesses?

Q:Would you be interested in learning more about organ donation?

A: I wouldn’t be opposed to it. I don’t see why anyone would be fully against it

Q: “We are putting on an event…..” What kind of event would entice you to come learn more?
A: Food, cool stories. Something similar to breast cancer awareness like a walk? Some sort of
physical event.
Q: Have you or someone you know had an experience with organ donation through either giving or
receiving a donation?
A: My sister has no appendix or gallbladder

Interview 4:

Q: Are you a registered organ donor?

A: No

Q: What questions do you have about organ donation?

A: If you sign up to be an organ donor can you be specific? Like if I don’t wanna donate my
eyes?

Q:What reasons have you heard that impede people from becoming an organ donation?
A: Personal preference. Some people just don’t wanna be cut up. Can you have an open casket
funeral?

Q:Would you be interested in learning more about organ donation?

A: Is there a lot to learn?

Q:Have you or someone you know had an experience with organ donation through either giving or
receiving a donation?
A: My sister received a liver. The kid died in an accident and he was 15. She wouldn’t have made
it without the transplant.

Interview 5:

Q: Are you a registered organ donor?

A: Yes

Q: What do you know about organ donation?

A: A lot- I work at the hospital

Q: What questions do you have about organ donation?

A: How do they pick the teams for donation, how long the body is viable to donate?

Q:What reasons have you heard that impede people from becoming an
organ donation?
A: No open casket, a drunk gets a liver why does he deserve it? When ppl are killed, that
they won't try to save them.

Q: Would you be interested in learning more about organ donation?

A: Yes
Q: “We are putting on an event…..” What kind of event would entice
you to come learn more?
A: Dinner

Q: Have you or someone you know had an experience with organ donation through either giving or
receiving a donation?
A: No one. But I’ve seen people at the hospital and the experience is amazing. It’s sad for the
family of the deceased but the person who received an organ is so grateful.

Focus Group 1 (All Organ Donors):

Q: What do you know about organ donation??

Participant 1: If you crash in a wreck, they harvest your organs.Time and type of death is
important to organs, as far as how you can use them.

Q:What questions do you have about organ donation?

Participant 1: Which organs can you use?
Participant 2: What do they use for standard organ donor on your Driver’s License?
Participant 3: Is it everything or do you have to have special permission for an open casket? Ex)
corneas, etc.
Participant 5: What are some of the drawbacks that people wouldn’t want to be organ donors?
What about religion?

Q: What reasons have you heard?

Participant 6: Certain religions won’t let you.
Participant 5: You can’t have open casket because it creeps people out.
Participant 1: Some people believe the doctors will let you die to use your organs.
Participant 4: I want my organs to be in there when I die because they belong to me and God
created me the way I was supposed to be.
Participant 3: The cost is too much to do it.

Q:What do you know about organ donation?

Participant 2 : If you die, your organs are donated to someone is is need of them.
Participant 3: It allows you to save a life through that process.
Participant 6: They don't always get donated, they only do if die a certain way.

Q:What questions do you have about organ donation?

Participant 1: What percent of people are benefited? Like how much can you contribute to
someone's life?
Participant 4: How long does it take to harvest the organ once you die?
 Participant 2: What organs do they harvest from you?
Participant 5: Do they have to ask for specific permission for certain organs?
Participant 6: Can they take more than one organ from you?

Q:What reasons have you heard that impede people from becoming an organ donation?
Participant 1: Religion.
Participant 4: Ignorance.
Participant 5: Some people just don't check the box to register.
Participant 3: They think it’s weird to have an organ inside someone else's body.
Participant 6: Because they have seen the “Return to Me” movie.

Q:Would you be interested in learning more about organ donation?

Participant 3: If they were offering free food I would!
Participant 1: I would like to know the stories of people who have benefited from it.
Participant 2: Yeah, like having a guest speaker who has benefited.

Q: Do you know how to sign up to be an Organ Donor?

Participant 1: Drivers license check a box

Q: Did you know that you can sign up for it on your phone through an app?
All participants said no

Focus Group 2 (Mixed Organ Donors):

Q: Are you a registered organ donor?

A: 6 Yes, 1 No

Q: What do you know about organ donations?

A1: If I am dead I hope that it helps people.
A2: It has to be in the hospital

Q: What questions do you have about organ donation?

Participant 1: I once read that not everyone is an organ donor and I want to know why not.
Participant 2: Want more statistics on medical professionals not saving individuals in order to use
their organs.
Participant 3: How does the resurrection play into organ donation?
Participant 4: Is there a correlation between organ donation and blood donation?

Q: What reasons have you heard that impeded people from becoming an organ donor?
Participant 1: That you have to die in the hospital.
Participant 2: That I am too young.
Participant 3: It grosses some people out to do it.
 Participant 4: I’ve heard that you can’t have an open casket.
Participant 5: I don’t get to decide really; my parents will decide for me when I die.

Q: Would you be more interested in learning more about organ donation?

Participant 1: Honestly I don’t have the time.
Participant 2: I would like a pamphlet or something short.
Participant 5: Yes, but I really don’t care

Q: What kind of event would entice you to come learn more?

Participant 1: I wouldn’t go to an event.
Participant 2: Yes, as long as it was really short. If it was a pamphlet I would read it. I want short
statistics. I would not go to a forum.
Participant 3: An event during the day. Probably if you feed me, like at a booth. (Most agreed that
a booth was the best idea)
Participant 5: Maybe an actual event if there was food. I want a T-Shirt or something.

Experiences:
-​ ​Participant 2: I had a childhood friend die suddenly and unexpectedly and she was able to
donate organs to someone in need
Participant 3: After thinking about that, why not? My dad is and organ surgeon, and he used to
not want the mental image of doing that for one of his daughters. But it makes sense, and I plan
on registering.

Focus Group 3 (Mixed Organ Donors):

There were 6 participants in the group (3 registered organ donors, 3 non-registered organ donors)

Registered Organ Donors

​ hat do you know about organ donation?
Q: W
Participant 1​:​ The church almost seems like they encourage it because it can be a great
blessing to those who need the organs.
Participant 2:​ It says you are registered on your driver’s license. Some people do seem to
hesitate because of church beliefs/misconceptions.
Participant 3​: ​We are one of the only countries where it is not the default – in most
European countries you just are organ donors​: ​You can only donate your organ if it is a
sudden death – not if you die from cancer where the organs might not be healthy. If I get
in a car crash, that would be one of the last good things I could do in this mortal life. I
instantly think of the movie 7 Pounds with Will Smith. I think it is really cool. You can
turn that loss into a lot of great opportunities.

Q: ​What questions do you have about organ donation?

Participant 1​: What organs are donated?
 Participant 3: ​Does the little heart on your license mean that you are just good for
transplants or does that also mean scientific use? (Or is that a decision they would give to
your family?)

Q:​What reasons have you heard that impede people from becoming an organ donation?
Participant 2 ​:Something that was a little more iffy to me was that I heard they could take
your eyes or other tissues like that which seems a little more personal because I have
actually seen those.
Participant 1:​ Open caskets – people think that the body would look like it has parts
missing or it would be gross.
Participant 3: ​Just plain ​ignorance.

Q: ​Would you be interested in learning more about organ donation?

Participant 3​: Yeah (not very enthusiastically)

Q: What kind of event would entice you to come learn more?

Participant 1​: A booth up in the WILK where I could walk by and receive a pamphlet
about organ donation which gives me info about a website that I can visit and it had a
computer where you could sign up right then and there and you get a prize like a heart
popsicle.
Participant 3:​ If it is a big rally where we talk about organ donation-probably not. Casual.
A stop-in event more than a lecture. Things that don’t require time or planning.
Participant 2: ​When it is like cancer research or something, then it is not necessarily
involving someone dying, but organ donation means that someone is dead. So you can’t
necessarily make it something super celebratory or WOHOO because someone’s family
is losing somebody.
Participant 1: ​I would do a 5K – I think you could turn it into something good like saving
lives.
Participant 2: ​You could have an information booth set up in next to the blood drives that
they do every day in the WILK.

Q: Have you or someone you know had an experience with organ donation through either giving or
receiving a donation?
Participant 3​: My seminary teacher’s son received a heart transplant.
Participant 2: ​And this isn’t really considered organ donation but a bone marrow
transplant saved my grandpa who had leukemia. Other than that, no.
Non-registered Organ Donors
​ hat do you know about organ donation?
Q: W
Participant 4​: I don’t really know anything about it except someone just told me that it is
when they find your body in a ditch and then they get to harvest your organs after your
dead.
Participant 5: ​I think it is good if people need other people’s organs. If it is after I am
dead, go ahead, use my organs.
Participant 6: ​I associate it with car crashes because you sign up for it at the DMV. I do
not like the word “harvest”.

Q: ​What questions do you have about organ donation?

Participant 4:​ How do you become a registered organ donor? (Do you carry around a
card?) When does organ donation occur? After death?
Participant 5:​ Is it any body that is dead? Is it after any accident? What is church
policy/beliefs? What organs are donated? Do they harvest the organs before the funeral?
What does brain dead mean? Does it mean you are in a coma, but there are chances that
you could survive?
Participant 6: ​ Yeah, and who do the organs go to? To people in that state or local? Are
there other ways than just the DMV to sign up to be registered?

Q:​What reasons have you heard that impede people from becoming an organ donation?
Participant 4: ​Church teachings – cremation, resurrection. Doesn’t really believe that
anymore. But when I was young I thought that.
Participant 6: ​It is weird to think about when you are young – I don’t really want to think
about giving my organs away. I Don’t want to think about death.
Participant 5:​ If you didn’t sign up when you got your license, people probably wouldn’t
sign up after just out of convenience because they don’t know how.

Q: ​Would you be interested in learning more about organ donation?

Participant 4 ​:Yeah (not very enthusiastically); In what setting? (which led to question 5)

Q: What kind of event would entice you to come learn more?

Participant 4​: I probably would not be interested in going to an event about organ
donation. It is a topic that is hard to talk about. And I am busy – have a lot of things to
do. I might go to an event if you are part of the event because I know you. This setting is
more comfortable. If it was a big event…(not so much).
Participant 5: ​A booth in the WILK – 5 minutes long (Same ideas about the WILK booth
as the registered people, they all agreed on that). An opportunity to sign up there. Maybe
have a tv with someone’s story (30 seconds) about how organ donation changed their life;
or multiple people sharing. Or even BYU students saying why they choose to be organ
donors.
Participant 6:​ Anything with free food. I don’t really think it needs to be a big event. If
you really wanted to do a 5K you could make it look good and focus on the positive
aspects of organ donation. If you made it part of a larger things – organ donation is just
included into it. If it is just organ donation, I don’t know if I would want to go to that.
Selena Gomez and her friend. Other than that, no.
Special Event Activities

On April 9, 2018, BYU PRSSA hosted the “Celebrate LYFE” event on campus. At the event,

BYU PRSSA set up booths outside of the student center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to raise

awareness about organ donation and assist students in registering as organ donors in the state of

Utah. BYU PRSSA members handed out Yes!Utah pamphlets and branded merchandise to

students who stopped by the booth while also providing a chapter-produced infographic to those

interested in learning more. The BYU PRSSA students answered questions and addressed

misunderstandings about organ donation while providing a reliable place and voice to learn more

about the process face-to-face. One particular PRSSA member dressed up as a heart and walked

around campus to inform students of the event and organ donation.

The Celebrate LYFE event addressed one of the key self-interests of college students: a desire

for free food. The chapter partnered with the Kona Shaved Ice truck to provide free shaved ice to

200 students who stopped by the booth and posted on social media using #CelebrateLYFE or

shared the event video on Facebook. To help increase organ donation registration, students

entered into a drawing if they registered as donors on Yes!Utah’s website. The booth’s

decorations highlighted the stories of students and local residents who had been personally

affected by organ donation as both donors and recipients. These people also attended the event to

assist in talking to other students, providing an emotional connection to the stories displayed.

The event allowed chapter members to interact more directly with BYU students on a personal

level and see the effects of organ donation first-hand.

Evidence of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Promotion:

To educate both the local community and the BYU student body about organ donation, we

implemented both traditional and digital media promotions.

We first produced a video optimized for social media. This video focused on the primary

message of celebrating life through the stories of organ recipients and donor families. This video

was promoted before and during the "Celebrate LYFE" event, with over 1,536 views and 5,235

impressions across all social media accounts.

We then turned to traditional pitching for earned media placements. Our messaging continued to

focus on the "Celebrate LYFE" campaign while also using Lauren Holbrook, a current BYU

PRSSA student who received three heart transplants, to tell the story of organ donation. This

pitching strategy led to a print and online article through the local newspaper, the Daily Herald.

The article was picked up by multiple outlets, including the campus communications department.

The article was sent to more than 1,500 faculty and staff in the university's weekly email and

received more than 300 impressions on the Herald's Twitter account.

The Daily Herald article quickly led to other media opportunities. Good4Utah had Aimee

Colton, one of the campaign directors, as well as Holbrook appear on the nightly news. Holbrook

was invited to speak on KSL Radio and later for part of the KSL nightly news.

These promotional media pieces combined with a strategic campus location led to more than 400

students visiting the Celebrate LYFE informational booth on April 9, 2018.