Written by Zoe Engels, Contributing Writer and Editor
For SODA chapter leader Ryan Dong, organ, eye, and tissue donation is synonymous with saving lives. After all, every donor can save up to eight lives and improve over 75 more.
“The fact that just one person could make such a big impact is a powerful testament to the ripple effects of compassion and generosity,” he told SODA via email.
When Dong first got involved with SODA at Stevenson High School, he was determined to help reduce the negative stigmas surrounding organ donation, debunking myths like the all too common fear that a person’s decision to register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor impacts the level of medical care they receive in an emergency. (It’s false! The doctors who care for patients in the hospital and those who perform transplants are not associated with each other.)
In 2023, SODA at Stevenson High School and their OPO partner, Gift of Hope, collaborated at the Pink Divas and Gents Breast Cancer 5K, with the chapter setting up a booth to advocate for organ, eye, and tissue donation in historically black communities.
It was during this event that Dong learned of disparities within organ donation and transplantation, such as the fact that in 2021, 28.6 percent of the total candidates waiting for organ transplants were African American, but only 15.1 percent of organ donors were African American (which is still a 2.2 percent increase over 2020), according to the U.S. Department of Human Services and Minority Health.
The event and what he learned while there further fueled Dong’s passion for organ donation and shaped his goals for the future.
“I hope to major in sociology at college and use my education towards bridging these cultural gaps in [organ donation] awareness and education,” he said. “I’ll spend my time at college understanding societal influences, researching ways to best advocate for equitable access to educational resources, and making sure no one is ever overlooked when it comes to advocacy.”
Dong also now serves as SODA’s High School Student Liaison on SODA National’s Board of Directors, helping guide high school students across the country in starting their own SODA chapters and assisting in special projects, like creating informational videos for organ donation and transplantation conferences. In this way, he continues to expand his advocacy efforts both within and beyond his local community.
Gift of Hope, SODA at Stevenson High School’s OPO partner, has supported Dong, his fellow chapter leaders, SODA, and many young advocates in their advocacy efforts with Dong describing the OPO as “a shoulder to lean on.”
In addition to working together in planning countless outreach events from 5Ks to festivals and carnivals, the OPO’s Community Outreach Coordinator, Kira Banks, and other Gift of Hope team members have led service events for Stevenson High School’s student body. (Dong said his favorite among the service events has been writing congratulatory letters to organ donation recipients.)
Kira (second from left) and Ryan (second from right) together at the letter-writing event
“As I worked more with Stevenson SODA, I continued to share student work and ideas, and SODA National did the same for me,” Banks told SODA when speaking on the collaboration. “This has been such a successful partnership between Gift of Hope [and] SODA National because of our shared goal of elevating the voices of student organ donor advocates and openness to new ideas.”
Though it can be nerve-wracking to collaborate with experts as students, Dong wants to encourage all chapter leaders and members to feel comfortable reaching out to their OPOs for support and guidance. It can pay off tenfold and be a benefit for all.
As the Co-President of Stevenson’s National Honor Society, Dong got to help plan the school’s annual Street Fest Wellness Week. Working closely with Gift of Hope, they set up a SODA booth and registered hundreds of students and parents as organ donors. Carl Neuberger, an organ donation recipient and Gift of Hope volunteer, also attended and shared his story with the school, generating loud applause from the students.
Carl speaking at Streetfest
It was a massive, record-breaking success. Approximately 2,200 students attended and $20,000 was raised for wellness-based charities—more than $10,000 of which will be donated to Gift of Hope.
Dong looks forward to the future and the life-saving advocacy efforts it has in store.
“Coming into high school, I had no idea how much I’d be able to do at such a young age,” he said. “If you truly have a passion, you can make a difference in your community. I’ve also learned to ask for help and advice from those older and more experienced than you—people are nice!”
Find out if your campus has a SODA chapter or apply to start your own today and begin collaborating with your local OPO at sodanational.org/students.
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