After med student Jonty Wright met patients on their last breaths waiting for organs, he couldn’t simply sit by. Thanks to him and other doctors-in-the-making, a first for South Africa has come about to tackle the organ donor shortage. Here’s what they did!
Stellenbosch, South Africa (18 July, 2023)—When third-year medical student Jonty Wright from Stellenbosch University met patients counting their last breaths as they waited in glimmers of hope for a fateful organ donor match, he knew he couldn’t simply sit by. This moment led him to team up with other students to create a first for South Africa.
“There was nothing more doctors could do for them, and they were literally waiting to die,” shared Jonty of the eye-opening moment.
“Something felt deeply wrong with that, and I knew we had to do something.”
Jonty initially built a website to rally awareness about organ donation and created Save7, a non-profit led by students for patients. Soon, this idea of awareness as the key to driving more organ donors manifested into Save7’s philosophy; focused on making a difficult topic more accessible.
However, Jonty and the team didn’t stop at the website or the non-profit. The young student decided to go deeper in making organ donor knowledge and support more accessible and decided to teach himself how to programme an AI virtual helper!
The virtual helper was designed to answer all organ donor questions as quickly as they’re asked—something that can resonate with anyone seeking information but especially young South Africans who often aren’t as active in organ donation sign-ups.
The virtual helper makes learning all you need to know about organ donation accessible in real-time. Teaming up with the Organ Donor Foundation of South Africa, people can sign up to save multiple lives in less than a minute after accessing quick and specific information thanks to the AI helper, marking a first for South Africa.
Save7 has even gone as far as to make transplant referrals and patient support groups more accessible than ever, all in one place. And there’s even a portal where doctors can refer potential donors to transplant units.
“Our goal with the support groups is not only to provide a much-needed community for our patients, but to create a framework that other public hospitals can use to follow in our footsteps,” shared Naazim Nagdee from Save7.
Support group leader Melissa Jacobs is a transplant recipient who explained that Save7 is her bridge to connecting with other people who have similar experiences to her.
Together, the med students and Save7 team believe that what they’ve created could make the world a more organ donor-friendly and normalised space, and we think it’s incredible that young South Africans are thinking like this!
When we consider that organ donation has been the source of so many families getting more time with their loved ones, parents getting a chance to see their kids live stronger lives and the literal beating heart of many new chapters, the time and effort behind the cause becomes all the more worthwhile.
You can learn more about Save7 here.
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