Transplant Education for Living Legacies (TELL) celebrated its 5th birthday recently and highlighted all the good things they have accomplished in that time.
Johannesburg, South Africa (11 October 2023) – TELL – Transplant Education for Living Legacies – a leading organisation dedicated to promoting organ donation awareness and saving lives, celebrated a significant milestone as it turned five years old. To commemorate this momentous occasion, the charity hosted a vibrant and heart-warming celebration attended by founders, friends, doctors, and esteemed heads of other organisations in the field.
The team celebrated all the achievements they have accomplished over the past five years. The main aim is to raise awareness for Organ Donation in South Africa.
Alice Vogt (Finance Director) welcomed guests and Fawn Kruger (Marketing Director) made a short speech about TELL’s mission and the 3 sectors it focuses on. These were:
1. Public: Increase public awareness of organ donation and ensure people know that they need to TELL their family of their wishes to become an organ and tissue donors as the family will have the final say.
2. Medical Professionals: Increase awareness to medical professionals who need to understand the referral process. When a potential donor becomes available, if they are not referred to the transplant coordinators then the process ends there. So it’s vital medical staff understand the process.
3. Patients: This includes providing pre and post-transplant recipients with support, visiting transplant kids in hospital, gifting them mini Zanes, and lastly allowing them to tell their stories.
Stella de Kock (Managing Director) thanked everyone for attending, including TELL’s two sponsors for the evening, Hospicare Renal and Renal Care Society SA.
She expressed deep gratitude for the support received over the years.
“It’s incredible to see how far we’ve come in just five years,”. “Our mission to promote organ donation and provide hope to those in need has only been possible because of the unwavering support of our incredible community.”
A highlight of the night was the arrival of Zane who popped in for a few photos. Coreen Walstra (Project Manager) made sure that everyone was able to strike a pose with Zane and have a photo to remember the occasion.
The event not only celebrated the charity’s achievements but also served as a platform to acknowledge the tireless efforts of medical professionals, researchers, and individuals who work tirelessly to facilitate organ donations and transplants. Representatives from partner organisations and medical experts in the field were present, reinforcing the collaborative spirit that drives advancements in organ transplantation.
TELL’s Achievements over the last 5 years:
- 3000 MakeItKnown tattoos
- 116 of Zane’s gifted
- 68 Shadow Surgeries attended (TELL arranges for medical students to attend an organ transplant)
- 800 Healthcare professionals trained
- 97 transplant stories told
- 3rd time entering a team for the Virgin Active Ride Joburg (You can join our team HERE)
MakeItKnown tattoos are designed to be an embedded declaration of intention to donate one’s organs when one passes away. Brent Lindeque shared his reasons for getting one in 2019 on Good Things Guy.
Zane the Unicorn has been delivering hope and raising awareness for the team too. Becoming TELL’s mascot, Zane helps the team encourage people to learn more about Organ Donation, especially since he has received a transplant himself.
“Zane was born different. He is a Unicorn that had an illness that made him feel sick and tired. As he grew up, he started to feel worse and worse until his doctors told him that he needed an operation. One of his parts was no longer working and he would have to wait for a stranger to give him a new leg. Zane waited patiently and one day a miracle happened. A spare part was found for Zane and the doctors could finally operate on him. It took some time for Zane to recover from the operation but soon he started getting his energy back. He felt better than ever and loved his donated zebra leg which had changed him from a Unicorn to a Zunicorn!”
You can find out more about TELL or get your own Zane via the website here.
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