Here’s how:
1. Choose the category in which you wish to compete (the contest is open to all teenagers that have not yet graduated from high school). The categories are listed to the right.
2. Create your best PSA! The main messages to convey are listed to the right.
3. If you wish, ask your school to support your entry. Your teacher or principal simply needs to email an endorsement to entries@organdonations.ca to support your good deed. This will make your school eligible for a $2,000 prize.
4. Email your entry (attach any file type or include a link to a web page) to entries@organdonations.ca as soon as it’s ready and get people to vote! Voting closes January 31, 2010.
5. If you have not attained the age of majority, we will send you a parental consent form to get signed.
6. Tell all your family and friends to visit www.teens4transplants.com and vote for their favourite!
7. In February, 2010, ODTAC will:
• award $500 to the creator(s) of the most popular PSA from each category (based on votes),
• award $500 to the creator(s) and $2,000 to the school whose student(s) submitted the most creative PSA (as selected by ODTAC) among the entries supported by a school, and
• award a $1,000 GRAND PRIZE to the creator(s) of the most effective PSA (as selected by ODTAC) among all entries.
8. ODTAC may then use the GRAND PRIZE winning PSA in its national awareness campaign!

Need more info? Visit www.teens4transplants.com

Click on the image above to see how you can help make a difference.

Visit The Amazing Kreskin.

My mother had some rubella when she was pregnant with me. It was a mild case that lasted only a day, but it was enough to give me some hearing loss, and some other issues. One of those issues was lack of full kidney function. So I was born with partial deafness (leaf ear deaf, right ear has about 50% hearing which I wear a hearing aid for) and also less than 60% function in only one kidney (as far as I know I never had 2 kidneys).

The deafness was discovered early, of course, but the kidney problem was not discovered until my son was born. While he was a baby, I developed kidney infection most likely introduced through the catheter used in the c-section. My doctor later sent me for X-rays on my kidneys and only one was found that had about 30% function. The pregnancy and birth put a strain on my only kidney. I was sent to a renal specialist who thought I would need dialysis in 5 – 10 years. It was at about 7 years that end-stage renal failure developed. So in Sept/91 I was put on dialysis. At that time my son was 7 years old.

On May 3, 1992 the doctor called me and said there was a kidney available but at that time I was back-up. I did the blood work for that “possible” transplant, but did not let myself get excited. I had been back-up once before. A few hours later, the doctor called to say that one person in line to get this kidney was not going to be a candidate, and I was next in line. We went to the hospital, knowing that my blood work had not been fully processed and I may very well be sent home. I was getting prepped for surgery in hopes that my blood work would be good. It was late evening. Just before midnight the call came in that the transplant could go ahead. So officially, my transplant was May 4/92.

The transplant was totally successful. I never did have rejection issues, and my kidney function is phenomenal. I have to take anti-rejection drugs, but that is so much easier than dialysis.

I am looking forward to my 20th anniversary, and many more after that.

The Amazing Kreskin is pleased to support and promote Organ Donation while performing in Canada – and distributing organ donor cards at his events. If you are a company or individual interested in sponsoring a show or seminar by The Amazing Kreskin’s please contact the ODTAC.

Visist The Amazing Kreskin at www.amazingkreskin.com