Article published on ‘Il Corriere della Sera’, Italy
The recent anniversary of my seven-year-old son Nicholas Green’s organ donation—marking the 30th anniversary!—has stirred such profound emotions among Italians of every class, region, and creed that it’s essential not to let the power of the message carried by the media reports fade.
The number of articles published over the three days of events that my wife Maggie and I attended in Italy was “enormous.” I believe no other case in the history of organ donation has ever captured the world’s imagination in this way. The media coverage of the October 1st anniversary included dozens of important stories in major newspapers and on some of the most well-known TV and radio programs. The reach of the audience was incredible, as shown in the report by Andrea Scarabelli, the Italian spokesperson for the Nicholas Green Foundation. “The list of articles, reports, radio, and TV interviews is truly impressive. The volume was astonishing, but even more so was the quality, with all major Italian media outlets writing about us or even interviewing us. The quality refers not only to the media names present on the list but also to the content of almost every article.”
Nicholas was struck by a bullet on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway and died on October 1, 1994. Maggie and I decided to donate his organs and corneas, which went to seven seriously ill Italians, four of whom were teenagers. This decision changed Italy’s attitude toward organ donation.
Media coverage is crucial in saving lives because, despite the admirable increase in donations in Italy—quadrupled compared to before Nicholas was killed—the percentage of Italians who say they do not want to donate remains stubbornly high. Unless this changes, people on the waiting list will continue to die in tragically high numbers.
This is not just a statement from a loving father. The most renowned name in transplant history, Professor Thomas Starzl of the University of Pittsburgh, widely regarded as “the father of modern transplantation,” wrote to my wife Maggie and me: “You and your family have done more for organ donation than anyone else I know. You can be certain that the interest will be great among those specifically involved in transplants and, in principle, by those seeking to better understand the essence of humanity.”
This was 26 years ago when we were only in the early stages of our campaign! What would Professor Starzl say now?
Reg Green
The Nicholas Effect 