Social Media Saving Lives

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‘New’ technology isn’t just revolutionising the way we live, it’s also making sure some people can live…

 

 

 

The days of advertising in the newspaper are almost gone. Now, whether you’re looking for a new flatmate, someone to buy your car, a cappuccino machine or simply a recommendation on which restaurant you should take your mother-in-law to while she’s in town, Facebook is fast becoming a crowd-sourced Google.

The irony of this should not be lost on Google, who through its Google+ social network and a series of algorithm changes is aiming to do something similar.

It’s not just housemates and dinner recommendations that can be sourced on Facebook, however. Don’t let the site’s name fool you; Facebook is working wonders for a wide range of human body parts.

Just ask Jeff and Roxy Kurze, a couple from Michigan. Jeff’s kidneys began to fail after a mini-stroke and he was told he would need to remain on dialysis for up to five years before his name reached the top of the donor list. Their dreams of having a family put on hold, Roxy turned to Facebook, and posted the following update:

‘Wishing a kidney would fall out of the sky so my husband can stop suffering,
so if anyone knows of a live donor with type O blood, PLEASE let me know.’

It was a long shot, but imagine the Kurzes’ surprise when Ricky Cisco, a comedian Roxy had met once through work sent her a private message saying he was interested.

After a few meetings and tests, the donation went ahead, and the Kurzes now have a chance at starting that family they’d always wanted.

Using social media to ask for help is not exclusive to the Kurzes’ situation. Amit Gupta, web entrepreneur and founder of Photojojo, was diagnosed with acute leukaemia last year. Being of Indian descent, his ethnicity was very under-represented in the bone-marrow pool, so he knew he had to take matters into his own hands if he wanted to survive.

 

 

 

 

After building the site Amit Gupta Needs You he was inundated with offers from people wanting to help, and last week the news finally came that he had found a 10/10 donor match! Click here to read Amit’s blog post on the matter.

In recent years, social media has shown us countless times that The Way Things Are Done doesn’t have to be the only way. We, as a social community, are finding new ways to be creative, to connect, to run countries, to understand things and to share.

Now, we’re finding new ways to save lives.

 

A Tick Yes digital and social media blog