Sophomore biology major Amelia Murphree established the UM chapter of Student Organ Donation Advocates (SODA) earlier this month. The group plans to spread awareness for organ donation and register community members as organ donors.

This semester, the UM chapter of SODA will recruit volunteers and meet regularly to reach out to around 300 students per semester and register at least 50 people as organ donors. The chapter has partnered with the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency and Mid-South Transplant to spread awareness to the community.

SODA is a national nonprofit organization that inspires and supports student-led organ donation education programs on high school and college campuses. After approval, which Murphree and other members received recently, SODA provides the student leaders the tools necessary to begin education on their campus. 

Murphree decided to start the UM chapter of SODA when her father received a double organ transplant surgery. Shortly following the surgering, her father died from a heart attack, and this made her even more passionate about SODA’s cause.

“When I came to Ole Miss, I was an eager freshman looking for ways to get involved here on campus. I remember going onto the Forum website and searching up different clubs, especially one that revolved around the cause of Organ Donation Awareness … I was appalled when I discovered there was no organization present on campus that revolved around this fantastic cause. So, I set out to change that,” Murphree said.

Murphree first contacted the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA) last fall to pursue the creation of a partnership with the university. Soon after, she discovered SODA online. 

In Murphree’s role as the president of SODA, she oversees all club functions, establishes deadlines required to be met, and most importantly, she recruits new members.

“My team and I aspire to educate, raise awareness and register members within our community as organ donors,” Murphree said.

Kaylee Gutierrez, allied health studies major and SODA volunteer coordinator, said she hopes to use SODA as an educational tool for her future career in nursing and others. 

“Since I am (planning to go to nursing school), I hope to use SODA as a benefit to my career path and be able to further educate myself and others. When I graduate in 2024, I hope to see SODA flourish and be an outstanding organization at Ole Miss,” Gutierrez said. “I think this should be a permanent organization because of how important organ donation is and how you can save a life.”

According to Gutierrez, SODA will be hosting its first event this fall due to recent university approval. 

Junior public policy leadership major Alyssa Moncrief is passionate about organ donation and hopes to get involved with SODA in the fall.

“I have a personal connection to organ donation from a club in highschool and I really think there needs to be more awareness of it, especially among young adults,” Moncrief said. “I think so many college students don’t realize the perks of being an organ donor even at a young age.” 

According to the Center for Organ Recovery and Education, nearly 75% of college students support organ donation. Still, there is a significant gap in those who are actually registered as a donor – roughly only one-third are only registered donors. 

“This is such an important topic to talk about and actively sign students up for,” Moncrief said.

Murphree mentioned that she wants others to see the passion she has for SODA, and hopes that translates into equally passionate members when she recruits. 

“I am determined to recruit members who are genuinely passionate about spreading awareness for organ donation so the Ole Miss chapter of SODA can remain relevant years after I have graduated. This cause is so important, and I want others to understand that too,” Murphree said.

Murphree said that she hopes to make a genuine impact in the Oxford community through SODA.

“I want to make this impact by inspiring passion for organ donation, involvement and contribution,” Murphree said. “Organ donation has affected many people’s lives in the best way possible. Because of this, I believe members of our community must understand the truths about being a donor and the importance of generating compassion throughout our society.”