The month of May is now Mayrrow!

Live Life Give Life has been a supporter and partner of The Orgamites from the start and we are excited to see the latest project from this dynamic and disruptive initiative which is focused on educating children about organ donation.

“As partners with the Orgamites, we’re thrilled to back their work in educating kids and families on organ donation. These characters simplify a complex topic, engaging children and sparking family discussions that could one day save lives. The Orgamites are crucial to our mission to reduce transplant waiting times and boost organ donations, and we endorse their programme wholeheartedly.”

Mandy Venters, CEO, Live Life Give Life

The Orgamites children’s education programme announces a brand new month and a global first: Mayrrow. In partnership with Team Margot and Giving to Help Others and supported by Gilead and the NHSBT Community Grant Scheme.

Times are not only changing – calendars are too. In fact, go ahead and cross out the month of May entirely. It’s been officially replaced by Mayrrow: Bone Marrow And Stem Cell Education Month, with a host of free education resources available to all teachers in over 24,000 primary schools across the UK from 1 May 2024.

Yaser Martini, founder of bone marrow and stem cell awareness charity Team Margot, says:
“We’ve committed a whole month to putting bone marrow and stem cells education where it’s never been before: right in the spotlight”.

Why do we need Mayrrow?
The ongoing and escalating requirement for stem cell donations has led to an urgent, global need for more awareness and education initiatives – across the board. According to the latest NHS State of the registry Report, less than 3.5% of the UK population are on the stem cell register. To date, those of caucasian heritage have a 72% chance of finding a life-saving stem cell match from an unrelated donor. Those of Black, Asian, or other Minority Ethnic heritage have just a 37% chance.

Yaser Martini, of Team Margot says, “Sadly, there just aren’t enough people on the stem cell register to match all the patients desperately in need of stem cell transplants. At the same time, many primary school teachers don’t feel equipped with the adequate tools and teaching resources to make this complex subject come to life for their students, until now!”.

An early start!
So, while young kids are certainly not old enough to become donors themselves, it’s never too early for them to learn just how mighty their bone marrow, stem cells and blood really are, as well as how they could one day save lives!

Roydon Turner, founder of The Orgamites says: “These resources are specifically for kids between the ages of 5 and 11 and aim to create first a UK, then a global movement of young people who in the short-term, know how mighty their marrow and bodies really are. Over the much longer-term, the hope is that they are more inclined to share these life-saving parts with others and that the classroom conversation will spill into homes–with kids using their pester power toward a good cause: getting more of their parents to consider becoming donors too”.

“The future is shaped in our classrooms; by empowering the youth, we plant the seeds of tomorrow’s revolutions. The most transformative eras are always sparked by the fearless vision of the young.”

Dr Daniel McCloskey, Team Margot

Mayrrow also aims to end the common misconception that stem cell donations are painful and invasive. To register as a stem cell donor, you need only swab the inside of your cheek. Then, actual stem cell donations (which are only required if a potential donor on a registry matches with someone in critical need) are usually as simple as donating blood, with bone marrow replacing itself within just four to six weeks.

Download our FREE ready-to-go Mayrrow Resources here: https://bit.ly/MayrrowResources
In this folder your will find:

• Teacher Resources: an overview and all the info you need!
• Mayrrow Films: 3 films under 3 minutes, packed with edutainment!
• The Mayrrow Masterclass Presentation: a lesson in 20-30 minutes max!
• Additional Teacher Resources: activities for the classroom
• Family Resources: Information and fun activities for the classroom

Download our Mayrrow Media Kit here: https://bit.ly/MayrrowMediaKit
In this folder your will find:

• Logo’s and images to use
• Announcement Posts (23 April – 1 May)
• Launch Posts (May 1 – onwards)
• 4th of May Post – May the force of Mayrrow be with you!
• Engage Posts (May 7th – onwards)
• Promotional Films in different sizes

Looking for more mighty teaching resources?
In addition to the Mayrrow campaign, the Orgamites Mighty Education Programme currently has a range of free educational toolkits that teachers everywhere can use to inspire kids to take better care of their health, one another, and the world at large.

Save the date!
Orgtober, formerly known as October, is now Organ Donation Education Month, a month of activities, activations, and events all dedicated to promoting organ donation education among children, teachers, and families the world over. So, watch this space and be sure make some space in your class calendar to let the Orgamites make another mighty impression this Orgtober!