The first CHAIN OF LIFE lesson took place in Aquinas as part of the A Level Enrichment Curriculum.

Pupils opted in to the CHAIN OF LIFE module and had a very unique start to this programme as its creator, Lucie Dumont was here from Quebec for the first lesson. A captivating lesson of games and learning about the reality of organ donation and also the reality here in Northern Ireland was thoroughly enjoyed by the pupils and many pertinent questions were asked.  Lucie introduced our pupils to the topic of organ donation along with Noel Hanna, who has climbed Everest 8 times and recently became the first person in Ireland to successful climb K2. Noel shared his experiences and incredible images of his climbs, showing the reality of what is involved in such an expedition and the huge level of team-work involved.

CHAIN OF LIFE is a socially-oriented education programme created to raise awareness among 15–17 year olds about organ and tissue donation; to present accurate information and true stories– the goal is not to convince, but rather to inform; to bring students to make a personal decision about organ donation and to encourage them to share this decision with their families. In doing this, they become ambassadors of family discussion; To make students aware of what a priceless gift the human body is and the importance of taking care of it; To bring students to realise that a society functions better when everyone contributes to the well-being of everyone. Solidarity is at the heart of CHAIN OF LIFE; It is by educating young people and encouraging them to discuss organ donation with their families that we will succeed in reaching the population of as a whole.

In addition, we were very fortunate to have Noel Hanna, the first Irish climber to successfully climb K2, who has also climbed Everest no less than 8 times. Noel and Lucie brought the lesson to life by drawing the parallel between climbing a mountain and being on the Waiting List for an organ.

This is the first lesson in a series of seven which our pupils will take part in within the Enrichment programme.