The Montreal Children’s Hospital is working to create awareness and understanding around the need for organ donors, check out this case study to see how they are working to help a young boy who is waiting to get a new heart.

1. Case Study / Montreal Children’s Hospital
The Montreal Children’s Hospital uses social
media to get people to sign on the dotted line.
Organ donation is a very important issue, but it’s the reach of the campaign. In just a few short
not top of mind for most people. For 15 year-old days Pamela saw the campaign gain momentum
Vincent Lambert and his family, however, organ with thousands of mentions, several stories on
donation is the number one thing they think national news broadcasts, and a host of support
about: they’ve spent the last eight months in the from well-known personalities including star
Montreal Children’s Hospital’s Pediatric Intensive players from the Montreal Canadiens, members
Care Unit waiting for a heart donor. When Vincent of Simple Plan, Ben Mulroney and Ronnie Magro
was just three months old, a virus attacked his from Jersey Shore.
heart and his health has been declining ever
since. In the spring of 2011, he entered full-blown “We are so excited and pleased to see that our
heart failure. Since September 18th, 2011, Vincent message is reaching people across Canada, and
has been kept alive by a Berlin heart, a mechanical more importantly that it is resonating with the
device that beats in place of his own heart. public,” says Pamela. “We want people to really
stop and think about organ donation, and ensure
He is patiently waiting for the news that a heart that they make their wishes known to their
donor has been found so he can undergo a families.”
much-anticipated heart transplant operation.
And while he is on the top of the pan-Canadian Social media has been a great tool to raise
transplant list, it doesn’t make waiting any easier. awareness about organ donation, and it has
The hospital is a tough place for a teenage boy to also given Vincent the chance to connect with
spend Christmas, birthdays and special occasions. other people who have gone through the same
experience. Over the past few weeks, he has
With the help and support of her small team of heard from several people who have received
colleagues, Pamela Toman, a Public Relations heart transplants. With a newfound love for
and Communications Officer for the hospital, social media, Vincent has created his own Twitter
decided to try social media as a way to share handle @VincentLamber15 and is tweeting up a
Vincent’s story and increase awareness about storm from his hospital bed.
the importance of organ donation. Pamela was
able to quickly craft a social media strategy that To learn more about how you can help share
focused on Vincent’s story. The hashtag #Aheart Vincent’s story, visit The Montreal Children’s
4Vincent/#UncoeurpourVincent was created and Hospital’s website or Twitter page and take a
the campaign got off to a great start. few moments to find out how you can help other
children like Vincent by becoming an organ donor.
Using Radian6, Pamela has been able to track
the hospital’s efforts, find influencers and gauge
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