How YCOD Is Leading a Youth Movement for Organ Donation Reform

I'll be direct: when I founded the Youth Coalition for Organ Donation (YCOD), a lot of people thought it was naive — that teenagers and young adults could change organ donation policy in the United States. I heard that skepticism. I understood it. But I couldn't stay on the sidelines, not after learning that 17 people die every day waiting for organs, and not after a family member needed a kidney transplant. Today, with a growing network of student advocates across New York and beyond, we're proving that youth-led advocacy is not just idealistic — it's effective.

Our Founding Story

Here's what happened: I was a New York student when I was struck by a simple but devastating statistic — 17 people die every day in the United States waiting for an organ transplant. But what really got me was the realization that this is a policy problem, not a medical one. Countries with opt-out organ donation systems had dramatically higher donation rates. The question was obvious: why doesn't the United States adopt opt-out? I created YCOD to find — and force — the answer. Changing the default saves lives, and I was determined to prove it.

"When I learned that 17 people die every day waiting for organs — and that a simple policy change could prevent many of those deaths — I knew I couldn't stay on the sidelines. YCOD exists because young people refuse to accept preventable death as the status quo." — Evan Roden, YCOD founder

What We Do

Our advocacy takes many forms, and I'm proud of every one of them:

Legislative advocacy: We advocate for New York's Bill A07954, which would establish opt-out organ donation in the state. Our members have testified before the Assembly Health Committee and organized letter-writing campaigns to Albany.

Education: We conduct presentations at high schools and colleges across New York, educating students about organ donation, the waitlist crisis, and how opt-out systems work around the world.

Community engagement: We partner with Donate Life, healthcare organizations, and other nonprofits to organize registration drives, awareness events, and fundraisers.

Digital advocacy: We maintain an active social media presence, sharing facts, stories, and calls to action with our growing audience of young people.

Why Youth Advocacy Matters

I believe this deeply: young people aren't apolitical — they're agents of change. We bring energy, digital fluency, moral clarity, and — perhaps most importantly — we represent the future. When legislators see teenagers advocating passionately for organ donation reform, it's harder to ignore. Young advocates also influence their families: when a student goes home and talks about what they learned about organ donation, the ripple effect reaches parents, grandparents, and entire communities. That's how you build a movement — not top-down, but from the ground up.

"Adults created this broken system. Young people are going to fix it." — YCOD member

Join Us

YCOD is always growing, and I want you to be part of it. Whether you're a student who wants to start a chapter at your school, a community member who wants to volunteer, or simply someone who believes that no one should die waiting for an organ — join us. I couldn't stay on the sidelines, and I don't think you should either. Together, we're building a future where the organ transplant waiting list is a thing of the past — starting with Bill A07954 and opt-out legislation in New York. Changing the default saves lives. Let's change it.