FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Stacey Champion T. 602-788-0033 E. sc@champion-pr.com
Arizona Comic and Filmmaker Release Trailer for ‘Social Media Stole My Kidney’ a Documentary to Raise Awareness for Live Organ Donation
Amy Donohue donated her kidney to a stranger in April 2011 after seeing a tweet. On May 1, 2013 Amy and fellow comic/filmmaker James Pietragallo traveled nearly 10,000 miles to meet and interview twelve living organ donors and two kidney recipients to tell their stories. The film trailer has been completed, and the team is currently crowdfunding the post-production film costs.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, MAY 5, 2014 – After the longest road trip of their lives, and a year of editing nearly 100 hours of film footage, Amy Donohue was thrilled to see the completed documentary trailer for her live organ donation love project, Social Media Stole My Kidney. Both Donohue and nephrologist Dr. Jean Robey, who was involved with her kidney transplant, wept upon seeing it. Pietragallo just grinned.
In true social media form, the film is being largely paid for with an indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. Arizona Kidney Disease & Hypertension Center and Southwest Kidney Institute also stepped up to the plate as generous pre-production film sponsors.
The team is hoping to carry on the momentum for the project now that the film trailer has been completed, and everyone can see where there donated dollars have gone thus far. They have a new indiegogo campaign set up which includes the trailer which already has more than 800 YouTube views since its late Thursday evening launch. This campaign will fund the completion of the film.
“In a world where there is little attention paid to kidney disease, this is a big something to me.” Said Dr. Robey. “Over 100,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a kidney today. I’d of course love to see all of my patients get a shot at a second chance.”
People can contribute to the Social Media Stole My Kidney indiegogo campaign through the end of June, and several fundraisers are being planned. Donohue also runs a Monday evening Tweet Chat called #kidneychat and is currently in the process of launching a nonprofit called One Kidney Is Enough.
More info on Social Media Stole My Kidney:
Website: http://socialmediastolemykidney.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SocialMediaStoleMyKidney
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheFabulousOne
April 23, 2013
For Immediate Release
AZ Comic Traveling Cross Country to Make Documentary Film- Social Media Stole My Kidney
Amy Donohue donated her kidney to a stranger in April 2011 after seeing a tweet. On May 1, 2013 Amy and fellow comic/filmmaker James Pietragallo will travel nearly 10,000 miles to meet 14 other living organ donors and 2 organ donation activists to tell their stories.
PHOENIX – Amy Donohue was about to get in the bath when she saw a tweet that would change her path forever. A Twitter friend had finally persuaded her mother to go on the kidney donor waiting list and she sent a tweet about it. Amy saw the tweet and without hesitation tweeted: “I’ll do it. I’ll donate my kidney. What do I have to do?”
After many tests and a positive match, Amy donated her kidney two years ago to a woman who is lovingly nicknamed “Tiny Mom” who is now a very big part of her life.
Most people would probably stop there. Amy Donohue isn’t most people. She has become a boisterous proponent for living organ donation, has mentored other donors, started a Tweet Chat called #kidneychat that has seen more buzz than top rated television shows, has a nonprofit in the works- “One Kidney Is Enough” and is about to begin the journey for her documentary film “Social Media Stole My Kidney” which has been in the planning stages for months now.
“I’m just ready to hit the road and make this film.” Donohue says. “Enough talking. We have lives to save.”
In true social media form, the film is being largely paid for with an indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. Arizona Kidney Disease & Hypertension Center and Southwest Kidney Institute have also stepped up to the plate as generous film sponsors. Donohue is still hoping a hotel sponsor will come through to provide rooms to the pair for their month long cross country trip.
A bon voyage reception is planned for Amy and James on April 30th. Everyone is welcome.
Media members interested in speaking to Amy Donohue can contact Stacey Champion, at 602-788-0033 or staceyc@strategies360.com.
More info on Social Media Stole My Kidney:
Website: https://socialmediastolemykidney.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SocialMediaStoleMyKidney
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheFabulousOne
*April is also National Donate Life Month.
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March 25, 2013
For Immediate Release
AZ Comic Making Documentary Film after Donating Kidney to Stranger
Amy Donohue donated her kidney to a stranger in April 2011 after seeing a Tweet
PHOENIX – In January 2011, Amy Donohue was about to get in the bath when she saw a tweet that would change her path forever. A Twitter friend had finally persuaded her mother to go on the kidney donor waiting list and she sent a tweet about it. Amy saw the tweet and without hesitation tweeted: “I’ll do it. I’ll donate my kidney. What do I have to do?”
After many tests and a positive match, in April 2011 Amy donated her kidney to a woman who is lovingly nicknamed “Tiny Mom.”
Amy’s reasoning behind the selfless gesture was losing her own father to cancer a few years earlier.
“I couldn’t do anything to save my own dad, but here was someone’s mom who I could help. She didn’t need to die. She just needed a kidney, and I only need one.”
After receiving some media attention surrounding the story, Amy was inundated with emails and social media messages from people waiting for kidney donations as well as those interested in donating their own kidney. Though there are many sites for people suffering from kidney disease, Amy had a hard time finding proactive sites about live organ donors and commonsense advice about what to expect during the testing, procedure and beyond. She started combining her social media expertise, comedy and new-found knowledge to raise awareness about live organ donations and help mentor other donors.
The buzz has grown organically and Amy is ready to take her passion to the next level with a documentary in which she will travel nearly 10,000 miles cross country to tell the story of other kidney donors. The film “Social Media Stole My Kidney” will raise awareness through storytelling and humor. A crowd funding indigogo campaign is raising funds to help her make the movie. Donohue also has a nonprofit in the works- “One Kidney Is Enough.”
Media members interested in speaking to Amy Donohue can contact Stacey Champion, at 602-788-0033 or staceyc@strategies360.com.
More info on Social Media Stole My Kidney:
Website: https://socialmediastolemykidney.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SocialMediaStoleMyKidney
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheFabulousOne