About Us
Who We Are
An Organization with a Heart
Chain of Life is a registered charity whose main mission is to support the éducation programs with the same name.
These programs educate 15 to 17 year olds about organ and tissue donation.
They bring together the fields of health and education with a message of hope for those awaiting a transplant. They allow our young people to make an informed personal decision about organ and tissue donation. They then become ambassadors for family discussion on this important social issue.
Our Vision
That the Chain of Life program be taught in all secondary schools in Quebec, and elsewhere even, in order to contribute to saving more lives by leveraging the power of young people as actors of change.
Our Mission
- Educate 15 to 17 year olds about organ and tissue donation and make them ambassadors of family discussion in order to ultimately save more lives.
- Help young people and the general public realize the inestimable value of a healthy body and the importance of taking care of it.
Our Values
Solidarity
Chain of Life is an education program that raises awareness that a society functions better when everyone contributes to the collective well-being.
Health
Chain of Life helps young people and the general population realize the value of a healthy body and the importance of taking care of it.
Generosity
The decision to donate one’s organs and tissues is a precious and generous gift.
Personal and Social Responsibility
Students are led to make a personal and informed decision regarding organ and tissue donation. By sharing this decision in a family discussion, they become ambassadors for family discussion, ultimately helping to save lives.
A Word from the Founding President
Twenty years ago, Chain of Life was born from a simple conviction: education has the power to transform knowledge and attitudes, and young people have the power to become agents of change. Since then, hundreds of thousands of young people have been invited to reflect, ask questions, develop their judgment and, above all, talk with their families. Behind every decision about organ donation, there is a person, a family, values, knowledge and emotions. At Chain of Life, we believe that informed decisions take root in education, are shaped through reflection, and find their full meaning through dialogue.
Our vision goes beyond donation and transplantation. Through education, young people explore the extraordinary complexity of the human body, health, prevention, science, ethics, solidarity and compassion. They discover that taking care of their health matters, and that conversations begun in the classroom can continue at home. Over the years, I have seen teachers become true Teacher Champions and young people become agents of change within their families and communities.
Today, this movement, born in Quebec, is reaching beyond our borders. As Chain of Life celebrates its 20th anniversary, I am more convinced than ever that education must be one of the foundations of a sustainable, humane and trusted donation and transplantation system. In a world where transplantation is evolving rapidly, preparing citizens to understand its realities must begin long before the hospital — it begins with education.
Our hope for the future is simple: to continue working with teachers, young people, families, healthcare professionals, health and education policymakers, and our partners here and around the world to help build a society that is better informed, healthier and more altruistic. Because a conversation that begins in a classroom can continue within a family and, from there, ripple throughout an entire community.
Lucie Dumont
Organ Donation | When Young People Lead
This short video offers a glimpse into the Chain of Life's mission. In just a few minutes, it tells the story of who we are, why we believe so deeply in the power of education, and why we trust young people to become agents of change.
Our Story
“Chain of Life is a work of passion and perseverance that captivates the hearts of all who are familiar with it. "
If Chain of Life exists and flourishes today, it is because there were people who believed in it. Dedicated and determined people, whose passion and perseverance never wavered since its very beginning in 2006.
Chain of Life's story contains many beautiful moments of synchronicity — incredible facts and events marked by generosity.