Power of Nonprofit Storytelling | Pure, heart-wrenching emotion

August 17, 2015

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I propose to you a challenge: Watch this video without shedding a tear. Or, at the very least, watch this video and try to make the claim that it hasn’t touched your heart.

The clip presents a captivating story from the very beginning. We know all too well the bonds we share with our pets, and they can be strong, pure, and everlasting. The bond between this elderly gentleman and his dog is all of these things and more, as his companion is right by his side all day and all night, never leaving him. When the man is rushed to the hospital after experiencing pain, his loyal friend anxiously awaits outside the doors, even through the rain.

His owner never returns. At least, not in the way you’d expect. After the dog has been waiting expectantly for days, a woman in a wheelchair appears before him. The dog immediately recognizes that her scent is his best friend’s scent. She is the recipient of one of his organs and he joyously greets her. It’s a bittersweet, heart-wrenching finish to a poignant tale. The love between man’s best friend and the man himself has endured beyond his passing, and the man’s precious gift of organ donation has given someone a chance at life.

The Argentine Foundation for Liver Transplants created this narrative as a way to encourage individuals to consent to organ donation. The message is powerful and it is clear. But the scope of this story’s meaning goes so far beyond that. And furthermore, the story is relatable on an almost universal level. It really grabs you, from start to finish, capturing both your attention and your heart.

It is one of the best examples of powerful storytelling that I’ve ever seen, it’s gone viral, and I don’t doubt that it’s been highly effective.


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