Stuffed Animals Get Limb Transplants to Help Teach Kids About Organ Donation

In Japan, Second Life Toys has found a creative way to educate the public about the transformative power of organ transplant. The organization is repairing broken stuffed animals using limbs donated from old donated toys.

Every person who sends in his or her plushie for contribution gets a letter back from the “recipient” plushie, expressing gratitude and explaining how the generous act offered it a second chance at life. The aim is to evoke joy among the donors, teaching both kids and their families about the truly life-giving impact of organ transplants.

As it stands today, just 300 people from a waiting list of 14,000 Japanese citizens get the organ transplants they require—a mere 2%, falling far behind the rest of the world. The statistics are even worse for children. Second Life Toys is sparking much-needed conversations with toys as a memorable metaphor, making the subject much more approachable—and undeniably heartwarming.