Jackson sends organ donation message to 30 million

Lord of the Rings film director Peter Jackson has included in his Return of the King Special Edition DVD a promotional advertisement which encourages people to consider being organ donors.

The DVD is expected to sell around 30 million copies worldwide.

Inspirational: 3 year old Katie Tookey will need a liver transplant to survive.

Jackson’s involvement in the commercial came from his support for Aucklander Andy Tookey’s GiveLife Campaign. A campaign for public awareness, and changes to the organ donation system. Promoted by Mr.Tookey, after he learned that his daughter Katie would need a liver transplant in order to survive.

New Zealand has one of the lowest numbers of organ donors in the Western World. Just 40 last year.

“Peter offered his facilities to film the ad; He also suggested I ask a very talented young filmmaker to direct it. Sixteen year old Cameron Duncan”. Said Mr.Tookey

The trio then came together to work out the details, and Cameron rewrote the script. Cancer victim Cameron finished filming and editing the powerful organ donation advertisement which won New Zealand’s ‘Fair Go Ad Awards’ just months before he died of bone cancer, aged just seventeen.

Mr. Tookey was overwhelmed when he discovered the ad was going to be included on the Special Edition DVD.

“I offered the commercial to the Ministry of Health on several occasions, free of charge, so as they could run it as part of a public awareness campaign to help increase the numbers of organ donors in New Zealand, but they declined each time. After all this time there is still no word if, or when the Ministry will try and improve the organ donor rate through public awareness.

It is ironic that over 30 million people worldwide will see the ad, but if you want to see it in New Zealand it will cost you $130.

I am grateful for the support Peter and Fran have given us and am pleased that the talents of Cameron have been immortalised and will not be forgotten”.

Parliament is due to review laws surrounding organ donation later this year. GiveLife NZ are to present a petition calling for donor’s rights to be respected. Details of the petition can be found at http://www.givelife.org.nz

Peter Jackson’s interview regarding Cameron Duncan/the Organ Donation Campaign can be found on Disk Four – The Appendices – Return of the King – Special Edition.

Peter Jackson, during a press conference explained his involvement with Andy Tookey’s campaign. The transcript can be found here: http://www.givelife.org.nz/page.cfm?s=2424,2442,2836,3311,100005445

30 million is the estimated sales – viewership is expected to be around 100 million A new film studio in Henderson was opened last week and was dedicated to/ and named after Cameron Duncan.

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