The Jenna Lowe Trust
The Jenna Lowe Trust Mandate
Twenty-year-old Jenna Lowe influenced massive social change in South Africa. She fought for awareness and support of pulmonary hypertension and increased the number of organ donors by tens of thousands with her internationally acclaimed #GetMeTo21 campaign.
Following her death in June 2015, the trustees decided to continue the work of the trust to honour Jenna’s remarkable legacy.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE TRUST:
RAISE AWARENESS
To raise awareness for pulmonary hypertension in South Africa, to encourage and facilitate earlier diagnosis, and provide better care for patients, caregivers and patient families.
ORGAN DONATION
To increase public awareness about the shortage of organ donors in South Africa, address misconceptions and drive registration.
DONATE FUNDS
To create platforms that raise funds for, and donate money to, campaigns and projects directly related to pulmonary hypertension and organ transplantation in South Africa.
EDUCATE
To support projects and people who educate and train individuals, families and organisations in broad or specific areas of pulmonary hypertension and organ transplantation.
RAISE AWARENESS
To raise awareness for pulmonary hypertension in South Africa, to encourage and facilitate earlier diagnosis, and provide better care for patients, caregivers and patient families.
ORGAN DONATION
To increase public awareness about the shortage of organ donors in South Africa, address misconceptions and drive registration.
DONATE FUNDS
To create platforms that raise funds for, and donate money to, campaigns and projects directly related to pulmonary hypertension and organ transplantation in South Africa.
EDUCATE
To support projects and people who educate and train individuals, families and organisations in broad or specific areas of pulmonary hypertension and organ transplantation.
Current project:
The Jenna Lowe Trust exists to continue Jenna’s legacy and the incredible work she did to change the landscape of Pulmonary Hypertension for patients in South Africa during the short time she was diagnosed with and lived with Pulmonary Hypertension (2011 – 2015).
Jenna’s ‘Get Me To 21’ campaign in 2014 was the single most successful call to action for organ donors in South Africa, with more than 20 000 new organ donors signing up in just three months – a 287%increase in donor registrations at the time. Over 14 million Rands worth of editorial media coverage was generated by the campaign which increased awareness for the dire situation in SA (South Africa has one of the lowest organ donation rates in the world with over 4000 people a day awaiting a lifesaving transplant.)
In addition to this Jenna’s parents reached out, and brought valuable international expertise to South Africa during the time of Jenna’s illness. Professor David Badesch from UC Denver Colorado visited SA many times to assist with education, treatment and guidance for Jenna and to collaborate with and help local doctors. We also held symposiums in both Johannesburg and Cape Town to share and spread his knowledge to local clinicians.
When Jen was first diagnosed, there was no ‘home’ for patients with this cruel disease in South Africa, very little expertise and hardly any treatments available. The Jenna Lowe Trust wants to ensure patients have a clinic to go to, where the latest knowledge on treatments and care is available.
The Jenna Lowe Trust is consistently working on a number of ongoing projects in order to fulfil our mission which is: Inspire, Educate, Advocate… as well as to continue and honour Jenna’s legacy.
Ongoing projects:
- Support of The Jenna Lowe PH Clinic at Grooteschuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa
- Assisting local patients with expensive medical equipment (such as Mobility Devices and Oxygen Machines) when possible
- Holding support groups and informative webinars for local patients
- Funding a monthly clinic nurse, Nurse Hilary Barlow, to oversee patients’ needs and be the ‘bridge’ between the clinic and The Jenna Lowe Trust
- Producing and distributing, both digitally and physically, important information on PH for patients
- Patient education and empowerment projects – ongoing
- Just before lockdown The Jenna Lowe Trust was due to host the first ever International PH Symposium for Patients in Cape Town, which had to be cancelled at the last minute due to Covid-19. However, the project is due to be resurrected, with plans to host a semi-virtual symposium in November 2022.
Upcoming projects:
- A Medical Narrative Documentary for global distribution called “Get Me to 21 – The Jenna Lowe Story”, to further spread awareness of the disease thereby ensuring earlier diagnosis and patient empowerment.
- Following the 6th World Symposium for Pulmonary Hypertension held in Nice, France in 2017; Gabi Lowe, mother of the late Jenna Lowe and Director of the Trust, has been seconded onto a Patient Empowerment Task Force with the PVRI. She currently working with highly acclaimed International Doctors (specialists in PH) to strategise and develop ways to empower patients world-wide amongst other important patient driven projects.
- Just before lockdown we were due to host the first ever International PH Symposium for Patients in Cape Town which had to be cancelled at the last moment due to Covid-19 lockdown. However we hope to resurrect this project at some stage in the future.
Documentary: #GETMETO21
The Jenna Lowe Story: We are currently working on a very exciting project – a documentary for global distribution that tells Jenna’s story and shares the invaluable lessons learnt in vivid technicolour. Watch the trailer here … it should be ready for distribution by mid to late 2022 and promises to be beautiful, inspiring, informative and uplifting!
Not for Profit
The Jenna Lowe Trust is a 100% not-for-profit organisation. No trustee is paid for their time in executing their duties as a trustee. Such time is all given voluntarily, free of charge.
Support Jenna's Legacy
We appreciate any and all efforts made to furthering Jenna’s Legacy and supporting our cause in any way that suits you best.
Register to become an Organ Donor
Less than 0.3% of South Africans are registered organ donors, despite SA being the ‘home’ of the heart
transplant. This shocking statistic (we need hundreds of thousands more donors) means at least 4,300 people
await a life-saving organ transplant on any given day.
It is quick, easy and costs nothing to register as a donor. Your organs could save up to seven lives when
you die.
Electronic Funds Transfer
For electronic fund transfers, the banking details are:
The Jenna Lowe Trust
Bank: First National Bank
Vineyard Road Branch, Claremont, Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa 7708
SA National clearing code: 250655
Business account number: 6238 7502 761
Swift code: FIRNZAJJ
Register to become an Organ Donor
Less than 0.3% of South Africans are registered organ donors, despite SA being the ‘home’ of the heart
transplant. This shocking statistic (we need hundreds of thousands more donors) means at least 4,300 people
await a life-saving organ transplant on any given day.
It is quick, easy and costs nothing to register as a donor. Your organs could save up to seven lives when
you die.
Electronic Funds Transfer
For electronic fund transfers, the banking details are:
The Jenna Lowe Trust
Bank: First National Bank
Vineyard Road Branch, Claremont, Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa 7708
SA National clearing code: 250655
Business account number: 6238 7502 761
Swift code: FIRNZAJJ
REGISTER TO BECOME AN ORGAN DONOR
Less than 0.3% of South Africans are registered organ donors, despite SA
being the ‘home’ of the heart transplant. This shocking statistic (we
need hundreds of thousands more donors) means at least 4,300 people
await a life-saving organ transplant on any given day.
It is quick, easy and costs nothing to register as a donor. Your organs
could save up to seven lives when you die.
PROUD TO
PARTNER WITH
Proud to partner with:
PROUD TO
PARTNER WITH
Get Me To 21 Book Launch – Jenna Lowe Trust Fundraiser Video
Jenna Lowe’s Legacy
