Sheryl Sandberg | media laundry- @Dhobitalao

Proving yet again the rising power of social media to effect meaningful changes in the lives of people, a Facebook announcement on users’ ability to add an organ donation event to her timeline saw donor registration numbers shoot up overnight.

“Starting today, you can add that you’re an organ donor to your timeline, and share your story about when, where or why you decided to become a donor,” said a May 1 update posted jointly by CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg.

Soon after the announcement, which was made as part of a tie-up between Facebook and Donate Life California registry, the institute saw online sign ups shoot by nearly 8 times.

“As of 12:30pm today, the Donate Life California registry has increased its online donor sign ups by nearly 800 percent from yesterday thanks to this mornings announcement of the partnership with Facebook! Thank you Facebook!” the California registry posted on its Facebook page.

The statement by Zuckerberg and Sandberg talked about the role Facebook played in helping survivors of Missourie’s Jopplin tornado retreive missing property and Tsunami survivors in Japan locate family and friends.

It then spoke of millions in the US and across the world waiting for organ donations for their survival, and how many of them die because the crucial donations do not materialise.