Facebook users in Canada have a new tool available this week... an organ donation tool. And that has some people talking about the role social media is starting to play in matters of life and death.

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Facebook reveals organ donor tool online - Facebook

Facebook doesn't get much more personal than this: with just a few clicks, a new feature lets you tell your friends that you're ready to donate your organs. Facebook users in the U.S. have been using the organ donation tool since May, and Canadians started this week.

Jordan Banks, the Managing Director of Facebook Canada explains why he thinks the new feature can make a difference.

Helene Campbell was in Ottawa to support the launch of the new organ donation feature. She received a new set of lungs six months ago. We heard from her.

With more on how Facebook is encouraging organ donation, we were joined by Sarah Feinberg. She's the Director of Policy Communication for Facebook. We reached her in Washington, D.C.

Facebook reveals organ donor tool online - Assoc Editor, Medical Post

Kristin Millar doesn't need to be told the importance of a social network when it comes to organ donation. The Winnipeg student has listed herself as an organ donor on Facebook. She also recently had a heart transplant. And she wonders if Facebook had offered this service when she was in need - if she would have waited as long as she did for her life saving donation.

But not everyone is so enthusiastic about the impact Facebook will have on the actual number of organs available to those who need them. Dr. Alfred Sadler is the founding fellow of the California-based Hastings Institute and he looked what he is calling the "Facebook effect" on organ donation. We heard from him.

Julia Belluz is also not all that optimistic about the latest Facebook feature. She's the Associate Editor at the Medical Post and she writes the blog Science-ish for Maclean's.ca. She's delivering the 2012 Hancock Lecture Who Lives & Who Dies: Will social media decide? in Toronto next month. We reached Julia Belluz in Toronto this morning.

This segment was produced by The Current's Pacinthe Mattar, Sujata Berry and Hassan Santur.

Dual Diagnosis Mail

Now of course social media isn't only useful to people in search of an organ donation... it's also the best way to get through to us at The Current.

Here's what's been filling up our inbox today in response to Howard Goldenthal's documentary about one family's struggle with a Dual Diagnosis - life with psychiatric illness and developmental disability.

Dawn from Victoria, B.C. writes:

Thank you for this story. It sounds familiar. Our 16 year old granddaughter has traveled a similar road. She was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and multiple other diagnoses at age 12. Our daughter was not able to care for her at home due to her daughter's violence. She had two hospital stays before Social Services became involved. She is in foster care now and on medications. Life is much better for her and her family. But it is still a struggle to find the right place, medications and caregivers.

And Susan wrote to say:

I am the Mother of a 14 year old son who has a dual diagnosis who has struggled over the years to get him the help he needs. We reached an extreme crisis last January which ended with us having to sign a special needs agreement and place him in Foster Care in order to get help. Since "giving him up" our son has received assessments which show he has Cerebral Palsy, Asperger's, an Anxiety Disorder, extreme intelligence and absolutely no reasoning capabilities. This road is a long haul and filled with frustration, sorrow and empty promises. Maybe with more attention brought to this situation some other parent may not have to make the same decision we did.

Do you have a comment about the show? Let us know. You can call us any time to share your thoughts toll free, at 1 877 287 7366. Tweet us @thecurrentcbc. You can email us from our website. And of course find us on Facebook . Or you can always send us a letter, Box 500, Station A, Toronto, M5W 1E6.

Other segments from today's show:

Uganda cracks down on gay play

Portraying Nina Simone in a new biopic