Are you an Organ Donor?
The month of April includes Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week from April 18-24. Also, April 7 is Green Shirt Day in honour of Logan Boulet and the Humboldt Broncos bus crash tragedy in the efforts to help inspire Canadians to register to become organ and tissue donors.
On April 7:
Wear Green - Register – Tell Your Family – Be Inspired
Did you know that one organ and tissue donor can save up to 8 lives and improve the quality of life of up to 75 individuals? Did you also know there are over 4,500 Canadians on the waitlist for an organ transplant? You can register to be an organ or tissue donor, no matter your age or health condition!
There are 3 simple ways to register to become an organ and tissue donor:
1. Visit the Alberta Organ and Tissue Donation Registry where you can easily sign up to be an organ and tissue donor as well as change or update your consent to donate. https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Pages/OTDRHome.aspx
2. Go to any Alberta Registry office and complete the process with a registry agent. Your organ donor consent will then be indicated on your driver's license at your next regular renewal date.
3. Sign the back of your Alberta Health Care Card including a witness's signature.
When completing the registration, you will be asked for consent to donate all organs and tissues for transplantation, scientific research, and/or medical education. You also have the option to choose to donate certain organs or tissue as per your specifications. Organs that can be transplanted include the heart, lungs, kidney, liver, stomach, intestines, and pancreas. Tissues that can be donated include skin, bone, tendons, eyes, heart valves, blood vessels, and amniotic tissue.
Once you have registered to become an organ and tissue donor, please discuss your wishes with your family and loved ones.
Please consider becoming a donor and encourage your family and friends to do the same because just one person can truly make a difference!
This article was written by Celia Dufour, a Registered Nurse at the Palliser PCN.
References:
1. Alberta Organ and Tissue Donation Registry, 2021 https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Pages/OTDRHome.aspx.
2. Green Shirt Day, The Kidney Foundation of Canada, 2021 https://kidney.ca/News-Media/Campaigns/Green-Shirt-Day#:~:text=April%207%2C%202021,raising%20organ%20donor%20awareness%20%26%20registration.
3. Organs and Tissues for Life, Canadian Blood Services, 2020 https://www.blood.ca/en/organs-tissues.
