toh

This year, The Ottawa Hospital has had 21 families consent to organ and tissue donation, offering new life and new hope to over 65 transplant patients and their families. As an organ and tissue donation coordinator in this community for over 15 years, I have seen the courage it takes to make that final choice for a love one, and the comfort that choice can bring to both donor families and recipients.

Did you know that one organ donor can save up to eight lives and enhance the lives of 75 others through the gift of tissue? Ottawa has a long history of support for donation and transplant and our deceased donor program is one of the highest performing programs in Ontario. The Ottawa Hospital renal transplant program has performed over 100 kidney transplants in 2012 alone, with organs from both living and deceased donors. The University of Ottawa Heart Institute also recently reached an important milestone, performing their 500^th heart transplant.

During the week of December 17, The Ottawa Hospital will be running a consent registration drive featuring visits from special guests, Dr. Jack Kitts and double lung transplant recipient Hélène Campbell.

Are you a registered donor? Are you sure? Please visit https://beadonor.ca/toh-lho during the week of our campaign to register or to confirm your status, even if you believe you registered at some point in the past. A signed paper donor card isn’t enough. All you need is two minutes, your health card and your date of birth to make a choice that may someday save a life.

Over 1,500 Ontarians are currently on a waiting list for a lifesaving transplant. Please help The Ottawa Hospital lead by example by giving the gift of hope this holiday season.

Stephanie Currie-McCarragher, RN, BHScN (c)
Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinator, The Ottawa Hospital
Trillium Gift of Life Network

You might also like…