Humboldt hockey player’s organ donation a light amid darkness

Nothing makes up for the 16 young lives lost in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash.

But an earlier choice by one of the victims, 21-yearold Logan Boulet, to become an organ donor — and his family’s decision, in the toughest of circumstances, to respect his wishes — has at least offered one positive storyline in the wake of that tragedy.

The young hockey player’s family say they found some comfort in the fact that Logan stayed on life support long enough to donate his organs to six people, thus saving their lives.

The selfless example set by Boulet sent organ donor registrations soaring in a number of provinces over the last week.

That includes many young people, who are traditionally the least likely to become donors.

That’s important, because demand still far outstrips supply in Canada. According to the Canadian Transplant Society, while 90 per cent of Canadians support organ and tissue donations — and 81 per cent say they would personally donate their own organs and tissues — less than 20 per cent have actually made concrete plans to donate.

Even when individuals register to donate, their families retain the right to override their loved one’s preferences.

So it’s vital for everyone who wants to be a donor to, first, register, and second, have a frank conversation with their family about why they would wish to donate their organs and tissues in the event of their death.

One organ donor can save up to eight lives, say CTS officials. In 2014, more than 4,500 people in Canada were waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.

Many reports have referred to Canada’s record on organ donations as among the worst internationally, but that’s not quite fair.

In 2016, Canada ranked 19th worldwide in actual deceased organ donors per million, at 20.14, according to the International Registry in Organ Donations and Transplantations.

In comparison, Spain, the world leader for the last quarter century, had a rate of 43.4 per million. Spain has a national body responsible for transplantations and also uses an opt-out system, where people are assumed to be willing to be donors unless they indicate otherwise.

Many nations, including Canada, have adopted parts of the Spanish system. And donation rates in this country have reportedly climbed more than 40 per cent since 2007.

But we can do better. A lost life is a tragedy; a greater tragedy is when other lives that might have otherwise been saved are lost as well.

(This editorial was published April 17 in the Halifax Chronicle Herald and distributed by The Canadian Press.)