Organ donations increasing locally

Dear editor: On behalf of the Okanagan Pre and Post Organ Transplant Support Group and B.C. Transplant, we would like thank the residents of Kelowna, West Kelowna, and Lake Country for your support.

In 2017, organ donor registrations in these communities increased by 5,800 —bringing the total number of registrations in B.C.’s Organ Donor Registry to more than1.2 million. And while B.C. saw another record year for transplants in 2017 with 479 people receiving life-saving transplants, more than 600 people are still waiting for a second chance at life.

This week, April 22-29, is National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week and various events will be held around the province, including a 48-hour registration blitz beginning Wednesday, April 25 and wrapping up the morning of Friday, April 27. The goal is to reach 4,800 registrations in 48 hours.

We encourage residents of Kelowna and surrounding areas to please consider registering your decision for organ donation. You can register or or verify your registration online at transplant.bc.ca or by stopping by the London Drugs in Kelowna from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 26.

There, you will have the opportunity to meet transplant recipients who have received a second chance at life thanks to a transplant and who can answer your questions and assist you with registering your wishes. Organ donation saves lives.

Marilyn Byfield Coordinator of Okanagan Pre and Post Organ Transplant Support Group