AHS launches organ donor awareness campaign

Alberta Health Services on Monday launched a new public awareness campaign and revealed a new name for its provincial donation program during National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week that runs until Saturday.

All the Ways is a series of video and print ads showing creative methods of informing loved ones about a decision to donate organs and tissues.

While the campaign’s tone is light-hearted, the goal is to normalize talks about deceased donation. Grieving families faced with the difficult decision to donate often find it easier if they know what their loved one wanted, says AHS in a news release.

The Alberta Organ and Tissue Donation Program is now Give Life Alberta. The new name is a call to action for Albertans to register their intent to donate online at GiveLifeAlberta.ca and to tell loved ones about their decision, says AHS.

Albertans can also continue to register to donate at motor vehicle registry offices. Signing the back of an Alberta Health card is still accepted, although not preferred over online registration, and families must be informed in case the card is lost.

“The Government of Alberta is proud to support this life-saving program and campaign,” says Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health.

“Increasing donation rates will reduce wait times for transplants and allow seriously ill patients to get back to life.”

One organ donor can save up to eight lives, and a tissue donor can save or dramatically improve lives for up to 75 people.

While Alberta marked another record year – with 273 organ and tissue donors in 2023 — almost 300 people are waiting for life-saving transplants here. Last year, nearly 50 people on the wait-list died.

AHS donor coordinators are approaching more families than ever since Alberta’s Bill 205 took effect one year ago. The bill creates a more structured pathway for the organ and tissue donation process, and ensures specialists have adequate time to identify and assess potential donors and discuss the option with families, says AHS.

“The families that have talked about organ and tissue donation, they are able to know exactly what their loved one’s wishes are and either sign the consent or not,” says donor coordinator Carey Beninger. “It makes such a difference in such a stressful time. They don’t want to get it wrong. They want to be sure this is what their loved one would have wanted.”

To learn more about organ and tissue donation, or to register your decision to donate, visit GiveLifeAlberta.ca