3 Ways to Support Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness this April
April is National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness in Canada about the benefits of organ and tissue donation, including the lifesaving effects of transplantation. This month, organ donation organizations from coast to coast work together to promote the critical need for more donors, encouraging Canadians to register their decision and talk to their loved ones about their wishes. With over 4,300 people on the waitlist for whole organs and many more needing donated tissue for medical treatments, the Canadian Transplant Association (CTA) is calling on all Canadians to help get the message out: organ and tissue donation saves and improves lives.
CTA President Brenda Brown explained the impact just one registered organ donor can have and why awareness is so important. “Organ and tissue donation is such a powerful gift. One organ donor can save up to eight lives. Tissue and eye donors can improve the quality of life of up to 75 people. We need all Canadians to help us raise awareness, and make sure they themselves are registered to be organ donors.”
What can you do to help? Here are three easy ways Canadians can support the Canadian transplant community:
1. WEAR GREEN ON GREEN SHIRT DAY
Green Shirt Day takes place every year on April 7 to raise awareness about organ donation and register organ donors across Canada. It’s championed by the parents of Logan Boulet, a hockey player for the Humboldt Broncos who became an organ donor after a bus crash took his and 15 other lives in 2018.
On Green Shirt Day, be sure to wear green and share it on social media with the hashtags #GreenShirtDay and #LoganBouletEffect. Learn more at GreenShirtDay.ca.
2. PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL ORGAN AND TISSUE AWARENESS WEEK (NOTDAW)
Held the week of April 21 to 27, NOTDAW is an opportunity to share transplant stories, honour donors, and provide information about organ and tissue donation. Canadians can attend various events and educational seminars and participate in organ donation awareness and celebration activities.
Visit CanadianTransplant.com for details on how to get involved online or in person.
3. REGISTER TO BE A DONOR
If you haven’t already, take five minutes this month to register to be an organ donor. Because only one to two per cent of people can be considered for organ and tissue donation at the end of their lives, the more registered donors, the more chances there are to save and improve the lives of the thousands of Canadians waiting.
Visit DonateYourOrgans.ca to register your intentions to donate in your province.
Organ donation can mean the difference between life and death for someone on the waitlist. Donated tissue can help people improve their quality of life by giving them the opportunity to overcome physical limitations, improve health conditions, repair injuries, and reduce pain. Tissue donations are also lifesaving for burn survivors. Help the CTA spread awareness during the month of April and help make a difference in the lives of thousands of Canadians.
Join us at the 2024 Canadian Transplant Games August 3-9 in Ottawa and see the Canadian transplant community compete, connect and celebrate the gift of organ donation! Learn more at CanadianTransplant.com