April is BeADonor Month in Ontario

Be A Donor Infographic

Today, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) launched a campaign to bring awareness to the need for organ and tissue donors in Ontario. The campaign, launched through the Trillium Gift of Life Network’s organizational registration drive initiative, was formed to raise organ and tissue donor registration rates in Northwestern Ontario.

Over one year ago, employees, volunteers, physicians, and visitors to the organization were encouraged to register their consent to organ and tissue donation at http://www.beadonor.ca/TBRHSC. The campaign’s goal was to see 350 visits to the registry. Today, TBRHSC has raised that goal to 1000 and is asking everyone in the TBRHSC community as well as residents of Thunder Bay to help make that goal a reality.

Thunder Bay has 46% of its eligible population registered as organ donors, putting the city in 15th place provincially out of 179 communities, up one spot from last year.

Today in Ontario, there are over 1,500 people waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. One organ donor can save up to eight lives and enhance as many as 75 through the gift of tissue. It only takes two minutes to register at http://www.beadonor.ca/TBRHSC.

While organ and tissue donation has increased significantly in Ontario, one person dies waiting for a transplant every three days, because there are still not enough donors to meet the need.

“I would like to encourage all eligible TBRHSC employees, volunteers and physicians at TBRHSC to register for life-saving and life-enhancing tissue and organ donation,” said Andrée Robichaud, TBRHSC President and CEO.

“One organ donation can save eight lives. As such, we are encouraging everyone to register to help change a life,” said Dr. Rhonda Crocker-Ellacott, Executive Vice President, Patient Services & Chief Nursing Executive.

“By registering your consent on http://www.beadonor.ca/TBRHSC, you are making the caring and selfless decision to try and help save other lives after your death through organ and tissue donation. By recording your wishes now and talking with your family, you are relieving them of the burden of making this decision on your behalf,” said Kiley Perrier, Trillium Gift of Life Network’s Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinator at TBRHSC.

Registering consent is critical to the outcome of transplant wait list patients. One donor can save up to eight lives and enhance the lives of up to 75 others through the gift of tissue. Visit http://www.beadonor.ca/TBRHSC to register or to check your registration status. It is important to note that a signed donor card does not mean you are registered.

You can also share your pride as a registered organ donor by adding a “BeADonor like me button” to your Twitter and Facebook profiles and by taking part in the #1saves8 challenge: Share a photo of yourself with 8 others to symbolize the 8 lives you could save as an organ donor. Tag #1saves8 and challenge others to do the same.

For more information: www.Facebook.com/TrilliumGiftofLife


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