April is Organ Donation Month!

Thank you to our volunteer Bria who has again graciously offered her time and awesome writing skills to contribute to this guest blog – Thanks Bria!

April is Organ Donation Month!

This month is dedicated to increasing awareness for organ and tissue donation as well as celebrating the cause. April 20-27 is National Organ & Tissue Donation Awareness Week in Canada! If you aren’t already a registered organ donor this is the perfect occasion to become one by signing up online. Although a large number of people support organ donation and agree on its invaluable contribution to the lives of those awaiting transplants there is still a lack of willingness to register and become an organ donor. April comes with the reminder that hundreds of people in BC are waiting for transplants and thousands of Canadians are added to the organ wait list every year. Each donor has the potential to save up to 8 lives. As we approach National Organ Tissue and Donation Awareness Week at the end of the month it is important to encourage Canadians to register to become organ donors.

Educational initiatives and advocacy are some of the most effective means in initiating change and saving lives. Eva’s story and the 65_RedRoses film become especially relevant this month, demonstrating the difference organ donation can make and how thankful donor recipients are for the time they’ve been afforded and the positive impact on their quality of life. If you live in BC you have probably seen Transplant BC’s “Live Life. Pass It On.” campaign. The simple and beautiful message it presents perfectly describes the goal of organ donation. Becoming a registered organ donor is a quick and easy way to pay it forward and ensure that you can pass on the gift of life to another person in the future. Every year thousands of transplants are performed in Canada.

If you are already a registered organ donor join the movement and encourage your friends and family to sign up this month. April is dedicated to the stories of those who have benefited from organ donation. Let’s celebrate donors past and present and encourage new ones!

Please share the #4Eva campaign! – Bria