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In April, we celebrate awareness of organ and tissue donation across North America. Sign up to be a donor and you could pass on the gift of life. One donor can save up to 8 lives and affect the quality of life for 75 more.
In the US, it’s called National Donate Life Month (#NDLM), instituted by Donate Life America and its partnering organizations in 2003. Currently, nearly 124,000 Americans are waiting for transplants. It is estimated that nearly 30,000 US patients began new lives in 2015 thanks to organ transplants.
In Canada, action is focused around National Organ & Tissue Donation Awareness Week (#NOTDAW) with events happening country-wide April 18-25. Last year, over 12,000 Canadians registered to be donors in 48 hours as part of the #48in48 campaign drive. This year, the blitz starts from Monday, April 18 to Wednesday, April 20. Let’s see if we can get it to 48,000 for 2016!
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It is with great sadness that we write of the loss of Janet Mary Brine on June 12, 2015. At first, Janet was known to me as ‘Eva’s mom’, since it was through 65_RedRoses that I first “met” her on film. When I later met her in the flesh, I recognized part of the spark in Eva, and where her warm, smart determination was born.
A celebration of Janet’s life will be held on Friday July 24th, 2015 at 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster (777 Columbia Street). In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Cystic Fibrosis Canada.
After the loss of Eva, Janet was a force to be reckoned with in our efforts to get 65_RedRoses out to the widest possible audiences, and to make sure that legacy of Eva, and Janet’s, story would have a long lasting impact. It’s what we still hope. We want people to sign up to be organ donors, and we know Janet in particular wanted to support CF research in Canada, and find a cure.
It was with Janet’s help that we created the #4Eva campaign, partnered with BC Transplant to get the film free to all high schools in BC, and it was Janet that brought together the team of teachers, including Stacey Brine to write the study guide and develop a workshop to go with it.
I feel honoured to have met her and gotten to know her, and on behalf of my colleague Colette, and our entire outreach team, we wish her family much love, love love.
~ Kat, Colette and the outreach team for 65_RedRoses
And in Janet’s name – please give to CF Canada.
Of course, Janet was defined by so much more than the little window I had into her life so we want to share what her family wrote about her:
(more…)
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My name is Tiffany and I’m a RN that had the privilege to care for adult patients with Cystic Fibrosis.
My CF patients have always had a special place in my heart, and to this day, I continue to fight for a cure for those who can no longer fight and lost their battle with this horrible disease. One of my patients that comes to mind is Kelly. She could always brighten my day. No matter what was going on with her when she was hospitalized, she always kept a positive attitude. Unfortunately, she lost her battle at the young age of 26.
She met the love of her life, the man she would marry. On her wedding day, she didn’t feel 100%, but she was determined to make it a good day. Three days after her wedding she was hospitalized. It was my last week working on that unit. 1 month later, she took a sudden turn for the worse and was in desperate need of a lung transplant. She became top priority for a transplant and within a month, a transplant was available. Sadly, she passed away 2 weeks later. She never got to go on a honeymoon or start her life as a wife.
When I got the call, I was devastated. She had so much going for her. Even though her transplant rejected, it doesn’t keep me from encouraging others to be an organ donor. I’ve seen transplants be successful and not so successful. I know she and her family are so very thankful for the person who was an organ donor and was able to give her a little more time with friends and family. One of my biggest passions in life is to fight for a cure for CF and to encourage people to be an organ donor. I have so much compassion for my CF patients and may work with them again in the future, but for now, I want to fight for those who lost their battle and those who continue with their battle.
Tiffany
Former CF nurse now a ER nurse but will never stop fighting for a cure. I’m very passionate about CF and organ donation.
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Blog by Bria
As April comes to an end we are reminded of Eva and the transplant campaign that started it all. April is Organ Donation Month and the time of year when we urge you to sign up and become a donor and spread the word to encourage organ and tissue donation awareness.
April 19th to 25th marks National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness week. In Canada alone there are over 4,400 people currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant and more than 1,600 are added to the organ wait list every year. One organ donor has the potential to save up to eight lives.
To honour this week LiveOn.ca started the #48in48 campaign to encourage 48,000 Canadians to register their decision to become an organ donor in 48 hours. Although the campaign fell short of its goal, 7,817 individuals signed up and cemented their decision to save lives. With over 90% of Canadians supporting organ donation we have reached an important crossroads.
An overwhelming percentage of the population support organ and tissue donation and agree that it is a crucial contribution to the lives of those relying on transplants there is still a lack of initiative to register and become an organ donor. If you aren’t already a registered organ donor this is the perfect occasion to become one by signing up online. It’s something quick and easy you can do to literally save the life of another human being. As National Organ Tissue and Donation Awareness Week comes to an end it is important to continue encouraging Canadians to register to become organ donors.
In honour of National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness week, CBC’s The Passionate Eye will be airing 65_RedRoses. Tune in to watch the doc on CBC News Network on Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 8 PM ET.
“Redefining the traditional scope of documentary film in an electronic age, 65_RedRoses leaves viewers with a new appreciation of life and the digital world. This personal and touching journey takes an unflinching look into the lives of Eva and her two online friends who are all battling cystic fibrosis (CF).” – CBC: The Passionate Eye
We hope you are already a registered organ donor but if not please sign up online. If you are support the movement and encourage your family and friends to spread the word and sign up this month. April is a time to reflect upon and celebrate those who have regained their lives and benefited positively from organ and tissue donation. Let’s support donors past and present and work to encourage and educate new ones!
Coming up in May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month and we want to get the blog back up and active. Contact us if you have a story you would like to share or if you have an initiative or event you’d like us to know about.
Please share the #4Eva campaign! – Bria
