Organ Donor Awareness Week kicks off Sunday and Patti-Jo Reid, local board member of Organ Donation Ontario, is hoping people will take the time to educate themselves about this life-saving decision.
“I am living proof that it works and that it saves lives,” Reid said. “Six-and-a-half years ago, I received a liver transplant that saved my life.
“I am not the only person in the district that has received a transplant,” she added. “There are many people out there who have also been fortunate enough to receive this most generous gift.
“It is so important that people learn about how important this gift of life is,” Reid stressed.
In an effort to encourage people to donate their organs, Organ Donation Ontario will be distributing donor cards among the flyers that will be delivered to homes April 30 with the Daily Bulletin.
“We decided to get information out there first about organ donation before we sent out the cards,” Reid explained. “We are hoping that people will read the information about organ donation and will then choose to sign their donor card.
“It is a very important decision that people should be informed about before they make it.”
Reid admitted the number of donors has decreased quite a bit in the past few years.
“Most donors are individuals that have suffered a head trauma, usually the result of a car accident.“ she noted. “Due to increased safety measures in vehicles and a decrease in drunk-driving fatalities, there are fewer organ donors.
“This, of course, is wonderful news, but it simply means that we need to have more people willing to donate their organs,” she added. “There are more people out there waiting for an organ transplant than there are organs to give.”
Although the decision to donate is often a difficult one for people to make, Reid encouraged them to discuss it with their family in order to ensure their wishes are met.
“Even if a person has decided they want to donate, their family members are the people who have the final decision,” she noted. “It is a horrible position to be in but it is important that people let their families know what they want if something were to happen to them.”
To help increase public awareness, a documentary on organ transplants and donations will air Saturday at 7 p.m. (CDT) on the Global Television Network.
“The documentary was sponsored by the federal government and will be punctuated with three new public service announcements produced by the provincial government,” Reid said.
“It is an hour-long documentary that will talk about organ donation and new medical techniques.”
Overall, Reid is hoping people at least will take the time to find out about organ donation and possibly become a donor themselves.
“The recipients of organ transplants could never thank the donor families enough,” she stressed. “Their decision to donate has given each of us the chance to continue living our lives and spending it with the people we love.
“From the bottom of our hearts, we could never tell them how grateful we are.”
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
