April is BeADonor month across Canada, and members of the Transplant Advocate Association (TAA) have a busy month ahead of them.
This charitable group, whose members are comprised primarily of organ and tissue recipients, donors, and caregivers, aims to create awareness of the benefits of organ and tissue donation, and the need to register consent, as well as to support anyone through the transplant process. TAA Advocates hail from numerous communities throughout the region including Kingston, west to Cobourg, east to Brockville, and north to Peterborough, Smith Falls and all areas in between. They welcome anyone who may be entering or are already in the transplant process or who may just be interested in organ and tissue donation and helping to create awareness. Although they do not dispense medical advice, they can support members emotionally and can help to provide some financial assistance if needed.
Each April, the group hosts flag raising ceremonies in various communities in support of BeADonor month and Green Shirt Day (April 7) which is the day commemorating Logan Boulet, who died as a result of the Humbolt bus crash April 6th, 2018, and who saved the lives of six people, through the donation of his organs after succumbing to his injuries the following day. Year round, the group works to create awareness through info booths and speaking engagements, as well as social media and digital advertising at various locations and events throughout the region .
One new transplant advocate is Bobbi Jo Craig, whose husband Chris passed away early in 2023 while awaiting a liver transplant. Chris was diagnosed with liver disease as a teen but was well into adulthood when the symptoms worsened. In 2022 he was advised he would need a liver transplant but despite a lengthy search for a live donor, one was never found. By the time a deceased donor’s liver became available, Chris had developed other health issues stemming from his liver disease, and was too sick to receive it, which resulted in his unfortunate passing at the age of 46 .
In Ontario in 2023, there were 1,200 organ transplants, and 1,800 plus tissue transplants. Every three days in Ontario , someone like Chris, dies waiting for an organ or tissue donation. And, while over 90 per cent of Ontarians are in favour of organ donation, only 35 per cent of Ontarians have actually registered as organ donors. Nova Scotia has recently adopted a presumed consent system where anyone who does not wish to be an organ donor must opt out of the process, rather than having to register their consent. Bobbi Jo Craig, with help from the TAA and other supporters, is hoping to encourage the Ontario government to adopt an presumed consent system, by presenting a petition to her MPP Jim Jordan to be read in the house. To this end, the petition will be available for signature at any one of our upcoming flag raising ceremonies, or a copy can be obtained for signature from any Transplant Advocate Association Board members. It is the hoped that with enough signatures, the opt out system will become a reality, and shorten the agonizingly long wait for organ and tissue donations in Ontario. In the meantime, and in keeping with a popular saying in the transplant community ‘Please don’t take your organs to heaven, heaven knows we need them here’! You can register your consent at www.beadonor.ca/taa_canada and be sure to advise your family members of your intent to donate, so they will be aware of your wishes when the time comes.
TAA will host flag raising ceremonies at
Napanee Municipal Building , 99 Advance Ave., April 5th 10:30 a.m.
Kingston – Confederation Park (across from City Hall), April 7th, 1 p.m.
The general public is welcome to attend any of the ceremonies and we invite everyone to sign the petition for a presumed consent system in Ontario.
In addition, and In recognition of BeADonor month, Kingston City Hall will be lit up in green on April 7, Green Shirt Day and the Bay Bridge in Belleville and Quinte West signs are expected to display green lighting on April 7 as well.
For further information about TAA and some of its upcoming activities, including a fundraiser for two liver transplant families in our region, the Craiger Memorial Horseshoe Tournament, hosted by the Craig family on April 27th (search the tournament title on facebook). please visit https://www.transplantadvocateassociation.ca, look for the Transplant Advocate Association on facebook, or email info@transplantadvocateassociation.ca. You can also make a donation to TAA on the website.