This year, National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week, recognized annually since 1997 in the last full week in April, celebrates Canadians who have chosen to Leave Well so that others can live well.
No one likes to think about dying. But, spoiler alert: it is going to happen. Choosing to Leave Well when the time comes means choosing to register to be an organ and tissue donor, and ultimately becoming the kind of human who may help others keep on living when your turn with living is up. It’s a pretty nice way to wrap up this whole adventure, don’t you think?
Talking about your decision to register to become an organ and tissue donor is extremely important. Your loved ones must give consent to honour your wishes at the end of your life; if you’ve already talked about it, it’s easier for them to do the right thing.
Leave Well speaks to the positivity of leaving a legacy, of choosing to do the right thing at the end of your life. It speaks to the pride in choosing to register to be an organ and tissue donor. The heroes of the Leave Well campaign are regular do-gooding people from across Canada who choose to register to become an organ donor.
“I initially registered to become an organ donor without a second thought. It just logically made sense. When I lost my cousin Charmaine this past February, the meaning behind organ donation became so much deeper as I saw the impact it has had through her organ donation. Not only did it change the lives of the recipients and their families, but it brought a deep comfort to our family knowing she is still making a difference in the world every day. It was a thread that held us together in a tragic time.” – Michelle from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
Did you know?
Only one to two per cent of people who die can be considered for organ donation. That’s because people have to die in a very specific way for organ donation to be an option.
More than 4,000 Canadians are on the organ waitlist. There are thousands more waiting for a life-improving tissue donation. Find out how you can Leave Well, visit donateyourorgans.ca