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Tell your loved ones you want to be a donor
Why talk about it?
At the time of death, medical staff will consult the next of kin about the possibility of organ and tissue donation. The sudden loss of a loved one can be a difficult time. When families don’t know your wishes beforehand, many tend to refuse organ donation. So officially registering your wishes in one of the donor registries will legally confirm your status as a donor and, just as importantly, remain securely on record until it’s needed. Notifying your family of your intentions makes it easier to work with medical staff at that critical time and relieves them of a difficult decision, knowing it’s based on the wishes you’ve shared with them. Because the donation and recovery process must be done rapidly, every minute counts.
Organ donation in brief
- Only 1.4% of people who die in hospital are likely to become organ donors. Yet a single donor can save as many as 8 lives and help up to 20 people through tissue donation. That’s a maximum of 450 people per year if all necessary conditions align each time.
- 92% of Quebecers are in favour of organ donation.
- 853 people were waiting for organ donation in Quebec at the end of 2023.
- In Quebec, every year an average of 500 people of all ages benefit from an organ transplant.
- Organs eligible for transplant are: the heart, the 2 lungs, the liver (which can be divided into 2), the 2 kidneys, the pancreas, and the face.
- Tissues can be: corneas, heart valves, skin, bones, tendons.
- Transplant Québec coordinates organ donations for all of Quebec.
Who can donate?
Everyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnic origin or sexual orientation can donate. Only the suitability of the organs and tissues counts. When donation takes place, thorough evaluations will be performed to ensure quality organs for the recipients. Age on its own is not an exclusion. In Quebec, the oldest organ donor was 92 years old and the youngest only 48 hours old. The average age of donors is about 52 years of age.
The importance of donation
Organ donation prolongs life. Despite the sensitive circumstances, the vast majority of families who’ve consented to donation report that it’s been a comfort to them. Organ donation is an act of social solidarity. It’s also a generous thing to do. At any given time, more than 800 people are waiting for this precious gift. For many of them, their lives depend on it. Organ donation can soothe your grief, by allowing life to continue in another form. Imagine how you’d feel if it was your own loved one waiting for a donor!
There are three ways to formally consent to organ and tissue donation:
- Registration in the Registre des consentements au don d’organes et de tissus de la Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ);
- Registration in the Registry of Consents to Organ and Tissue Donation of the Chambre des notaires du Québec;
- Your signature on the sticker on the back of your health-insurance card.
Transplant Québec reminds you that registering is the best way to confirm consent. The registration is permanent, does not need to be renewed, and can be accessed at any time by authorized personnel. For more information on how to consent to organ donation, visit Québec.ca
To learn more about the myths and realities concerning organ donation, visit www.transplantquebec.ca
But whatever you do, it is important to make your wishes known to your family and friends. Say it however you want. But say it.