April 19 to 26 is National Organ & Tissue Donation Awareness Week

Barrie, April 21, 2009

MPP Aileen Carroll hosted an Open House at her new constituency office at 20 Bell Farm Road on Friday April 17th.

Ms. Carroll kicked off NOTDAW at the Open House. Green ribbons, symbolizing the promise of lives that may be saved or improved through organ and tissue donation, and information on organ donation were available.

“I encourage everyone to register as a potential donor. The gift of life is the most precious gift you may ever give”, said Barrie MPP Aileen Carroll. “There are approximately 1700 Ontarians currently on a waiting list for organ donation. Tragically, some of them die - waiting.”

The Government of Ontario has recently made it easier for Ontarians to be donors:

1. Ontarians have the opportunity to consent to organ and tissue donation when they renew their health cards. When you register or renew your health card at a Service Ontario Office, you will be advised that only a “YES” to organ and tissue donation is being collected and stored in the OHIP database.

2. Our $4 million Organ Donation Strategy includes the establishment of a program to reimburse expenses of living organ donors for reasonable, out-of-pocket expenses and lost income associated with their organ donation.

3. The province has recently introduced legislation that would, if passed, amend the Employment Standards Act to provide unpaid job-protected leave for employees who donate certain organs to another individual.

"Tissue and Organ donation makes sense, and it works. Sign your donor care and tell your family”, said Dr Rick Irvin, Lead Palliative Physician, North Simcoe-Muskoka Regional Cancer Program, and Chair of the Honourary Board Capital Campaign Hospice Simcoe. “Your gift will help your family with their grief knowing they have followed your wishes to give an organ/tissue donation, to make a difference."


Melanie Taylor is the recipient of a donated kidney. She is a former patient of Royal Victoria Hospital. She writes:

My name is Melanie Taylor and I started peritoneal dialysis on April 1, 1999. At first I thought it was a cruel April Fool's Day joke, but if so, it was to last for seven years.

In June 2003, I was a patient at Royal Victoria Hospital and met some wonderful staff and volunteers. I found Barrie's hospital to be "State of the Art" and was very fortunate to have your nephrologist, Dr.Benjamin seeing to my care.

Shortly after returning home (I live in Whitby, but most of my family lives in the Barrie area), I was told that I would have to start hemodialysis. I then attended at Whitby Hospital for three years, three times a week.

I received a phone call in 2006 telling me that I was to go to St.Michael's Hospital--there was a kidney waiting for me. My whole life changed with that call. Not a single day goes by that I do not think about my donor, and their family. Their gift gave me a total life change! I never knew what a difference it could make.

In January of this year, I was visiting my family and once again found myself in Royal Victoria Hospital. Dr. Turtaro put a request in for Dr. Benjamin to see me, and once again I received excellent care from all the staff. I was found to have a kidney infection and as a kidney transplant recipient, this can be really frightening. The doctors and nurses were very reassuring. And while there are no guarantees, I do my best to continue to keep my Faith in God and a positive attitude. The memory of my donor and his or her family are also very near and dear to me and I am forever grateful to them and The Trillium Gift of Life Program.

If you would like to learn more about Trillium Gift of Life Network, please visit, www.giftoflife.on.ca or call 1-800-263-2833.