Bradford West Gwillimbury residents fall below the provincial average for organ donation registration, according to the Ontario government’s Trillium Gift of Life Network.
And a local organizer of the town’s first National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week flag raising wants more people to get informed on the issue and register for organ donation.
“Life gets busy, and many who support it haven’t taken the time to actually register at beadonor.ca,” said BWG resident Anna Cocco, who is in charge of outreach with the University Health Network Transplant Program in Toronto.
“It isn’t until we’ve had someone in our circle of family, friends, or community, or see a news story on TV that the issue really comes to light.”
The donor registration rate in BWG is 27 per cent, compared to 34 per cent as the average in Ontario, according to the Trillium network.
The Town of BWG is proclaiming April 21-27 National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week, with a flag raising outside the courthouse downtown on April 20 at 3 p.m.
Transplant recipients, living organ donors, and donor families will be among the attendees, Cocco said.
“Currently, there are 1,665 fellow Ontarians — some may even be in our community — who are waiting for a life-saving organ,” she said, adding 42 of those are children (up to age 17).
A single organ donor can save up to eight lives, and tissue donors can help up to 75 people, said Cocco.
Last year, 333 deceased and 274 living donors saved the lives of 1,236 people through transplant, she said.
As well, 2,413 tissue donors helped thousands of other people through the gift of eyes, bone, skin or heart valves, she said.
“Families almost always consent to donation when there is evidence a loved one registered their decision to donate, but in the absence of a registered donation decision, families consent only half of the time,” Cocco said.
“Everyone is a potential organ and tissue donor, regardless of age. People don’t talk about this issue and should. It’s an important conversation to have.”
FLAG RAISING
WHEN: April 20
TIME: 3 p.m.
WHERE: Outside BWG Courthouse, 57 Holland St. E., Bradford
DRESS: Wear green in support of organ donation.
