As we officially enter into the giving season, a group of Saanich students is providing a lesson to us all in what can be achieved through working on behalf of others
Students at Claremont secondary have teamed with the David Foster Foundation for Operation Registration, a pilot project to raise the awareness of the importance of organ donor registration among youth.
According to the foundation, 85 per cent of Canadians say they see the benefits in registering as an organ donor, but fewer than 20 per cent do. There are currently 508 people in B.C. waiting for an organ transplant.
They could be your neighbours or family members, waiting for news that would brighten Christmas for them and their families. But their needs aren’t something that can be found under the Christmas tree. It’s up to all of us to try and answer their prayers, as what they so desperately need is in each of us to give.
In 2012, there were 4,500 Canadians waiting for life-saving organ transplants, but only 2,124 patients received transplants in that time, as 256 patients died while waiting for an organ. That’s 256 Canadians who didn’t receive a second chance at life that we could have given them. There’s no doubt that we can, and should, be doing more.
There’s no excuse for healthy Canadians not to register as organ donors. And it’s never too late, as there is no age limit for donating your organs. The oldest organ donor in Canada was 93, while B.C.’s oldest donor was 79.
And the decision to sign a registration form could potentially save the lives of eight people. It’s something too important for any of us to put off for another day.
“Every one of us is going to die of something – it might be cancer, it might be heart disease, or maybe organ failure,” David Foster told the Claremont students. “Of those three things, there is one that we can eliminate right now with your help.”