Sunnybrook Leads in Record Year for Organ Donations
Last year, nearly 700 lives were saved because of a record number of organ donations.
"2009 was a record-breaking year," says Frank Markel, President and CEO of the Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN).
"Not only did Ontario achieve a record 218 organ donations, but we have decreased the number of deaths of people on the organ transplant wait list by nearly 24 per cent," says Markel.
"The gifts given by organ donors and their families allowed TGLN to coordinate a total of 691 life-saving organ transplants over the course of the year," he adds, while also crediting TGLN's multiple partners (including the provincial government, tissue banks and health care partners) for the success of 2009.
The number of tissue donations over the past 12 months was unprecedented, with 1,299 tissue donors (a rise of 24 per cent) providing bone grafts, heart valves and skin for life-enhancing transplants.
Deb Matthews, the Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care lauds the record, adding that "the work of the Trillium Gift of Life Network and everyone involved in organ and tissue donation in Ontario is making unbelievable differences in the lives of Ontarians and their families."
"The 2009 numbers further demonstrate what can be achieved in Canada, and should be a model to drive improvement in deceased organ donation nationally," states Dr. John Gill, President of the Canadian Organ Replacement Register Board of Directors.
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, which leads hospitals in the GTA in performance improvements, views the successful year as a team effort. "At Sunnybrook we are fortunate to have staff, physicians and leaders throughout the organization who are committed to this life-saving cause," says President and CEO Dr. Barry McLellan.
"As well as our own staff, we are thankful for the partnership we have with the Trillium Gift of Life Network. Our continued collaboration and dedication to this program will save and improve countless lives across Ontario," he says.
Despite the banner year and positive steps forward, more lives could be saved if more people registered their decision to donate. Today, approximately 1,600 people in Ontario are waiting for a life-saving transplant.
Register your consent to donate by:
- Visiting your local ServiceOntario Health Card Services - OHIP office or outreach centre where you renew your health card
- Downloading and filling out a Gift of Life Consent Form and mailing it to the address on the form
- Registering your decision (even if you've already signed your donor card) so that this information is accessible at the time of your death
- Talking to your family about your decision
For more details, please visit the Trillium Gift of Life Network website or call 416-363-4001 or 1-800-263-2833 (toll free).
Web copy of this article was edited and reproduced with permission.
View footage of the Tirllium press conference hosted by Sunnybrook.
