In December 2006, Ralph Walker and some family members travelled up to his hunt camp in Manitoulin Island. After a good night’s rest, Ralph woke up at 6:30am on Saturday and went to light his propane lantern, looking forward to the day ahead. That’s when the unimaginable happened: Ralph became the ignition point for a propane explosion triggered by what may have been a leak in the heating system. Ralph suffered severe burns to 90% of his body.
As he waited for medical help to arrive, Ralph remembers cooling himself off in the snow. His military training helped focus him on staying alive, despite the desperate circumstances. When medical help arrived, Ralph was brought to Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre, the only burn centre in Ontario with a donor skin bank, where the first of many surgeries took place.
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| Ralph Walker’s life today is a testimonial to the lifesaving powers of tissue donation. |
For anyone reading this who has signed up to be an organ and tissue door, you’ll be glad you did. Ralph says he is only alive today thanks to the multiple skin grafts from donors that allowed his body the time it needed to heal. Watch my video to hear him tell his amazing story of survival and recovery.
While many people agree that organ and tissue donation is important, only 25% of Ontarians are registered. If you have two minutes, that’s all the time it takes to sign up to be a donor and make a lifetime of difference for someone like Ralph.
Check your donor consent status or register online at beadonor.ca.
Hi,
I’m glad to hear that you are back to your normal life following your treatment. Hernia surgery doesn’t preclude organ and tissue donation, so you may certainly still be eligible. A patient’s eligibility to donate organs and tissues is looked at on a case by case basis at end of life. I hope this helps, and thank you for considering organ and tissue donation! It can truly help so many people.