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April is Be A Donor Month. To raise awareness about the importance of organ donation, we chatted with Emily Evans, Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinator at Sunnybrook. Here are four things you should know about organ donation:

1. There is a time frame for donation

Once a patient’s breathing tube is removed, the medical team must wait for their heart to stop.

“The guidelines vary from person to person, but if the heart doesn’t stop within a pre-determined amount of time, the team won’t be able to use certain organs,” says Evans.

For the liver, there is a 30-minute window; this extends to two hours for kidneys and two or three hours for lungs.

Organ donors and recipients are matched based on a variety of factors, including blood type, size and weight. Potential recipients can be from anywhere in Canada, and need to be brought into the hospital for testing before a transplant can proceed.

“We aim to finish the testing and move ahead with the transplant within 24-36 hours,” says Evans.

2. Directed donation is possible

Evans says that people sometimes ask whether they can donate their loved one’s organs to a specific person – perhaps they know of another family member or someone in their community who is waiting for a transplant.

“Directed donation is possible. However, the transplant recipient can’t be fast-tracked – they have to already be on the transplant list,” says Evans.

3. Age isn’t a factor

You’re never too old to donate – the oldest donor, at 92-years-old, donated a liver.

“Babies over 36 weeks gestation are also eligible to be donors,” says Evans.

4. Speak to your family about your wishes

Even if you’ve signed your donor card, your family can override that decision.

“Make sure you talk about your wishes with your family, and designate substitute decision maker (SDM) who is aware that you want to be an organ donor,” says Evans.

While 80% of all Ontarians are in favour of donation, less than 25% of people actually sign their registered consent. Be sure to fill out your donor card correctly so that your wishes are known.

“A potential donor may have checked off a box on their donor card, indicating they wanted to only donate their eyes, when in fact they made a mistake and actually wanted to donate everything except their eyes,” says Evans.

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The benefits of kidney transplantation are numerous, including a longer survival rate, improved quality of life (patients feel better and don’t rely on the constraints of dialysis) and reduced health care costs.

“France, Claudia and the other ambassadors have an incredibly positive impact on the unit,” says Dr. Michelle Hladunewich, Director of Nephrology at Sunnybrook. “Even if a patient is not a candidate for transplant, the ambassadors answer questions and have meaningful conversations with patients and their families.”

For more information, please visit the Transplant Ambassador Program.

France’s story

France Laflamme remembers the heartache of watching her younger brother’s health decline. Claude was extremely fatigued, a common symptom of kidney disease. His diagnosis wasn’t a surprise. Kidney disease runs in their family, touching their grandmother, father and other sibling.

After testing, France learned she was a match to donate a kidney to Claude.

“There’s that moment, when you’re faced with the decision, and it’s huge,” says France. “My husband reminded me that I always tell people to live in the moment and think of who is in need.”

France donated a kidney to Claude in 2014. Watching his energy levels return so quickly was rewarding, and feeling privileged and healthy, she knew she had to give something back. She became a transplant ambassador at Sunnybrook, volunteering in the hospital’s renal program by speaking with patients and families at every stage of their health journey.

“There’s nothing like connecting with someone who understands what you’re going through,” says France. “To raise awareness and educate patients and families is so impactful. It brings me joy to be able to support them.”

She explains that ambassadors aren’t part of the medical team but can provide personal perspective and answer questions about what it’s like being a donor or recipient. France says she often has conversations about returning to daily activities and recovering following a transplant.

France’s prevalent family history of kidney disease also makes her story compelling. “I always call our journey a family affair,” says France with a laugh. “In my time as an ambassador at Sunnybrook, I feel I’ve formed a new family with the kidney care team and the many patients and families I’ve met along the way.”

Claudia’s story

France gives a hug to patient, Mary Ybanez.

Claudia Morgan is tucked away in the corner of a waiting room in Sunnybrook’s Kidney Care Centre. She’s quietly speaking to a patient who has had a rough day. “Living with kidney disease can be tough,” she says after chatting with the woman and giving her a quick hug.

“I’ve found you need to take it one day at a time,” she explains. “Being on dialysis can be particularly trying.”

Looking at Claudia now, just nine months after receiving a kidney transplant, it’s hard to imagine the Toronto-based florist as anything but energetic and upbeat. A social media post by a member of her church, asking the community to see if they were a match to donate a kidney to her, altered Claudia’s future.

Hearing “I’m a match” from someone who had watched the video was life-altering. The kidney transplant was like “someone pressed the reset button for me”. Just a day after her surgery, friends and family members were commenting that her colour was so much better. Within two months, Claudia’s energy had completely returned.

“I didn’t realize how sick I was until I started to feel better.”

Claudia shares her personal history with polycystic kidney disease with patients and family members at Sunnybrook’s Kidney Care Centre. Sometimes she just asks how someone’s day is going and just listens. As one of the few ambassadors who has been on dialysis, she offers additional understanding about the ups and downs of treatment.

“I love my time here. Speaking with patients and families as an ambassador has also really helped me to understand the impact of receiving a kidney transplant. I got to start over again.”

The post March 14 is World Kidney Day: Meet the volunteers who make a difference appeared first on Your Health Matters.