April 6 marked one year since 16 people were killed in a crash in rural Saskatchewan, including Broncos defenceman Logan Boulet. The 21-year old had registered to become an organ donor and upon his passing saved the lives of six people, triggering the “Logan Boulet Effect,” a movement of more than 100,000 Canadians who registered as organ donors.
In Terrace and across the country we wore green shirts to honour Logan and promote organ donation.
Over the years the Terrace Standard has introduced our readers to several local people in dire need of an organ donation. On Page 10 this week we introduce you to yet another family whom we thank for sharing their story with us. We hope it serves as a reminder of how close and personal a big movements like Green Shirt Day truly is.
In our province alone, there are at least 680 people currently waiting for a transplant in B.C. The good news is that 1,395,534 British Columbians have done what they can to shrink the number on that waitlist. That is the number of registered donors in B.C.
While that is noble, that accounts for less than 30 per cent of the province’s population.
According to the Canadian Council for Donation and Transplantation, the vast majority of Canadians – 96 per cent – approve, either strongly (71 per cent) or somewhat (25 per cent) of organ donation. Only four per cent of Canadians expressed disapproval (see bit.ly/1Qek5yy for full publication).
So, why is there such a disparity between the approval rating and the act of registering?
That is a question that confounds many experts.
The most common belief is that people simply have not gotten around to it. There’s always time, right?
That is understandable. It stands to reason that someone is more likely to be empathetic to a situation if their lives have been touched by it. That is one of the reasons cancer research donations are so incredibly high.
Four minutes. That’s all it takes to register online at transplantbc.ca
All you need is your BC Health number, and in 240 seconds, you might save someone’s life.
It could be the most selfless, heroic act you ever perform, and it won’t cost you a dime.
Do it now; before it’s too late.