BCHS raises awareness during Be a Donor Month – Organ and tissue donation saves lives

April is Be A Donor Month – a time to encourage people to become registered organ and tissue donors and to increase awareness about the impact the generous gift of life can have for people waiting for a transplant.

Brant Community Healthcare System plays a significant role in supporting and honouring the wishes of patients and families regarding end-of-life circumstances including potential organ donation. As the hospital donation physician, Dr. Anna Rozenberg works closely with Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) coordinators to keep policies updated, provide ongoing education for staff and physicians, and identify challenges and solutions to support donation in a timely, seamless manner.

“Our team has a long standing history of collaboration with TGLN resulting in amazing success stories over the years,” said Dr. Rozenberg. “TGLN provides health care professionals and the general public with support and education to ensure wishes are fulfilled for people who want to donate, leading to thousands of lives being saved and improved each year through organ and tissue donation in Ontario.”

For many families, the gift of organ donation provides a way to experience something positive during a highly emotional time. “Our team is in constant contact with TGLN when patients or families start the conversation about organ donation,” said Monica Hewitson, charge nurse on the critical care unit.

“We provide care and support for the patient and their loved ones during the journey, including BCHS social work and spiritual care teams when requested.”

The critical care team works together with the TGLN coordinator who is on-hand during the entire process. As a symbol, an LED candle is lit outside the patient’s room signaling staff to respect the need for quiet and amplified compassion for patient visitors and family members.

Specific care plans are developed for each family and may include compassionate visits and gentle two-way communication to support families and their participation in the Three Wishes research study. The focus is to help families carry out their loved one’s end-of-life requests. At BCHS, these have included playing favourite music, pet visits, blankets and pillows from home and cardiac rhythm strips.

It takes more than clinical teams to help make a difference – individuals, families and communities are encouraged to participate in generating greater awareness about what it means to be an organ or tissue donor and the lives that can be saved.

“My advice to everyone is, register now,” Dr. Rozenberg added. “More lives could be saved every day if more people registered to become organ and tissue donors. There are frequent situations when a patient could be a potential donor but their wishes were not shared with loved ones previously.”

It takes two minutes to register with Trillium Gift of Life Network. You must be at least 16 years of age to provide consent to donate your organs and tissue. Even if you have signed a donor card, you must register your consent to ensure the information is recorded with the Ontario government.

Remember – talk to your family or loved ones about your decision to be a donor. By registering, you could save up to eight lives some day and enhance the lives of 75 others.

For more information about organ and tissue donation, visit www.giftoflife.on.ca or view Be A Donor Frequently Asked Questions.

To learn about the care and services offered at BCHS, please visit www.bchsys.org.

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