BC Transplant

11/11/2025

11/11/2025

November is Eye Donation Month, and we are excited to spotlight this topic throughout the month for you to learn more!

Let’s start with: What is eye donation?

It’s the donation of your cornea(s), the clear part on the front of the eye, and/or the sclera, the white part of your eyes. A cornea transplant can restore sight to those who are blind. The sclera can help patch grafts in glaucoma surgery, reconstruct orbital areas, attach prosthetic eyes, and reconstruct eyelids. It all feels pretty miraculous.

Choose to leave well so others can live well.

Register to be an organ donor at registeryourdecision.ca.

11/07/2025

The priority of all healthcare professionals is always to save your life first. In Canada, organ donation is never considered until all lifesaving efforts have been exhausted and there is no chance of meaningful recovery.

There is also strict separation between intensive care units and transplant teams in Canada. Transplant professionals have no role in the care of dying patients who may become organ donors, the management of end-of-life care and the determination of death.

In BC, hospital teams don’t have access to a patient’s registered decision on organ donation. The organ donor registry is only viewed by the BC Transplant team when a patient has no hope of meaningful recovery and organ donation becomes a potential option at end of life.

✅You could continue to learn more if you checked ‘yes’ to BC Transplant’s question while filing your taxes. Make it official, register to be an organ donor in BC: Registeryourdecision.ca!

11/06/2025

BCT was at Carson Graham Secondary School in North Vancouver two weeks ago with the Kidney Foundation and our volunteer Margaret Benson to present to educators on organ donation and transplant and share more on the resources we have available for teachers.

We love the opportunity to speak to educators because normalizing organ donation in our society starts with education in our schools. We can tailor our FREE school programs to your class, and we love to chat with students at any age.

Educators, reach out if you want to learn more!

11/03/2025

Have you heard the good news?! Approximately one million British Columbians checked ‘yes’ to learning more about organ donation, while filing their taxes earlier this year! This is a phenomenal response for our first year partnering with CRA on this important initiative. BC, we are so proud of you. 💚

Check your email inbox to take that next step, and make it official. Register as an organ donor at registeryourdecision.ca.

10/31/2025

We want to share a heartfelt congratulations to one of our amazing volunteers, Olivia Hayne who received the PHSA+ Volunteer Award this week in honour of her work as a champion for organ donation in BC.

Olivia lost her brother, Alistair, in 2017. He became an organ donor and gave the gift of life to five people. In the midst of their grief, Olivia and her family found purpose by sharing their story to inspire others.

For the past seven years, Olivia has been a devoted BC Transplant volunteer, speaking at numerous organ donation awareness events and keeping Alistair’s memory alive. She shares her family’s journey with honesty, strength, and compassion—encouraging everyone she meets to recognize the profound impact of organ donation. While the loss remains, Olivia focuses on the hope and strength they’ve found in knowing that Alistair’s legacy continues to live on through others.

“I have always hoped that by sharing Alistair’s story, I could inspire someone else out there. I think that by sharing what life as a donor family is like, it provides insight into a side of the journey that isn’t always as talked about. I know that within my close friends and family, organ donation has been a part of many more conversations. I hope that by doing so, I can continue to remove stigma, share insight and empower others,” Olivia shares.

Read Olivia's full web story: https://ow.ly/4p2m50XkFQg

10/30/2025

Did you know this? Everyone can register to be an organ donor. A person's sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression does not prevent them from becoming an organ donor.

Learn more 2SQLBTQ+ facts on our website at https://ow.ly/Ptpg50X9szL

✅ We love that you are interested in learning more about organ donation. So many of you checked ‘yes’ to learn about organ donation and transplant while filing taxes. That is amazing! Thank you for being open to learning more and now be sure to read the email, it will be coming your way soon!

10/29/2025

BC Transplant was at the BC Teacher-Librarians' Association Conference last week on Friday to raise awareness for the educational resources we have for organ donation and transplant.

We at BC Transplant firmly believe that organ donation and transplant is a beautiful process. It is the silver lining during a very difficult time leading to a second chance at life.

This thought process for organ donation and transplant is easy to believe when you see proof every day at work or if you have been personally affected by it.

Education is key to raising awareness. We hope to educate students early on so that they will learn, engage and start conversations with their families.

Slowly, we hope registering as an organ donor will be normalized and something everyone wants to do!

We had a great time engaging with teacher-librarians at the conference. Thanks to everyone who came by to chat with us!

BC Teacher-Librarians' Association

10/27/2025

How did you do on this trivia question? We hope you learned something new! When you register your decision for organ donation at registeryourdecision.ca, this is only for deceased donation. Living donation is an entirely different process. If you are interested in living donation, you need to contact the living donation teams at VGH or SPH.

✅ By the way – Did you check ‘yes’ to learn more about organ donation and transplant when filing your taxes? Well, you don’t have to wait much longer. Soon you will receive a one-time email from BCT filled with helpful facts and information on organ donation and transplant, with direct links to register your decision on organ donation.

10/24/2025

John’s mother-in-law needed a kidney transplant so he decided to get tested not knowing that decision would change both their lives.

Five years later, she is thriving. And for John, the experience gave him more than he ever expected: a deeper connection to family, and a whole new appreciation for what it means to give.

Their journey is a reminder of what’s possible through living donation.

Living kidney donation is a separate process from deceased donation. Healthcare teams at VGH and SPH handle the entire process from the interest to donate, getting testing to finally donating - from beginning to end.

Learn more about living kidney donation on our website at transplant.bc.ca.

10/22/2025

Canadian Intensive Care Week is happening from October 20-26 and it’s the perfect opportunity to spotlight our critical care healthcare professionals and the care and support they provide to organ donors and their families while their loved one is in the hospital.

An organ donor’s journey starts with the specialized care and knowledge of Critical Care teams. In every hospital, first and foremost, the priority of all healthcare professionals is always to save lives. In Canada, organ donation is never considered until all lifesaving efforts have been exhausted and there is no chance of meaningful recovery.

At that time, organ donation would be considered. This is where the beautiful story of organ donation begins from the donor’s family, to those who receive the generous gift. And the ripple effect of the network of lives impacted with this decision to donate.

A heartbreaking ending leading to a beautiful beginning – organ donation.

10/21/2025

On Sunday afternoon, the clouds parted for the sun to come shining through, just in time for our Lower Mainland Donor Medal Ceremony.

It is always so special to honour the families of deceased organ donors who create such a profound impact with their decision to donate during their darkest times, bringing light to countless others.

After the formal ceremony, BCT staff and volunteers had the opportunity to learn more about our donor heroes as their loved ones shared their special memories with us. We learned about their kindness, their hobbies, the funny moments that still bring peals of laughter. We shared tears and smiles. We carry those stories and memories with us, always.

We were also gifted a memorable moment by the family of one of our deceased donors. They shared an Indigenous honour song from their First Nation to pay tribute to all our donors.

These ceremonies are special to all of us and truly encapsulate the power and beauty of organ donation.

(This year, deceased donor families were presented with a newly designed medal featuring the art of Coast Salish artist Margaret August. It's a small part of our work to create a culturally safe space for all our deceased donors and donor families. Read more on our website.)