BC Women More Willing to Give
Tenth anniversary of BC’s Organ Donor
Registry
BC Transplant’s statistics show
women are more
likely than men to register as organ donors on BC’s Organ Donor
Registry. Of
those registered, 60 percent are female. This month BC Transplant, an
agency of
the Provincial Health Services Authority, celebrates the ten year
anniversary
of BC’s Organ Donor Registry, and to date 641,282 (16 per cent) British
Columbians have registered their decision.
“Organ
donation is literally the gift of life and something all men and women
can do,”
said Health Minister George Abbott. “I would also like to thank BC
Transplant
staff for their dedication and hard work over the years in overseeing
organ
transplants.”
Launched in 1997, BC
Transplant’s Organ Donor
Registry was North America’s first computerized registry that allowed
British
Columbians to legally record their decision about organ donation. It
has
remained a leader since inception.
“In
its ten
years, B.C.’s Organ Donor Registry has been a powerful tool, not just
in its
support of families facing end of life decisions for their loved ones,
but also
by providing health care workers with clear and concise decisions,”
says Penny
Clarke-Richardson, Director of Organ Donation and Hospital Development
at BC
Transplant.
As a young girl, Caitlin McClure
recognized the
importance of giving. She decided to register as an organ donor at the
age of
11, recognizing that a simple act of completing a form could help save
lives.
At age sixteen Caitlin unexpectedly died, and through her decision to
be an
organ donor she saved the lives of four people and gave sight to two
others.
“We are very proud. Kids don’t usually think of that stuff, [organ
donation]”,
says Andrew McClure, Caitlin’s father. “It made us feel really good
knowing
Caitlin had made this decision. It’s comforting knowing that some good
came out
of our tragedy.”
The Registry is a unique system,
developed to offer
British Columbians a secure, legal, confidential way to record their
decision
about organ donation, while providing easy access to health care
professionals
in hospitals throughout the province.
The Registry is a significant
improvement over the
previous driver’s license and CareCard decal system. The Registry
allows
someone to legally record their decision and allows one to specify
which organs
they want to donate, if any. At the time of death a potential donor’s
registration form is available to health care professionals in BC in a
timely
manner. Often, in an urgent health crisis, a person’s driver’s license
and
CareCard may not be available.
What are you waiting for? Register your decision about organ donation on BC’s Organ Donor Registry. Based on public opinion surveys, 85 percent of British Columbians say they support organ donation and intend to register their decision, yet only 16 percent have done so. To register visit www.transplant.bc.ca or telephone 1.800.663.6189.
