April is Organ Donor Awareness Month and in Canada, the need for organ donors continues to be among the highest.
Canada currently has one of the worst organ and tissue donor registry rates in all developed countries. 1 organ donor can help save 8 lives or improve the quality of life of up to 75 people.
Mike Ravenhill, the CEO of the David Foster Foundation says becoming an organ donor is simple and the number of donors to increase is always needed
“We have right now just over 30 per cent of Canadians who are registered organ and tissue donors and we can change that. We just need a better education and get the word out. What if it was your life? Wouldn’t you want that registration rate higher so you’d have a better chance to live?” said Ravenhill.
The David Foster Foundation has run for the last 37 years who has assisted over 1400 families with children in need of major organ transplants and provided needed funds to direct family support in 2006.
The foundation also offers an ease of access to allow those to register and become an organ donor.
