Organ donations set new record

A record-breaking number of deceased B.C. residents gave the gift of life last year.

BC Transplant says a provincial record of 159 people donated their organs after they died in 2022, which allowed 465 transplants to be performed.

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made the selfless decision to give the gift of life,” Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, said. “We also recognize the hundreds of health professionals who coordinated across the province to support organ donation and transplant, especially during the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agency says 527 people and their families are still waiting for their life-changing call as of Dec. 31, 2022.

B.C.’s donors per million (DPM) rate for deceased donation increased to 29.7 last year, which compares to 28.5 in 2021.

Organ donor Aaron Hansen was only 29 when he tragically passed and gave the gift of life to five grateful recipients last year. As the middle child of five siblings, his mother Laura Hansen encouraged all her children to register as organ donors as soon as they received their learner’s licence at 16 years of age.

“When our family gathered in ICU, we all looked at each other and knew we would honour Aaron’s wishes. This is what he would have wanted,” Hansen said.

“Aaron’s organ donation is not only a gift to other families, but also a beautiful gift to our family because his death was not hopeless,” Aaron’s father, Steve Hansen, added. “Perhaps one day we’ll even get to meet some of the recipients.”

BC Transplant said 2022 also saw a new record for 101 liver transplants in addition to 288 kidney transplants, 54 lung transplants and 25 heart transplants.

It takes two minutes to register as an organ donor, and you can find out more at www.taketwominutes.ca