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“It certainly takes a village in order for organ or tissue donation to happen!”

Behind every organ and tissue donation at Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH) is a team of dedicated healthcare professionals who work collaboratively to support the end-of-life wishes for patients and their families. Each donation tells a story of compassion, courage and hope.

During Be a Donor month, we highlight the work of our teams in facilitating these donations. From the initial assessment of a patient's suitability as a donor to the coordination of the organ recovery and transplantation, it takes approximately eight different teams to facilitate each donation.

Dr. Dwight Prodger, TGLN Hospital Donation Physician at JBH, explains, "Each day we strive to provide the highest quality care, including supporting the end-of-life wishes of our patients and their families during what can be a very difficult time."

This year, JBH was awarded the Provincial Eligible Approach Rate Award. This award recognizes the hospital's efforts in facilitating donation discussions between The Gift of Life Network and eligible patients and their families at the end of life.

Theresa Ferrari, ICU Manager and Organ Donation Operational Lead at JBH, is grateful for the hospital's dedicated and compassionate staff who make this work rewarding.

"This award highlights the dedicated and compassionate work of our staff and physicians in the ICU, our surgical teams, and many others across the hospital. Every program is a part of this truly rewarding work.”

In 2022, thanks to the work of the teams at JBH, several patients were given a second chance at life through organ or tissue donation.

In Ontario, almost 1,400 people are on the waitlist for a lifesaving organ transplant, and every three days someone will die waiting. Over 90 per cent of Ontarians support donation, yet only 35 per cent have formally registered their consent.

To learn more about becoming an organ and tissue donor, visit www.beadonor.com.