Working together to build a trusted and caring culture of donation across Canada — Leave Well

“The opportunity to meet in person is truly a joy because the energy it creates serves to educate and inspire and we can bring that back into our programs to help improve how we work with patients and families, our teams, and our partners. ”- Roberta Koscielny, Committee Chair

Committee members gather outside of the Canadian Museum of History for a group photo with Ottawa’s parliamentary buildings in the background.

OTDT Public Education and Awareness Committee convenes in Ottawa-Gatineau this November

Hosted by Canadian Blood Services, members of the Public Education and Awareness Committee (PEAC) gathered in Ottawa November 13-15th, coming together in person for the first time since 2019. The committee facilitates interprovincial collaboration in the development and implementation of public education and awareness strategies (including the national Leave Well/Bien Partir campaign platform) for organ and tissue donation and transplant (OTDT).

“Together, we’re on a mission to get as many Canadians registered—and talking about the incredible power of organ and tissue donation—as possible.”

Agenda topics covered a broad scope of efforts to improve awareness of organ and tissue donation and transplantation in Canada, including the importance of, and strategies for, fostering trust in the system in Canada, engaging with diverse communities Canadians, and educating the next generation of registrants, educators, and healthcare workers. Committee members shared stories, resources, and highlighted the meaningful ways in which programs across the country honour and recognize donor families and living donors for sharing the gift of life.

Special guest presentations brought new insight and conversation to the group. Dr. Stephanie Sutherland shared insights from the SHARE study, building on shared experience to enhance care for the family members of deceased organ donors. Lucie Dumont, creator of Chain de Vie, presented alongside Chain of Life teacher, Doris Rainha, on the highly regarded program in which Quebec students learn the facts about organ and tissue donation and explore true stories about its powerful impact. They are then encouraged to form their own enlightened, personal opinion on this important current issue and share it with their parents, thus becoming ambassadors of family discussion about organ and tissue donation.

“We recognize the impact and power of the Chain of Life program, we know it has changed many lives. We need to build on this work. Our view is: this work is done, how can we help other provinces to use it?”

— Lucie Dumont

Organ donation and transplantation is complex and not well understood by the public. There are many misconceptions that contribute to barriers to registering intent to donate or consenting to donation. Educating Canadians, fostering a culture of donation and increasing the number of conversations about donation, and ultimately the number registered organ and tissue donors, is part of a comprehensive system-wide approach to increasing donation rates in Canada. Our collective aim is to shift Canadian attitudes so that donation is accepted as a social responsibility and donation becomes the norm, not the exception.