Province Highlights Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week

The Nova Scotia legislature will be basking in a warm, green glow the next few nights to honour Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week, which runs until April 24.

The week is intended to raise the profile of organ and tissue donation and encourage Nova Scotians to consider registering as donors. The green lights, the official colour of organ and tissue donation, serve as a reminder to registered donors to talk about it with their family.

"At any time in Nova Scotia there are as many as 140 men, women and children waiting for organ transplants and many more needing tissue transplants," said Health and Wellness Minister Maureen MacDonald. "An organ or tissue donation will give these Nova Scotians a second chance at life."

Often the question of organ and tissue donation is raised at a difficult time, when a family is dealing with the sudden loss of a loved one.

"We know that it can be a difficult conversation to have when a loved has just been lost, but it's necessary to ensure that the donation wishes of our loved ones are honored," said Corinne Corning, manager of Legacy of Life: Nova Scotia Organ and Tissue Donation Program. "Deciding to be an organ and tissue donor is a personal decision, but it's also a decision to save a life."

This week, organ and tissue donation awareness will be celebrated across the country. People can register as donors on their health cards. One donor can provide organs such as kidneys, heart, liver and lungs for up to eight people, and tissue, such as skin and corneas, to as many as 40 people.

Government is also working with its partners to implement the new Human Organ and Tissue Donation Act which will improve how the system responds after someone is in a position to become a potential donor.

For more information on organ and tissue donation, and to find out how to register as a donor, visit www.legacyoflife.ns.ca .