Saskatchewan launches awareness campaign to encourage organ and tissue donations

The Government of Saskatchewan has launched a new awareness campaign aiming to convince more people to become organ and tissue donors.

The campaign features stories of people from the province who have been impacted by organ and tissue donation, including Swift Current’s Kyla Thomson, who inspired millions of people online by sharing the health journey of her late daughter Bella, who was known online as “Bella Brave.” Bella underwent a bowel transplant after spending years waiting for a donation, but passed away about a year later at the age of 10 due to an unrelated complication.

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“Bella’s journey showed us just how life-changing organ donation can be,” Thomson said, quoted in a statement from the provincial government.

“We were given more time with her because of a donor’s generosity, and that’s something our family will always be grateful for. By sharing her story, we hope more people will register and have these important conversations, so other families can be given the gift of life.”

The campaign also features Indigenous artist Kevin Wesaquate, who creates paintings to recognize organ and tissue donors. According to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, Wesaquate began the project after losing his mother, who was on a transplant waiting list. Monica Keet, a donor co-ordinator and advocate with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, will also be featured, the ministry noted.

“Touching stories of the life-changing impact of organ and tissue donation, like the ones shared by Kyla, Kevin and Monica, are exactly why our government continues to make investments that put patients first by raising awareness about and improving access to organ and tissue donation,” Saskatchewan Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said in a statement.

“Over 33,000 Saskatchewan people have registered at givelifesask.ca and I encourage everyone to talk with their family about organ and tissue donation and to record their wishes in the donor registry.”

The ministry noted that anyone over 16 can register as an organ and tissue donor, and a single organ donor can save as many as eight lives, while a tissue donation can help as many as 75 patients.

“During National Organ and Tissue Donation Month, we encourage Saskatchewan residents to learn about donation, register their decision, and talk with their loved ones about this important and life-giving choice,” Keet said in a statement.

“When the right care is delivered by the right team at the right time, donation becomes a powerful gift of hope for families and recipients alike.”

More information about Saskatchewan’s organ and tissue donor registry can be found on the provincial government’s website.