Article content
Calgarians took part in the Hope in Motion parade on Sunday to commemorate Green Shirt Day, celebrating organ donors and raising awareness for organ donation.
Sunday marked the sixth annual Green Shirt Day, which was created together with the Boulet family, whose son Logan died in the tragic Humboldt Broncos bus crash.
Article content
Logan Boulet registered as an organ donor weeks before his death and discussed his wishes with friends and family. When he died his organs went on to save six lives, and he inspired almost 150,000 Canadians to become organ donors.
Article content
Recommended from Editorial
Kidney Foundation executive director Joyce Van Deurzen said Sunday was about bringing together people who have received or are waiting for transplants, donors and families, all to spread the word about donations.
“Every year we make that call to action to people — remember and thank these life-saving organ donors,” said Van Deurzen.
Stuart Duff donated a kidney to his wife seven years ago. His wife had polycystic kidney disease, which causes the kidneys to enlarge and lose function over time.
“She was in extreme pain every day, and she still is because it did a lot of internal damage to her. But just to get her life back, be able to go do things together,” Duff said. “She has three sisters and a brother, and none of them were a match, but luckily I was.”
Duff is also listed as an organ donor on his driver’s licence.
“I have one good kidney, and you know, other organs that would probably be useful to somebody,” he said.
“Whatever organ you can donate, you can save a life.”
Duff encourages people to register to become a donor, and also to let family members know your wishes.
Van Deurzen said there are about 4,500 people on the transplant wait list in Canada, and about 73 per cent of people are waiting for a kidney.
“Every year, people die waiting. That organ doesn’t come.”
— With files from Brent Calver
Share this article in your social network
