Raising awareness about organ donation

A ceremony was held Tuesday at city hall in Sudbury to raise awareness surrounding organ donation.

Attending were donor recipients, living donors and those awaiting transplant, all gathered to recognize Be A Donor month at a press conference put on by the local Irish Heritage Club.

The group has be advocating for organ donation for 25 years.

“One donor can save eight lives, so if we save a life, we’ve done great,” said Frank Horan, Irish Heritage Club of Sudbury past president.

“How many will we save? We don’t know. Hopefully, we can increase the number of donors. I know two people here in Sudbury … in critical condition (waiting) for a kidney.”

Patrick Moroso, 19, is on the waiting list for a new kidney. His mom, Donna, said no one in his immediate family is a match.

“So we try to get the word out as much as we can,” she said.

“It is definitely taxing to do that. Patrick doesn’t like media so as a mom … I’m his biggest advocate to fight for this kid because without awareness, I’m not sure entirely what opportunities he would have.”

The list for organ donation from a deceased donor is long. The Kidney Foundation of Canada said many people wait three to five years.

Kelly Ryan, who attended the event, donated her kidney to her husband on Feb. 24, 2021.

“My donor experience was really great, to be honest,” Ryan said.

“I was a little nervous going into it -- I mean, it’s a big deal -- but the teams at Health Sciences North and the London hospital really walk you through it. They really make sure that you are aware of all the risks and benefits of kidney donation and make sure that you are all set and confident and ready to go.”

The Trillium Gift of Life network says more than 90 per cent of Ontarians support organ donation, but only one in three have registered consent.

• Download our app to get local alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates right to your inbox

“For anybody who is thinking about being a donor, I really strongly encourage it,” Ryan said.

“The impact that you make on people’s lives is exponential and it’s a special gift to be able to give to someone.”

Click here to get information about becoming a donor.