Lung transplant recipient calls for more organ donors

A Newfoundland and Labrador man who recently received a double lung transplant is calling on more people to sign up to be organ donors.

A decade ago Kevin Johnson was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a condition which caused his lungs to stop working properly.

In June of 2014, Johnson travelled to Toronto to begin the long wait for new lungs.

"You can imagine the stress of not knowing when or if you're going to receive a donor lung," he said.

"It's a sad realization when you're waiting for someone else to pass on so you may have the opportunity to live a little bit longer, but that's the reality."

The wait for a donor was stressful on him and his family, but Johnson said he's extremely grateful to be an organ recipient.

"It feels great to have the opportunity to be back here and given another chance on life," he said.

"Right now, it's not only me, Kevin Johnson, standing before you. It's another individual, my donor. I think of him or her, whoever they are, I haven't met them, but one day I hope to communicate with the family."

Johnson was one of the lucky ones — some people he knew from Newfoundland and Labrador went to Toronto for new organs, but didn't make it to the donor waiting list.

Johnson said it's critical for more people to sign up to be donors. He wants people to lobby government for legislative change, so that people would automatically be organ donors unless they specifically opt-out.

Presently, people must opt-in to be an organ donor.

"For those who are on the fence about it, just think for a minute that one day it could be one of your own... daughter, son, or even them themselves who could be in need," Johnson said.

"Certainly if you were too selfish not to offer yourself as a donor, it would be very hard to receive."