Sask. had record number of organ donors last year and this transplant surgeon credits 'Logan Boulet effect'

Saskatchewan saw a record-high number of organ donations last year, according to the province — something one transplant surgeon says points to a shift in how people think about donating their organs after they die.

The province says there were 30 deceased donors for the April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 fiscal year — an all-time high for Saskatchewan. There were also 46 successful kidney transplants during that period — the second-highest number for Saskatchewan, the province said in a Wednesday news release.

As well, 276 patients donated ocular tissue, which helps to improve people's sight, the province said. A transplant is sometimes the only treatment for people with an organ damaged through injury or disease.

Saskatoon transplant surgeon Dr. Michael Moser says there has been a culture shift around organ donation in the province. While people are generally not very good at talking about death, that's changing, he said, and people are becoming more comfortable talking about organ donation. 

"We're seeing a lot more good news stories in the media. People are talking about it. We're getting lots and lots of support by the health authorities," he said.

"This has resulted in a lot of positive changes, such as the Saskatchewan online organ and tissue donation registry, which was important."

The 'Logan Boulet effect'

In 2022, Moser received the Logan Boulet Humanitarian of the Year award — named after the Humboldt Broncos hockey team player who died following the 2018 bus crash that killed 16 people, but whose decision to be an organ donor helped save six lives.

The Saskatchewan transplant team, which facilitates pre- and post-transplant care for organ recipients in the province, won the team award this year.

That team has been helpful in handling transplants and supporting families, Moser said.

He believes what he calls the "Logan Boulet effect" has contributed to the rise in organ donors in Saskatchewan in recent years.

The 21-year-old Broncos defenceman signed his organ card on his birthday –— five weeks before the bus crash — and told his parents that he was registering as an organ donor.

Following his death, nearly 150,000 people registered as donors in the following weeks.

But Moser said there is still a shortage and a lot of work to be done. Thousands of people are on waiting lists for life-saving organs, he said.

"Probably about 25 per cent of those people will not survive long enough to get their transplant," he said. "They're going to die before they get their transplant in time."

'Now I have a life again': transplant recipient

Monica Goulet is a kidney transplant recipient and advocate who just celebrated the four-year anniversary of her surgery. A lot more awareness is needed around organ donor needs in Saskatchewan, she said.

"I think there's a number of myths that exist out in the community. I think some people are worried that if they donate a kidney, they're going to reduce their life expectancy."

Goulet wants to see more meaningful education and funding from all levels of the government for organ donation.

She also wants to see more work done to help Indigenous people sign up to become donors and access resources. Advocates have said there's a lack of access to transplant services in northern and Indigenous communities.

Another transplant recipient, Debbie Onishenko, got a kidney transplant four months ago and said she's never felt better. 

"To look at me now and see what it was like before — Brent [her donor] is my hero. He saved my life. And now I have a life again. And there's so many people out there who really need it."

Onishenko wants people to be more active about organ donations, but said she's encouraged by the rise in donations in Saskatchewan.

"Over time people forget about these things, and if they're not affected by it, they don't remember it," she said.

"Hopefully this is an indication that they're thinking about it now and putting their name on donation lists for being [donors after they're] deceased, or just going and donating blood or plasma."

There are currently 800 Saskatchewan adult and pediatric residents living with a donated organ, according to the province.

While polls suggest the vast majority of Canadians support organ and tissue donation, only about one-third have registered a decision about their organ donation wishes, the province said in its news release this week.

The province launched its organ and tissue donor registry in September 2020 to boost that number. To date, almost 21,000 Saskatchewan residents have registered their intent to donate their organs and tissues, the province said.

Any person 16 years or older with a valid Saskatchewan health services card number can register to be a donor.