We have a system that doesn't meet the needs of the people of Ontario, and a system that we are determined to fix. We are taking steps today to make sure that we have an organ donation system in Ontario that works for donors, their families and for those needing life-saving transplants. According to a recent Environics survey commissioned by the Kidney Foundation of Canada and Organ Donation Ontario, most people are aware of the life-saving benefits of organ transplantation. Advances in medicine have resulted in higher success rates, and the life-saving potential of transplantation continues to grow, says Gary Cooper, Executive Director of Organ Donation Ontario. At the same time, however, the organ donor rate has declined.
Many people have great intentions when it comes to organ donation.
Many more support organ donation but haven t yet signed cards. Either way, unless their families are aware of their wishes, those good intentions may never come to be. Organ donation can t happen without family consent. That s why it s so important for family members to know and respect one another s wishes. Ontario s organ donation rate is among the lowest in the industrialized world.