Dr. Sibley encourages people to take two minutes to change people's lives by registering to become organ and tissue donors, and to help raise awareness of organ donation by wearing a Green Shirt on April 7.
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Matthew Manor/KHSC
Critical Care and Emergency Medicine doctor Stephanie Sibley witnesses firsthand the ups and downs people go through when someone is very sick.
“Despite people’s devastating illnesses, they continue to have wishes even in their last days and hours of life,” says Dr. Sibley.
One of those wishes is to be an organ or tissue donor and save or greatly improve people’s lives.
“It is a tremendous legacy to leave behind and I think organ and tissue donation gives people and their families great comfort at a very difficult time in their lives.
“One of the biggest obstacles to organ donation is when people don’t tell their families that they wish to be donors, or don’t sign up to be donors at BeADonor.ca or when they get a driver’s license. Families are faced with an overwhelming amount of information at the end of a loved one’s life and if they are uncertain about their loved one’s wishes they may decline donation even though it may have been what the person wanted.
“If everyone let their loved ones know their wishes it would take the burden off them to make a decision at a stressful time.
“Sometimes, when people are faced with the decision to donate at the end of someone’s life, they are reluctant because of the amount of time it takes to arrange an organ donation. Most people aren’t aware that it can take days to complete the required testing and to find out if organs will be accepted by transplant teams, and some families and patients don’t want to wait that long when the end of life is nearing.
“While it does take time, we are very lucky at KHSC to have a Trillium Gift of Life coordinator, Susan Warr, who does a great job of explaining the donation process to families and supporting them throughout.”
Dr. Sibley is the donation physician specialist at KHSC. She has enhanced expertise in organ and tissue donation and is involved in education, training, quality improvement and advocacy.
“My friend and colleague Dr. Gord Boyd encouraged me to take on this role after he had held the position. He is passionate about organ donation and is a leader in developing guidelines and policies for best practices. His commitment to organ donation inspires me every day.
“I also continue to be inspired by our donors and their families. Yearly donor memorial ceremonies are opportunities to learn more about donors’ lives and are incredibly moving experiences. A memorial to donors in the Kidd 2 hallway between the Intensive Care Unit and the operating rooms is where we place their names to honour their amazing gifts.”
The difference between the demand for transplants and organ availability has been identified as a worldwide public health concern. Sadly, many people die while on a waitlist for an organ transplant. Please take two minutes to change people’s lives. Register to become an organ and tissue donor at BeADonor.ca.
#BeADonorMonth #GreenShirtDay #myKHSC
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Dr. Sibley encourages people to take two minutes to change people's lives by registering to become organ and tissue donors, and to help raise awareness of organ donation by wearing a Green Shirt on April 7.
