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Clarksburg Medical Group
186 Marsh Street,
Clarksburg Ontario
Phone: 519-599-5775
Fax: 519-599-7140
Website Update: April 9, 2021
News you can use!
National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week
National Organ and Tissue and Awareness Donation Week (NOTDAW)
will take place April 18-24, 2021.
Did you know? Bill C-202, enacting National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week in Canada was passed unanimously by the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science, and Technology on Feb. 4, 1997. The bill was brought forward by former Liberal Member of Parliament Dan McTeague. The last full week of April was chosen to mark the occasion and to commemorate the death of Stuart Herriott, a toddler killed in a motor vehicle incident in McTeague’s riding of Pickering-Scarborough East. Parents of two-and-a-half-year-old Herriott donated his organs and, in turn, helped to save and improve the lives of four others. McTeague says the intent of the bill was to encourage education and awareness about donation and allow Parliament to take a leadership role in addressing the scarcity of organs and thinking about those who die every year waiting for a transplant.
How we can acknowledge NOTDAW? Green ribbons, and green-lit landmarks, pop up across Canada during NOTDAW to honour the donors and donor families who gave the gift of life. They also acknowledge the thousands of patients in need of a transplant and those who have died waiting.
How can we help? Canadians are reminded to register their intent to donate and to discuss their wishes with family and friends. Visit organtissuedonation.ca to find out how to become an organ donor where you live.
Why Is it important to register? You need to register your consent to donate, even if you signed a donor card, to ensure the information is recorded with the Ontario government. When needed, the Trillium Gift of Life Network will use this record to confirm your consent. They will also reaffirm your consent with your family. In almost all cases, families honour and respect their loved ones’ donation decision if they have evidence that it’s what they wanted. Registering as a donor is the only secure and guaranteed way to make your decision known.
To register as an organ and tissue donor, you need:
- to be at least 16 years old
- to provide your date of birth
- your health card number and version code (if applicable)
