April 7th is Green Shirt Day for Organ Donation
When tragedy also brings life
On April 6, 2018, the Humboldt Broncos bus crashed into a semi-truck that went into its path after the truck’s driver failed to stop at a stop sign on a highway north of Tisdale, Saskatchewan.
The next day, Humboldt Broncos defenceman Logan Boulet succumbed to his injuries. His parents donated his organs so that six lives could live on. Logan had previously told his parents he was registering as an organ donor. He was inspired to do so by his coach and mentor Ric Suggitt. Ric had passed on June 27th, 2017 and was an organ donor and saved 6 lives.
Of the 29 passengers, sixteen lost their lives and thirteen were injured.
The Logan Boulet Effect
As Canadian heard the news of the crash and mourned the lives lost, we were also inspired. Hearing that Logan was an organ donor inspired Canadians to sign up to be donors as well. An estimated 150,000 people registered to become organ donors in the days and weeks that followed the tragedy. To date, this is the largest number of Canadians registering to become organ donors in Canadian History due to one event – one person.
On April 7th, it’s Green Shirt Day. This is a day to honour, remember, and recognize all the victims and families of that fatal crash and to continue Logan’s legacy by inspiring Canadians to talk to their families and register as organ donors.
In Ontario, you can register as an organ donor in just two minutes. Have your health card handy and go to beadonor.ca
Some Facts About Organ Donation
- More than 4,100 people in Canada are waiting for an organ transplant.
- Every year, on average, 250 people in Canada die because they don’t get the life-saving
organ they need. - One organ donor can save up to eight lives.
- A tissue donor can improve the lives of up to 75 patients
- In Canada, almost 90% of Canadians say they support organ donation, but only 32% have actually registered their intent to donate
