Sask. residents now can register to donate tissue, organs

As someone who has experienced the pain of loss firsthand, Blaine Pho is a major supporter of Saskatchewan’s new organ and tissue registry.

The Government of Saskatchewan officially launched the online registry Thursday during a media conference at the T.C. Douglas Building in Regina.

Pho lost his wife, Michelle, to kidney failure caused by lupus in 2018. She was on the transplant list, but didn’t get the organ replacement in time.

“When we lost Michelle, we lost a wife and a mother, which means we lost our superhero,” Pho said.

Every Saskatchewan resident aged 16 or over who has a valid Saskatchewan Health Services Card number is eligible to enrol in the registry. The government said one tissue donor can help 75 people, while one organ donor can potentially save the lives of up to eight people.

Pho believes if a person donates their organs after death, it’s a way for their family to feel hope in a difficult time.

“If I couldn’t be here, and I’ve registered for this, my family would know that there are up to eight people that I continue to live on with. I think that is a gift that is beyond anything else,” he said.

“You can’t be here, but your family knows that you’re alive in up to eight different people, saving and improving their lives. This registry is a gift to us. We need to use it.”

While some people might not be sure about registering, Pho thinks it brings nothing but good.

“It’s a very personal and very important decision,” he said. “All that I ask it that you take it seriously. It is so important and so critical, because registering for the donor list means we have more lives we can save. It is such a gift to give life.”

Organ donation became a major topic of conversation in Saskatchewan after the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in April of 2018.

Broncos defenceman Logan Boulet registered to be a donor on his 21st birthday, shortly before he and 15 other people died as a result of the crash.

The Logan Boulet Effect since has become a worldwide phenomenon, with thousands of people following his lead and signing up to be organ donors.

The Saskatchewan government hopes the registry will increase donation rates and reduce transplant wait lists in the province.

“With this organ and tissue donor registry, we have another way to support grieving families by confirming the intentions of their loved ones,” Dr. Joann Kawchuk, the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s medical director for donation, said in a media release.

“Every person who registers increases the chance of a longer, better life for people waiting for a transplant.”

One thing that doesn’t change with the launch of the registry is a person’s family still has the final say on whether their organs are donated.

Because of that, Health Minister Jim Reiter stressed it’s important for a person to make their wishes be known.

“If that time comes that they’re being considered as a donor, medical professionals will still be checking with the family members … So it’s twofold. The registry is important, but it’s also important that people communicate with their family members,” Reiter explained.

Signing up for the registry is an easy process.

“I did mine this morning,” Reiter said. “It takes a minute or two … It’s very quick and simple to do.”

People can learn more and register here.