Day set to mark Humboldt Bronco’s life-saving decision

As the one-year anniversary of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash approaches, there will be a day to honour what has become known as the Logan Boulet effect.

Last year on March 2 was Boulet’s 21st birthday, the day he signed his organ donor card.

When he died on April 7, that act saved the lives of six people when his parents Toby and Bernadine donated his organs. In the weeks after the crash, about 100,000 Canadians signed their cards as Boulet had done.

“Every day, someone tells us that they signed up as an organ donor because of what Logan did. They tell us a story about them either receiving an organ or their family member or something along that line. So the impact that Logan has made is tremendous,” Toby told the 980 CJME Roy Green Show on Sunday.

“We’re still wrapping our head around that our son passed and made six people live better lives,” he said.

This year on April 7, Canadian Transplant Association will mark Green Shirt Day, a day to recognize the crash victims and their families. As well, the occasion is intended to raise awareness of organ donation.

According to the association, while 90 per cent of Canadians say they support organ donation, only 23 per cent have signed up to be donors.

Toby Boulet is hoping that people will talk to their loved ones about their wishes because in Saskatchewan, donation is only possible with the consent of the next-of-kin.

“People have to have the talk to understand that they can do that for their child or for themselves or their spouse,” he said. “They may be donors but families have to be prepared at that very difficult time to say ‘yes.’”