Nurses applauded during National Nursing Week

Nurses played a huge personal role for me leading up to, during and after my lung transplant. They continue to be my lifeline and I'm very proud to salute them by posting this press release from Trillium Gift of Life Network in Ontario.

Trillium Gift of Life Network Applauds Nurses During National Nursing Week for Helping Achieve New Record for Organ Donations

May, 7, 2007 – Toronto, ON – Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) today applauded Ontario’s nurses for their hard work in supporting organ and tissue donation and for helping achieve a new record for organ donations in the province.

“We greatly appreciate the extra steps that nurses have taken all across the province to honour a family's wish to donate their loved one's organs and tissue,” said Frank Markel, President and CEO of TGLN. “The impact this has made in helping those in need of a life saving transplant or life enhancing tissue is incredible and it certainly helped us achieve a new record for organ donations in Ontario,” he added.

On April 23, 2007, TGLN announced that the 2006-2007 fiscal year ended with 184 deceased donations, up from 169 deceased donations in the 2005-2006 fiscal year.

"As a nurse and single-lung transplant recipient, I want to personally thank my colleagues around the province for their commitment", said Kitty Sayle. "With their continued support I’m confident many more lives will be saved," she added.

“Nurses spend considerable time with their patients and their families, and we view nurses as partners in our work, relying on their judgment and expertise to help identify potential donors, manage donation cases and provide support to our donor families who are going through a very tragic event in their lives,” said Mark Vimr, Chief Nursing Officer of TGLN. “Through the combined efforts of nurses, other healthcare providers in hospitals and TGLN's clinical staff, the majority of whom are nurses, we continue to provide increased opportunities for families across Ontario to donate and give the gift of life,” he added.

Today in Ontario, 1748 patients are on the waiting list. Of those, 1086 are men, 632 are women and 30 of those patients are children.

TGLN applauds nurses for their professionalism, commitment and for their continuing support to save and enhance more lives in Ontario.

Trillium Gift of Life Network is a not-for-profit agency of the Government of Ontario and is responsible for planning, promoting, coordinating and supporting organ and tissue donation across Ontario and improving the system so that more lives can be saved.

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