Have you considered being a living donor?

Most of us are born with two kidneys. However, a healthy person can live a normal, healthy life with just one. About 40 to 50 per cent of kidney transplants come from a living donor. For liver transplants, a surgeon will remove a portion of the living donor’s liver that will regenerate back to its full size in a few months. Other living donations include amniotic membranes and donated bone for bone grafts.

"Living kidney donations are mostly now done with laparoscopic, or what's known as keyhole surgery," said Saskatchewan Kidney Transplant Surgeon, Dr. Mike Moser, "patients are typically in hospital for a couple days before they are good to go home and are back to work within a few weeks." 

View the personal stories of living organ donors and recipients as well as physicians from Saskatchewan on the Government of Saskatchewan Great Actions Leave a Mark website.

Talk your loved ones about your plans for organ and tissue donation. If you or someone you know is interested in donation, they can reach out to the Living Organ Donation team in Regina at 306-766-6477 or Saskatoon at 306-655-5054. Donating organs or tissues, whether living or deceased, is a life-changing gift.