April 17, 2015
EDMONTON – Alberta Health Services (AHS) is partnering with Alberta Blue Cross to host a one-day organ and tissue donor registry drive to kick off National Organ Tissue Donor Awareness Week, April 19 to 25.
Albertans in the Edmonton area are invited to the Alberta Blue Cross lobby, 10009 108 St., to register their intent to donate organ and/tissue through the Alberta organ and tissue donation registry. The event runs Monday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Those interested in registering their intent to donate are asked to bring their Alberta Health Care card. Intent to donate can also be completed online on MyHealth.Alberta.ca's Alberta Organ and Tissue Donation Registry page.
The Organ and Tissue Donation Registry is a way to record your wishes to donate organs and/or tissues after you die. About 102,000 Albertans have registered their intent to donate organ and/or tissue. The registry was established in 2014.
One deceased organ donor could provide a life-saving treatment for seven people by donating lungs, heart, liver, two kidneys, pancreas and small bowel. Only one to two per cent of deaths lead to organ donation; however, one deceased tissue donor can enhance up to 80 lives by donating corneas, sclera, heart valves, skin, bone, tendons or amniotic tissue.
All organ transplants in AHS Edmonton Zone are performed at the University of Alberta Hospital/Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and Stollery Children’s Hospital. More than 200 Albertans in the Edmonton area died while awaiting transplant over the past five years.
As Alberta's largest benefits carrier, Alberta Blue Cross provides supplementary health and dental benefits to meet the needs of over 1.6 million Albertans. An independent, not-for-profit organization, Alberta Blue Cross has a unique legislative mandate to support the health and wellness of Albertans and is recognized as one of Alberta’s Top 10 Most Loved Brands.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
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