More people in Alberta choosing to give the gift of life

Province marks record year for deceased organ and/or tissue donors in 2024

EDMONTON — Alberta’s organ and tissue donation program, Give Life Alberta, reported a record number of donors last year, with a total of 317 deceased organ and/or tissue donors.

The generosity of these people and their loved ones led to 423 organs transplanted in 2024, saving hundreds of lives.

This is the third consecutive year for increasing deceased donation rates in the province, with 273 donors in 2023, and 248 donors in 2022.
Mike Cahill of Calgary received a life-saving kidney transplant from a deceased donor in 2024. The 39-year-old had kidney disease and spent more than three years on at-home and in-clinic dialysis.

“My life was on hold. It felt like having a weight on every limb. It was hard to work up the willpower to go do anything,” says Cahill.

The construction engineer is now back at work and feeling “awesome.” Cahill thinks about his donor often.

“They had all their life ahead of them, as well. I’m eternally grateful to their family. It definitely was a life-changing decision,” says Cahill.

One organ donor can save up to eight lives, and a tissue donor can dramatically improve, or sometimes save, up to 75 lives. There is a constant need for organ transplants across Canada. In Alberta alone, more than 500 people are waiting for life-saving transplants.

“Donation and transplantation makes a huge difference for patients in need of organs or tissues. It can be life-saving. It can have a huge impact on patients’ quality of life,” says Dr. Andreas Kramer, Medical Director of Give Life Alberta.

“Donation can also provide families with some comfort during a time of great loss. The fact that we’re able to provide that option for more families is good news.”

Alberta has instituted several initiatives in recent years to build a culture of donation, and to help ensure the families of all potential donors receive the opportunity to consider donation.

• The Specialist in End-of-Life Care, Neuroprognostication and Donation (SEND) program, which launched in 2021, involves specialized intensive care physicians working closely with healthcare teams to ensure high-quality end-of-life care, which can include identifying and caring for potential organ donors. SEND has helped to significantly reduce missed organ donation opportunities.
• In 2023, the province’s Bill 205 — Mandatory Referral legislation — took effect, directing hospitals to refer all dying patients who could be eligible to donate organs or tissues to a donation program.
• The newly formed Alberta Organ and Tissue Donation Program (AOTDP) united five dedicated healthcare teams in Edmonton and Calgary, with a provincial office to guide the program.
• In 2024, Alberta increased public awareness efforts, including rebranding AOTDP as Give Life Alberta, creating the user-friendly web page GiveLifeAlberta.ca, and launching the multiple-award-winning public awareness campaign “All the Ways.”
• Also in 2024, Give Life Alberta added four senior donation consultants to partner with hospital leadership teams for professional education to optimize organ and tissue donation practices.

Albertans are encouraged to register their intent to donate online at GiveLifeAlberta.ca — or at a motor vehicle registry office — and to tell their loved ones about their donation decision as it will be up to them to provide consent.

Alberta Health Services provides a range of health care services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide excellent, patient-focused healthcare that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.