How to Donate
Did you know that donating your organs can give up to eight desperately ill people a new
chance at life, and that donating your tissues can save up to 50? But you have to indicate your
wishes.     Sign and carry an organ and tissue donor card, or register your consent through your
provincial registry. Because hospitals will not remove any organ without a relative’s consent,
discuss your desire to donate with close family members.

Can I be a donor?
 If you want to donate your organs and tissues after death, you should consider yourself a potential donor regardless of your age. There are no strict age limits because your health is more important than age alone. You should sign a donor card, and also tell your family about your wishes. Although a signed donor card is a legal document, hospital staff will ask for consent from the next of kin to be certain the family supports the donation. Your family's objections to organ donation will overrule your wishes. This is why it is so important to share your decision with your family so they can act on your behalf after you die. If your next of kin consents to donation, medical tests will determine if you are a suitable donor.

Heart Transplant Program

Heart transplantation is a last resort option for people with heart failure. To be considered for a heart transplant, a person's heart must be unresponsive to other forms of treatment and all other vital organs must be in excellent health.

The heart transplant surgery must be performed immediately after a suitable donor heart becomes available. The recipient is placed on a heart-lung machine that takes over the functions of the heart and lungs so the diseased heart can be removed and replaced with the new heart.
Once the blood vessels are reconnected, the heart is ready to function.

Following transplantation, a patient's immune system treats the new organ as a foreign tissue and produces antibodies to destroy it. This rejection of the new organ is an anticipated complication. Immunosuppressive drugs are prescribed to prevent this response.