Organ and Tissue Donation in Alberta: What You Need to Know
On Thursday, November 24, 2025, we hosted our Are You Prepared Series: Our Journey’s End, Exploring Our Options. It was a morning of hard conversations as we heard about hospice care, palliative care at home, organ donation and leaving our body to science. None of us wants to think about dying but we created our Are You Prepared series to get you thinking about things and having conversations with your loved ones.
Give Life Alberta had a fantastic presentation. Here is some of the information they asked us to share.
We encourage everyone to visit their website. All the information is there about organ and tissue donation and it is really easy to find answers to any questions you may have.
SOME KEY MESSAGES FROM GIVE LIFE ALBERTA
DONOR CARDS ARE NO LONGER IN USE – REGISTER INSTEAD
Albertans used to “sign a donor card”. Since 2014, it’s recommended we register our donation decision online at GiveLifeAlberta.ca or in person at a motor vehicle registry office. Either way, it’s the same registry that a medical team would check at the time of a potential donor’s death.
TELL YOUR FAMILY
They will have the final say about donation at the time of your death. Families who know their loved one’s donation wishes generally find it easier to make a decision during a difficult time.
ONE ORGAN DONOR CAN SAVE UP TO 8 LIVES
Organs that can be donated include the heart, lungs (2), kidneys (2), liver, small intestine, and pancreas.
ONE TISSUE DONOR CAN DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR UP TO 75 PEOPLE.
Heart valves and skin donations can also save lives. Other tissues that can be donated include eyes, bone, and tendons.
ALBERTA SET A RECORD IN 2024 WITH 317 DECEASED ORGAN AND TISSUE DONORS.
However, over 500 people are still waiting for a life-saving transplant in our province. In 2024, over 30 people on the waitlist passed away while waiting.
A COMMON MYTH: “I’M TOO OLD OR TOO UNHEALTHY TO DONATE.”
Don’t count yourself out! A medical condition or serious illness does not necessarily exclude you as a potential donor. Medical teams evaluate each person individually when they pass away to see what they can donate.
PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN – “ALL THE WAYS”
This award-winning campaign encourages Albertans to share their donation decision with family, as it will be up to their family to provide final consent. Donor families were consulted and agreed on the importance of the message and the use of humour to start conversations. Donation discussions don’t have to be grim! See the ads at GiveLifeAlberta.ca
Q U E S T I O N S
Email: Gi*************@*HS.ca