Give Life Alberta flag flies at Foothills for Living Donation Week

A new flag is flying outside the Foothills Medical Centre in honour of living organ donors; meanwhile, deceased donations are on the rise in Alberta.

Rhekia and her father, Saad Fahssi, helped raise a green flag with two green hearts on Tuesday morning, and it will stay until Sept. 13.

In December 2010, Rhekia donated a kidney to her father at Foothills.

Since then, they both continue to lead full lives and make new memories.

“I’ve been able to do a lot of things that I wasn’t able to,” said Saad.

“To do this act is absolutely very admirable and very generous.”

“We talk about organ donation being that gift of life, and it is,” said Rhekia.

It’s the gift of time that led them to support Give Life Alberta, an organization dedicated to organ and tissue donation.

Give Life Alberta says more Albertans are donating organs and tissues.

Last year, there were 423 transplant surgeries.

Of those, 74 were from living donors; the majority were kidneys or part of the liver.

Deceased donors increase

There’s been a steady increase in deceased donors.

Last year, there were 317 organs donated.

In 2023, there were 273.

And in 2022, there were 248.

An August news release from Give Life Alberta says the increase may be partly because of Mandatory Referral legislation (Bill 205), where hospitals refer eligible dying patients to a donation program.

“We have noticed a significant increase in the number of donors across the province, which is very important to reduce the waiting list and take patients out of the transplant list,” said Dr. Mauricio Monroy-Cuadros, a transplant surgeon.

Those waiting for organs are on a long list in Alberta.

Five hundred people don’t have a match.

Thirty-eight Albertans died while waiting in 2024.

“It also is that gift of time that you are giving yourself, others, loved ones, a stranger—you never know what opportunities that someone else is going to be able to have, what sort of life they are going to lead and the people that they’re going to impact,” said Rhekia.

Organizers encourage people to become an organ donor by registering online or at an Alberta registry office.

Give Life Alberta also says the next best thing to do is tell your family of your intentions to donate organs.