Sask. organ donor honoured for saving six lives by giving lungs, heart and more

Braylen Breton (Courtesy: Darla Breton)

Darla Breton’s life changed forever in July of 2023 when her 22-year-old son Braylen was rushed to hospital. Doctors told Breton her son had a catastrophic brain injury.

“Our story could have ended right there in that room, but through the honour of donation, Braylen’s life and legacy continues,” Breton told CTV News.

That’s because six of his organs were donated to others waiting on the transplant list.

“His big, strong heart. His lungs, kidneys, liver and the islet of his pancreas were all transplanted,” she said.

Braylen was Indigenous — a demographic overrepresented on the waiting lists for organ and tissue transplant. One of the reasons is because Indigenous people have a higher rate of kidney disease.

“In Canada, there are 4,400 people waiting for an organ and tissue transplant. Two-hundred and fifty Canadians die each year waiting for a lifesaving organ,” says Monica Keet, donor coordinator with the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

• Get the latest news from Saskatchewan, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

The Saskatchewan donor program hopes to encourage organ donation, especially among Indigenous people, and an artist from the Piapot First Nation was commissioned to create an art piece to help.

“This painting exists because of like-minded people coming together in regard to taking care of each other,” Kevin Wesaquate said.

He created this artwork called Newo, which means four in Cree, and represents the four body parts which contribute to the whole person.

The piece also incorporates the four colours of the medicine wheel in Indigeous teachings. Wesaquate hopes it will help draw attention to organ donation. He lost his mom when he was a child while she waited for an organ donor.

“I tried to capture, you know, the idea of giving and the idea of connectedness to, just, you know, in regard to the Indigenous culture, the star people — that’s why the painting looks as if it’s in the air.”

The painting will hang in the newly renovated entrance of St. Paul’s Hospital.

It’s encouraging to Breton, who hopes more people talk to family members and let them know they would like to donate their organs. She says it has helped immensely in her grieving process.

“The honor that this has given to our family and the healing in our grief process is immeasurable. Knowing that his life and legacy go on; we were given a beginning instead of an end.”