As P.E.I. considers presumed consent for organ donation, experts say system support is crucial
CBC
Matt MacFarlane still remembers the moment 24 years ago when he learned he would need a kidney transplant.
"I was 12 when I was diagnosed with kidney disease. I was told at that age that at some point in my life I'd need dialysis or transplant. I managed to get to age 26 under my own steam, and at that age I was told it's time," he told This is P.E.I. podcast host Mitch Cormier
When that time came, all three of his sisters stepped forward to be tested as potential transplant donors. All were good matches, and one of them, Rosie, didn't hesitate.
"I was the one who was in the best position at the time to donate. There was no deliberation. It was just something you do," Rosie said.
MacFarlane, now the Green MLA representing Borden-Kinkora, was recently among those who voted in favour of a motion that aims to improve organ donation rates in P.E.I.
The motion, introduced by Liberal MLA Gord McNeilly, proposes that P.E.I. adopt a presumed-consent model for organ and tissue donation. It passed unanimously in the provincial legislature.
Under this model, individuals who die are assumed to have given consent to donate their organs and tissues unless they have actively opted out.
P.E.I. currently uses an opt-in system, meaning individuals must sign up to become organ and tissue donors in the event of their death.
But as the province considers this change, experts say legislation alone won't be enough; the whole system needs to be ready, too.
P.E.I. relies on other provinces, including Nova Scotia, for many specialized health-care services, including organ harvesting and transplants.
Nova Scotia became the first jurisdiction in North America to implement presumed consent in 2021. In that province, residents over the age of majority who have lived there for at least 12 months are automatically considered potential donors unless they opt out or have otherwise communicated their wishes.
Dr. Stephen Beed, a professor at Dalhousie University's medical school, was one of those physicians who helped create the presumed-consent model.
"We had about 17 donors per million when we began this journey, and we are now more than double that," he said.
"In an environment where getting a 10 per cent increase per year might be considered a good year, we have more than doubled our donation rate, and our trends are that it's going to get even better than that. We've almost tripled the number of actual transplants that are being done."
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