We've come a long way, but there's still work to do

Article published in The RDP Informer

By Charles-Antoine Rondeau

LIFE. As part of National Organ and Tissue Donation Week, which continues until April 29, the Executive Director of Transplant Quebec, Louis Beaulieu, as well as a receiver from the region, Tomy-Richard Leboeuf McGregor, highlight the progress of mentalities, but say that the situation can still improve.

Mr. Beaulieu first pointed out that over the past 6 years, the number of Quebec donors has increased from 119 to 182, while the number waiting for a transplant has increased from 1264 to 786. “We have made a lot of progress. However, people still wait more than a year before receiving a transplant, and some die while on the waiting list. So there are certainly still ways to improve the situation,” he said.

The latter insists that it is important to talk to our loved ones about our decision to accept organ or tissue donations, even if we have signed our health insurance card or are registered with the RAMQ or the Chambre des notaires du Québec. “In the event of death, the family can oppose it. At critical moments, loved ones are in shock and it's hard to make a decision, so clarity is very helpful and helps with the process. So you have to talk about it, and not just write it down,” explains the CEO of Transplant Québec.

In addition, Louis Beaulieu mentions that you should not self-diagnose yourself as unfit to give. “If a patient is in a life or death situation, the lungs of a person who has smoked a little in their life can still be good. You just have to make sure that the transplant is possible and that there is no danger to the health of the recipient,” he suggests.

He adds that older people can also be affected by organ donation, whether they are donors or recipients. “Our oldest donor was 88 years old, and the person who received his liver has lived with his organ for 15 years and had 3 children. An elderly person can also join the register and afford to have a good end of life,” says Mr. Beaulieu.

A recipient who is more active than many healthy people

Suffering from cystic fibrosis, a disease affecting all organs but causing major respiratory problems in particular, Tomy-Richard Leboeuf McGregor had recourse to a lung transplant 5 years ago, after a wait of two and a half years. Without it, he would have died a few days later. “It was really intense. Some time before the operation, I even had a blackout due to a lack of oxygen. On the other hand, everything went well, and today, I am in great shape and can live a normal life,” he says.

The latter is even more active than many people who do not have health problems. “I walk a lot, travel, and work full time. In addition, I love what I do for a living,” says the man who has been the executive director of the organization for several years now. Living with cystic fibrosis, whose mission is to promote and promote the quality of life of people living with this disease.

Now 32 years old, the transplant recipient believes that organ donation helps with bereavement, since it allows you to know that the death of a loved one will have helped other people to have a better life or to survive. “The will of a single family can change the life course enormously. I am the best example of this, because if this family had not accepted, I would have died. I had no chance of survival,” concluded Mr. Leboeuf-McGregor.

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