Organ donation

The Organ Procurement and Exchange of Newfoundland and Labrador (OPEN), was created in 1982. Since then, our team has worked to promote organ donation in Newfoundland and Labrador. We help people understand why organ donation is an important part of end-of-life care, and we encourage you to talk about your wishes with your family.

For many people, getting an organ transplant means a second chance at life. Right now, people in Newfoundland and Labrador are waiting for a transplant. Across Canada, more than 3,700 people are on the waitlist each year. Sadly, some will not survive the wait.

In a small province like ours, the person waiting for an organ donation could be someone you know – or even you.

It’s important to talk to your family about your decision to donate your organs. If they know what you want, they will feel more comfortable honouring your wishes.

Even if you have registered as an organ donor, your family will have the final say. Timing is very important when it comes to organ donation, so please make sure to have that conversation.

You can make a big difference by simply choosing “Intent to Donate” when complete your Medical Care Plan (MCP) application or renewal form. You can also register your intent to donate on the MyGovNL website.

Option 1: Use MyGovNL

• Visit the MyGovNL website
• Create an account or login
• Link your MCP to view or change your donation status

 
Option 2: Use your MCP form

• Indicate your intent when you fill out your MCP application or renewal from.
• Your new MCP card will say “Organ Donor” if you’ve registered.

Register your intent to donate

Some people believe that once they register, they will automatically be able to donate. But even if you are registered as a donor, you might not meet the medical requirements.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, a person must be declared neurologically deceased (brain dead) for their organs to be donated. This means the brain has completely stopped working, but machines and medicines can keep the body’s organs, like heart and lungs, working.

Organ donation can only happen if you pass away in a hospital, such as in the emergency room or critical care unit. Only about 3 to 5 (three to five) per cent of hospital deaths meet the requirements for organ donation. That’s why registering now, and talking to your family, is so important.

Our hours are:

• Monday to Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• An on-call organ donor coordinator is available 24/7.

Our office is located at the Health Sciences Centre, in St. John’s. We provide deceased organ donation services across Newfoundland and Labrador.

Organ donor program:

• Telephone: 709-777-6600
• Toll free: 1-877-640-1110
• Email: OrganDonorProgram@nlhealthservices.ca

Pat Loder tells the story of her family’s decision to donate their son Jeff’s organs after he tragically passed away in 2016.

As one mother says about the gift of life that saved her son, “Although we know nothing of our donor or his/her family, they hold a special place within our family, and we hope and pray that they find comfort in the fact that other lives were changed so remarkably by their amazing gift.”