Organs & Tissues
for Life
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How to become an organ and tissue donor
Every province has its own registry or method for indicating one's intent to donate organs and tissues. In cooperation with Canada's organ and tissue donation community we have built a portal to help Canadians navigate to their province's online registry or to access information about how to become a donor. In addition to registering or indicating your intent, don't forget to tell your family about your organ and tissue donation wishes.
Living kidney donation
Most of us are born with two kidneys. However, a healthy person can live a normal, healthy life with just one kidney. This means that a healthy person can give (donate) a kidney to someone whose kidneys aren’t working. This gift is living kidney donation.
Scroll down to learn more about living kidney donation and Canada's national kidney paired donation program.
Professional education
Canadian Blood Services' professional education website is the trusted source for health-care professional education materials. We provide vital resources on transfusion of blood components, and donation and transplantation of organs and tissues. Explore our programs, clinical guidelines, leading practices, courses, upcoming events and more.
What is living donation?
Any adult who is in general good health can be assessed to become a living donor. Every potential donor must participate in thorough medical assessments to ensure they are healthy enough to donate one of their kidneys or part of their liver.
The kidney donation process involves the surgical removal of one kidney from a healthy donor and transplanted into a recipient in need. In a healthy, approved donor, the remaining kidney is able to compensate for the removed kidney by increasing its functioning capacity.
Healthy adults can become living liver donors after extensive medical testing. Up to one half of the donor’s liver is surgically removed and transplanted into a recipient in need. Annual follow-ups with a doctor are recommended for all living organ donors.
What is Kidney Paired Donation?
If you are not a match for someone you care about who needs a kidney transplant, you can still help. The national Kidney Paired Donation program is an interprovincial program operated by Canadian Blood Services in collaboration with Canada’s living kidney donation and kidney transplant programs. This program gives individuals an opportunity to become a living donor and donate a kidney to someone in need.
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How it works
Donors and recipients who are not matched may be entered in the Kidney Paired Donation Program. Three times a year, an advanced computer program finds multiple opportunities to exchange donors with different recipients around the country, to find pairs that are a good match with a very low chance of rejection.
Willing, living donors without a specific intended recipient may also register in the Kidney Paired Donation program. These donors can start a 'domino' chain of transplants where one donor can trigger multiple transplants. These non-directed donors are responsible for more than two-thirds of the transplants in the program.
Potential living kidney donors
You must consent to take part in an exchange. All potential donors are required to complete a medical and psychological evaluation by a living donation program. This is to determine that it is safe for you to donate. Potential donors do not need to be Canadian citizens but must be approved for donation by a Canadian living donation program.
Kidney transplant candidates
If you are an eligible recipient in Canada and have a living donor who is willing and medically able to donate a kidney, you can enrol in a transplant program in one of the participating provinces. Your enrolment requires approval by the Canadian Transplant Registry. You do not have to be on dialysis to enrol. You do need to be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or a foreign citizen covered under a provincial, territorial, or federal health insurance program while residing in Canada.
Download our brochures for more information on living kidney donation
How do I become a living organ donor?
Start by contacting the kidney or liver donation or transplant program in your province. You will need to undergo mandatory medical examinations and tests to determine if it is safe for you to become a living donor. These tests will also determine if you are an appropriate match for your intended recipient. If a donor and recipient are not well matched, the recipient has a higher chance of rejecting the transplanted organ.
Living kidney donation programs
If you are a potential donor or recipient interested in learning more about living kidney donation, please contact the program nearest you from the list below:
Alberta
The Living Donor Services Program – Edmonton
Phone: 780-407-8698 | Toll free: 1-866-253-6833
Email: livingdonors@ahs.ca
Southern Alberta Transplant Program – Calgary
Phone: 403-944-4635
British Columbia
St. Paul’s Hospital – Vancouver
Tel: 604-806-9027 | Toll free: 1-877-922-9822
Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca
Phone: 604-875-5182
Email: kidneydonornurse@vch.ca
Phone: 604-875-2272 | Toll-free: 1-888-300-3088 ext. 2272
Manitoba
Transplant Manitoba - Gift of Life Living Donor Program
204-787-2323
New Brunswick
Horizon Health – Saint John Regional Hospital Living Donor Program
Phone: 506-648-6850
Réseau de santé Vitalité Health Network – Hôpital Dr. Georges L. Dumont
Phone: 506-869-2441
Newfoundland and Labrador
Eastern Health – Waterford Hospital – St. John’s
Phone: 709-777-3601
Western Health – Western Memorial Regional Hospital – Corner Brook
Phone: 709-637-5000 ext. 5396
Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
Cape Breton Regional Hospital – Sydney
Phone: 902-567-8067
Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre – Halifax
Toll-free: 1-888-362-8555
Phone: 902-473-5501
Queen Elizabeth Hospital - Charlottetown
Phone: 902-473-5501
Ontario
University Health Network – Toronto General Hospital
Phone: 416-340-4800 ext. 4848
St. Michael’s Hospital – Toronto
Phone: 416-867-3676
Email: LiveDonorTeam@smh.ca
Hospital for Sick Children – Toronto
*Please contact the team at University Health Network – Toronto General to be evaluated as a living donor on behalf of a child at Hospital for Sick Kids.
Phone: 519-685-8500 (ext. 35932)
St. Joseph’s Health Care – Hamilton
Phone: 905-522-1155 ext. 33780
The Ottawa Hospital – Riverside Campus
Phone: 613-738-8400 ext. 82778
Phone: 613-549-6666 ext. 7838
Quebec
Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal
Phone: 514-890-8000 ext. 26616
L’Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont
Phone: 514-252-3400 ext. 3308
Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal - Sainte-Justine
Phone: 514-345-4931
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec - Laval University
Phone: 418-525-4444 ext. 15262
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke
Phone: 819-346-1110 ext. 14129
McGill University Health Centre
Phone: 514-934-1934 ext. 36003
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Transplant Program – Saskatoon
Phone: 306-655-5054
Saskatchewan Transplant Program – Regina
Phone: 306-766-6477
How to become a living liver donor
For more information on living liver donation please contact one of Canada’s living liver donation programs:
Professional education
Canadian Blood Services' professional education website is the trusted source for health-care professional education materials. We provide vital resources on transfusion of blood components, and donation and transplantation of organs and tissues. Explore our clinical guidelines, leading practices, courses, upcoming events and more.