Take ‘recycling’ to its maximum
By Joanne Anka
(8 minute ToastMaster’s Speech)

I’d like you to meet my son, Michel. Fourteen years ago, when I was pregnant with Michel, I went for a routine ultrasound. After an hour, I asked the technician why it’s taking so long. The technician replied, “The fetus is not emptying its bladder. I’m waiting for the fetus to pee.”

Well, it didn’t pee. The doctors concluded that there was a blockage in the urethra. That’s the tube that connects the bladder to the outside of your body. They predicted there would be bladder and kidney damage.

So I had a progressive surgery where a tube was inserted through my abdomen, into the fetus’ abdomen, and into its bladder so it could drain. Otherwise, the bladder would have burst. This saved the baby’s life.

At birth, Michel was born with severe kidney failure. At age 3, he underwent his 13th surgery which was a kidney transplant. The kidney was donated by a living donor–his father, Claude…my husband.

Michel is now 13 years old and has always been very healthy. The doctors have always had great control of his condition. He leads a great life. He plays hockey, he’s a professional actor. But he takes medication 3 times a day and has a needle every night. In probably 10 years, he will need another kidney transplant because transplanted kidneys don’t last the rest of your life.

Ladies and gentlemen…This experience has taught me something that is very important…to sign my organ donor card. And I would like you all to consider the importance of signing a donor card too, if you haven’t done so already. I’m not appealing to you to sign a card so you can give a kidney to Michel. The next donor will probably be me anyway. In Canada, right now, there are more than 4000 people on the waiting list for a transplant. 250 of these people will die while on the waiting list…that’s 5 people per week dying in Canada…just because there aren’t enough organs and tissue available. There aren’t enough people signing their card.

Firstly let me explain that there are 3 types of donors:

1—living-related donor—like Claude to Michel
2– living donor—like a friend to a friend
3—cadaver donor—deceased person

It’s for donor type number 3 that we need to sign our donor cards. We never know when a fatal accident might occur. And you can’t raise your arm and say after the fact, ”Wait a minute, I want to give my organs!” You have to make that decision now!

• One cadaver can provide organs and tissue for 75 recipients.

• Studies show that donating organs and tissue after you leave this world helps families to cope with their loss by knowing that their loved one saved other lives.

Everyone can be a donor.
• Age is not a concern: The oldest Canadian organ donor was 92 years old.
• Medical history is not a concern: Even totally blind people can donate their eyes. And aids patients can give to other aids patients.

o 1-Sign a donor card and carry it with you.

o 2-Tell your families about your decision so that it will be honoured in a difficult time, because 40% of organ donors are lost because they have not told their families and in the event of a tragedy, the families are not willing to let their loved ones organs go.

Some people are concerned that doctors won’t do everything they can to save their life in an emergency if they have signed their card. This is a myth.
If you have a serious emergency, you would be seen by a doctor who most closely matches your medical needs. And doctors are in the business of saving lives. They don’t say “Hey Frank, let’s let this one go and give the organs to that boy down the street”. Once all lifesaving methods have been exhausted, the doctors will then refer a patient to the transplant team, which is a whole other team of doctors.

I brought with me tonight, organ donor cards and pamphlets, which I will put on the back table. Please take one and give this some serious consideration.

The way I see it…We are living in a world of recycling. Let’s recycle ourselves and save some lives. There’s no point in leaving this world with perfectly good organs and tissues.

Take a look at my son Michel. You see a healthy happy boy. Transplants save lives.