Although Teri Edwards recently lost her father to cancer, the St. Albert woman takes solace knowing that through organ donation, there is someone out there looking into his eyes.
Edwards' father Ron Mills passed away in 2021, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he still performed a final selfless act.
“My dad gave someone the gift of sight,” Edwards said.
Mills was a complete organ donor, wanting all of his organs to help others in need of a medical miracle
“But because of the cancer, nothing else was donatable. So he knew that his eyes would be donated and that made him feel happy,” Edwards said.
After his corneas had been donated, Edwards received a letter from the recipient of his eyes thanking them for giving them the gift of sight.
She said her family was so moved by the letter they cried again. This time, however, it wasn't from the sadness of losing her father, but rather, the overwhelming feeling of being able to help someone who needed an organ.
Edwards has the letter framed on her family’s wall to remind them life is short, and to reinforce the importance of sharing.
Edwards herself has been the recipient of organ donation, receiving ACL tissue in 2019, after hers no longer worked as intended. Edwards waited a few months and received the tissue, which restored her ability to walk properly. She wrote a letter to the family she received the tissue from too, thanking them for their generous gift which restored her mobility.
Green shirt day
Organ donation registrations saw a spike five years ago, after a victim of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash inspired others.
April 7 marks the fifth annual Green Shirt Day, a nationwide event to honour the legacy of Humboldt Broncos defenceman Logan Boulet and raise awareness for organ donation across Canada. This initiative, which has come to be known as the "Logan Boulet effect," continues to inspire thousands of Canadians to register as organ donors and discuss their wishes with their families.
The crash on April 6, 2018, left 16 passengers dead, including St. Albertans Stephen Wack, Logan Hunter, Conner Lukan, and Jaxon Joseph.
Logan Boulet succumbed to his injuries the day after the crash. His parents, Bernadine and Toby Boulet, donated his organs, saving six lives in the process. The decision was inspired by Logan's coach and mentor, Ric Suggitt, who died on June 27, 2017, and whose organ donation had also saved six lives.
As news spread about the impact of Logan Boulet's donation, an estimated 150,000 Canadians registered as organ donors in the days and weeks that followed – the largest number of registrations in Canadian history sparked by a single event. Green Shirt Day was established to honour, remember and recognize all the victims and families affected by the tragic crash, and to continue Logan's legacy by encouraging Canadians to discuss organ donation with their families and register as donors.
Since the inaugural Green Shirt Day in 2019, hundreds of thousands of Canadians have registered their intent to donate organs and tissues through their provincial registration systems.
The "Logan Boulet effect" continues to inspire Canadians, sparking conversations about organ donation. Each person who registers as a donor is estimated to discuss organ donation with an average of four others, resulting in approximately 400,000 conversations for every 100,000 new registrants.
Albertans can learn more about the organ donor registration process by visiting Alberta Health’s organ and tissue donor website. Individuals 18 and over can register.
To read more stories about organ donation, visit stalbertgazette.ca
-with files from Sam Forster
