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Dear Colleagues,
As 2022 nears its end, we reflect upon another year of resilience and determination in the face of uncertainty and change. I recognize this has also been a year of continued, and in some cases unprecedented, challenge for health systems across the country. Despite these trials, there has also been meaningful progress for organ donation and transplantation patients and partners. I hope you will join me in looking back proudly and reflecting on the achievements of the ODT community this past year thanks to our combined strength, innovation, persistence, and most importantly - collaboration.
We look forward to celebrating many of these accomplishments with you in January when we share our annual Year in Review issue of OTDT Digest.
On behalf of the Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation team at Canadian Blood Services, I sincerely wish you a safe, joyful, restful holiday season; one that brings hope and happiness to you and those you hold closest in your heart.
Warmly,
Catherine Butler
Director, Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation
Canadian Blood Services
Organ trafficking bill receives royal assent
Bill S-223, the act to amend the Criminal Code and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (trafficking human organs), has received royal assent. The bill creates specific offences in the Criminal Code that cover trafficking in human organs, including what is known as 'transplant tourism'. It also amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to make inadmissible to Canada permanent residents or foreign nationals who, in the opinion of the appropriate minister, have engaged in any activity related to trafficking in human organs.
International Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Webinar Series resumes
Canadian Blood Services has partnered with the International Society for Organ Donation and Procurement to co-host a quarterly international call, as we work to continue the connection and knowledge sharing that developed among the international community throughout our meetings in response to COVID.
The series resumed in December with a call focused not solely on COVID, but more broadly on the topic of anticipated trends in viruses that may pose a threat to donation-transplant systems and health care system capacity. The recording for this call can be viewed on our Professional Education website, and future meeting dates and topics are to be confirmed in the New Year.
DonerNorth OTDT ad wins big at 2022 Media Innovation Awards and International Epica Awards
DonerNorth announced this month that their work on The Donated Commercial was recognized at multiple industry award ceremonies.
The Donated Commercial campaign for Canada's Organ & Tissue Donation Community launched during NOTDAW this year to help draw attention to the importance of becoming an organ donor. Consisting of a short video ad entirely made up of segments 'donated' from other commercials to bring the key message to life, the campaign took over social media and Spotify and informed and encouraged Canadians to become organ donors by directing them to online registries.
The best gifts cannot be simply wrapped in a box or adorned with an ornate bow. The gift of life should be celebrated every day! The Orgamites are on a mission to get Canadian students of all ages learning and talking about organ and tissue donation in their classrooms and at home. Visit the website to learn more about how to breathe new life and lightness into a vital conversation.
#ShareTheShorts is a competition sponsored by the Ajmera Transplant Centre to:
promote awareness of the lifesaving power of organ donation and transplantation
engage students and educators in the creation of engaging and informative content that will appeal to younger and more diverse audience
build a library of innovative short-form video content public awareness messages for participating partners, social media influencers and youth to share on social media and use during key events (eg. NOTDAW, Be A Donor Month, Living Donation Week etc.)
Young creatives are invited to submit short videos appropriate for use on TikTok, YouTube and/or other social media. The videos can range in length (from 15 seconds to 3 minutes) and there is no limit on the number of submissions per individual, class or school.
The competition is open to students ages 12-18 years in Canada & U.S. All accepted submissions will be entered into a draw for prizes for budding creators. The top submissions will be awarded up to $1,000.
Up to $30,000 available. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 31, 2022.
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