When a loved-one passes away suddenly, families are sometimes faced with a potentially life-saving decision about organ and tissue donation.
Janeil Woodiwiss’ mother Janice died of a heart attack in November of last year at the age of 63.
“My mother was a very kind, loving caring person,” says Woodiwiss.
Woodiwiss says her mother always put others before herself, even after death.
“Shortly after my mother had passed away my father had received a phone call asking if he wanted to donate my mother's cornea,” says Woodiwiss.
It was a decision that had to be made right away, even as the family grieved.
Woodiwiss says her father said “yes” in honour of his wife.
“Without a doubt, with my mother's character and who she was – being the kind, caring person that she is – that he knew it would be something that she would have wanted to do,” says Woodiwiss.
Dr. Stephen Beed is the medical director of Nova Scotia's organ donation program. He says, at any given time, 200 to 300 Maritimers are waiting for an organ or tissue transplant.
“I think that people don't appreciate that the benefit from donation, really, is for both families,” says Beed.
Janice Woodiwiss lived in Fredericton. Her family received a heartfelt letter from the New Brunswick program.
“Not only was I proud that, that, you know, that she was able to restore vision for two people, but she would have been just gleaming from ear-to-ear knowing this,” says Woodiwiss.
“When you see those people, months, years, decades later, the fact that they're loved one was able to donate and help a bunch of people is really important to help them with their grieving process, it helps frame the legacy that they have for their loved one,” says Beed.
Woodiwiss and Dr. Beed say it's essential to raise awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation and they encourage people to sit down and discuss it with loved ones.
“It gave peace, peace to the family to know that my mother's gifts and legacy has now been given to somebody else,” says Woodiwiss. “Who knows, maybe someday I may see, or meet these people that have my mother's corneas and look into their eyes and who knows, see my mother.”
