Canadian Blood Services’ statement on story about organ donation in Kentucky

On October 18, 2024 Canadian news media reported on an alleged incident that took place in Kentucky in October 2021, which could impact Canadians’ perceptions of organ donation and transplantation programs in Canada.  

Canada is a world leader in developing medico-legal and ethical guidelines for the determination of death. Protecting the trust and integrity of the deceased donation system is critical to the development of national guidelines in Canada. 

In Canada, organ donation only takes place after doctors confirm that a person has passed away. Determination of death is based on rigorously developed clinical practice guidelines that provide the biomedical definition of death based on permanent cessation of brain function. The guideline development process involved 57 panel members including adult and pediatric ICU physicians and nurses, neurocritical care, neurology, radiology, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, bioethics, legal, patient/family partners, clinical practice guideline methodologists and international advisors. These guidelines are evidence-based and were most recently reviewed in 2023 by legal, medical and ethical experts, as well as patient groups and donor families. 

Organ donation after death accounts for the vast majority of transplantation in Canada. Clarity around the definition of death and continual review of clinical procedures for the determination of death in Canada ensures the trust and integrity of deceased donation. 

Deceased donation is the process of giving one's organs or tissue after their death for the purpose of transplantation to another person. A single organ donor has the potential to provide as many as eight organs for transplant and up to 75 others through tissue donation 

More than 4,000 Canadians are on a waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant in Canada, but on average, 250 Canadians die each year waiting for an organ transplant. It is only through the generosity of organ donors, their families, and the professionals who support them before, during, and after donation, that lifesaving transplants are possible. 

The priority of all healthcare professionals is always to save life. In all cases, organ donation is never considered until all lifesaving efforts have been exhausted. 

For more information about deceased donation visit this page.