Recommend a potential human tissue donor

Human tissue donation can change the lives of people who are ill or have been in accidents and need a transplant. In addition to eye tissue, human tissue that can be harvested for transplant purposes includes heart valves, skin tissue, arterial tissue, and musculoskeletal tissue such as tendons and bones. A single tissue donor can help more than 20 people.

These donations are possible first and foremost thanks to people who have consented to donate human tissue, but also thanks to recommendations made by health care professionals. Whether following a sudden death or in the context of medical assistance in dying, human tissue donation can facilitate the grieving process and is an integral part of quality end-of-life care. Héma-Québec cannot accomplish its mission without you.

You are therefore a key player in the success of identification using established exclusion criteria and the recommendation of potential donors. 

You also play a crucial role in raising awareness about tissue donation and in communicating with loved ones. Your commitment to human tissue donation is a real source of hope for people awaiting transplants.

Here are some examples of how human tissue is used: 

• A cornea transplant can restore sight to someone who has suffered a chemical burn.
• A skin transplant can help people with severe burns.
• A heart valve transplant can enable a person’s heart to function normally again.
• A bone and tendon transplant can be used in reconstructive surgery.
• An arterial tissue transplant can save the life of a person who has suffered an abdominal aortic aneurysm, thanks to the vascular graft that will replace the affected section of the aorta.