This article was originally published in the October 2023 edition of Héma-Québec’s Magazine.

Ginette, Héma-Québec's liaison officer

From start to finish

A human tissue donation liaison officer at Québec’s Bureau du coroner, Ginette Lamothe is a nurse by training. While getting her bachelor’s degree, she worked in obstetrics in a hospital in Montréal as a replacement for a nurse who went on maternity leave. When the other nurse returned to work, Ginette had to leave the nursery and delivery room, but a friend who worked at the Canadian Red Cross suggested she apply there. This was early in 1998, a few months before Héma-Québec was founded, when the Red Cross was still handling all blood product collection and distribution throughout the country.

Ginette got a call for an initial interview, and then a follow-up. She thought she’d be getting a position as a blood drive nurse, where she’d handle samples of blood, plasma and platelets. But apparently the interviews were a smashing success, because she was instead offered the position of blood drive supervisor, a position she would hold for three years. While serving as a supervisor, on September 28, 1998, she magically became an employee of Héma-Québec overnight when the organization took the reins from the Red Cross.

A few years later, Ginette found herself at a Héma-Québec Christmas party in Montréal at the same table as some very interesting guests: employees of the CCTHQ (Centre de conservation des tissus humains du Québec), Québec’s human tissue bank, which at the time was an independent organization. These were the employees who oversaw donations of human tissue (such as valves, skin, tendons and arteries) for transplants in the province. Like everyone who hears about human tissue donation for the first time, Ginette was shocked and fascinated. It must have shown on her face, because they asked her point-blank, “Would you like to work with us to raise awareness in hospitals about human tissue donation?”

Yes, she was interested, but she didn’t want to leave Héma-Québec. She did, however, agree to work for the CCTHQ part time until early 2001, when the tissue bank was brought into the Héma-Québec fold. Everything was coming together! Ginette remained an employee of HémaQuébec, but moved to Québec City to dedicate herself to her new mission: human tissue donation.

An ever-changing field

Over the years, Ginette has done just about everything there is to do in human tissue donation: taking donations, processing, coordination, raising awareness. At the start, the team was small, and members needed to be on call 24/7. Their pager might vibrate at any time when a potential donor was identified. They would then be responsible for the entire process from A to Z, from the call to the family to the donation procedure.

As Héma-Québec changed, so too did the Human Tissue Bank, which began expanding. In 2020, the organization inked a groundbreaking agreement with Québec’s Bureau du coroner, whereby liaison officers from Héma‑Québec would work at the coroner’s office so they could immediately get in touch with families of the recently deceased when there was a death requiring a coroner. This close collaboration helped significantly accelerate the human tissue donation process, maximizing the chances of a successful transplant.

Early on in the agreement, there was only one Héma-Québec employee working as a liaison officer at the Bureau du Coroner, but the partnership was such a success that a second position was created in April 2021—a position that’s been filled by Ginette Lamothe ever since! She has access to the Bureau du coroner’s work software and can see all the cases that have been reported. She then makes an assessment based on the data and verifies whether the deceased had stated their intent to donate organs or tissue. She contacts the coroner in charge to get their authorization and offer her support in making a human tissue donation possible while the cause of death is still being investigated.

25 years of acting from the heart  

How does it feel looking back on a career (one that is far from over) that has spanned the entire length of Héma-Québec’s existence and the entire breadth and depth of human life, from the delivery room to the coroner’s office? Ginette’s career, like the organization she’s been a part of, and life itself, is always changing.

“I’ve always said that Héma-Québec was a great organization for growth, because there are so many opportunities to advance, learn and change. I’m very happy and proud to work for this organization, which has great values and a mission that I really connect with! We’re there to help people and improve their quality of life. Everything starts with a donation, with generosity, meaning it all starts from the heart. Love is key to everything we do at Héma-Québec.”