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“With over 400 British Columbians* on the waitlist for a life-saving transplant, and almost 80% of them waiting for a kidney, removing any barriers to living donation, including financial barriers is imperative,” said Dr. John Gill, Transplant Nephrologist, Academic Head of Kidney Transplantation at UBC and, past president of the American Society of Transplantation. The BC Government, Simon Fraser University, and Beedie are just some of the organizations that have stepped up to help remove financial barriers to living donation by providing salary support to their employees who choose to become living donors. These and other leading organizations were recognized for their efforts at a Living Donor Circle of Excellence event hosted by the Kidney Foundation.

“We are thrilled to have these BC organizations and many other BC leaders join the Living Donor Circle of Excellence initiative,” said Ramya Hosak, Director of Philanthropy, The Kidney Foundation, BC & Yukon Branch. “Living organ donation typically includes a four- to- six-week recovery period. Many donors take unpaid absences or use their vacation time during this period, so employers stepping up and showing this kind of support to their employees really does help reduce the financial burden incurred from living donation.”

The Living Donor Circle of Excellence is an employer recognition program that helps promote living donation and the removal of financial barriers to living donors. It celebrates organizations with HR policies in place that clearly state employees who choose to be a living donor are covered for wage loss during their recovery period, at a minimum of 80% for four weeks. The Kidney Foundation is a strategic partner of the initiative together with the Canadian Transplant Society and the founder, the American Society of Transplantation.

“The Province encourages people who work for the BC Government to register as organ and bone marrow donors, and supports them when and if that call comes,” said Katrine Conroy, BC’s Minister of Finance and a living donor herself. “I applaud every organization that gives employees the support they need to be living donors. Your leadership also encourages people to join the donor registry and make the most positive impact imaginable on people and families.”

Additionally, The Kidney Foundation received $100,000 in funding from the Ministry of Finance in March 2023 to help support the initiative here in BC.

“Living donors are heroes amongst us; their gift is life-saving for patients in need of a kidney or liver transplant and has a huge positive impact on society. Patients facing life-threatening diseases are able to live normal lives, raise their families, and participate in their communities. By supporting living organ donors, we are also building stronger communities,” continued Dr. Gill.

“As a living kidney donor, I am so pleased to see the BC Government and so many other organizations become part of the Living Donor Circle of Excellence,” said Sussanne Skidmore, President, BC Federation of Labour. “While it may be hard to put into words what it feels like to have the opportunity to save a life through living donation, I can say that anything we can do to make it easier for donors, including not having to worry about a pay cheque, makes all the sense in the world.”

Of the 284 kidney transplants performed in 2023 in BC, living donors accounted for 65 of the transplants. *

*BC Transplant Statistics