Yellowknife (May 09/03) - There is no legislated way in the NWT to show your consent to be an organ donor, says Sandra Bell, director of programs at the Kidney Foundation of Canada.

All the NWT has are cards you fill out at Stanton Territorial Hospital.

Bell, along with Pat Donahue, a heart transplant recipient, were invited to Yellowknife to take part in the recent Waterwalker Film Festival, and spread awareness about organ donation.

While in the city, Donahue spoke to Sir John Franklin high school students about the value of organ donation.

Donahue said he feels "wonderful" and hopes everyone signs a donor card, which are available at the front desk at Stanton Territorial Hospital, and make their intentions known.

In the NWT right now, that's still the only way to go about it.

"We like to talk to teenagers," said Bell. "They are quite idealistic. When they see the value of it -- out of a tragedy does come some good."

Patti Woods, a nurse co-ordinator of the dialysis unit at Stanton, thinks the NWT needs to make organ donation a bigger issue.

"We are looking for something more concrete," she said.

A statement of intent on health-care cards, or drivers licences could be the answer.

"We presently don't have anything concrete.

But we have these cards," said Woods.

"We're looking at linking up with a registry in Edmonton. But there's nothing firm yet."

Movement is afoot to change this.

Woods is part of a task force that includes members of the Department of Health and Social Services.

They meet two or three times a year and are currently looking into the best donor identification cards.

"We have to look at demographics," Woods added.

"We're getting ideas."

facts about organ donation in canada- Organ donors are usually people who have died suddenly following a severe brain injury, causing brain death.

- For some organ transplants such as kidney, partial liver or partial lung, a living donation from relatives, spouses or very close friends may be considered.

- Any healthy person can donate tissues regardless of their cause of death.

- Kidney transplants are needed by 82 per cent of Canadians on the organ transplant waiting list.

- The only other treatment for kidney failure is dialysis to artificially clean the blood.

source: Kidney Foundation of Canada