Living organ donation is a remarkable expression of altruism and solidarity, whether for someone we love or a total stranger.
Thanks to medical advances made in the past few years, living donations of a kidney or part of a liver are now possible. Living donation significantly cuts wait times for people in need of a kidney or liver transplant. Transplants from living donors can improve the functional capacity of a kidney or liver while extending the lifespan of the transplanted organ.
- In Quebec, transplant programs are responsible for coordinating the process leading to a living donation. Currently nine such programs, including two pediatric programs, are in place at eight transplant centres.
- In November 2010, a governmental support program for living donors was set up and is administered by Transplant Québec: The Reimbursement Program for Living Donors
Reimbursement Program for Living Donors
To find out whether a donor is eligible, or for any other information regarding living donation, please contact the transplant centre nearest you.
The following is a list of all the Reimbursement Program for Living Donors documents that need to be completed :
- Appointment Schedule
- Application Form
- Claim for Expenses Incurred and Paid
- Claim for Income Loss
- Consent to Disclose Personnal Information
- Loss Income Certificate
- Travel Support Letter for donors living outside Québec
- Reimbursement Checklist for Applicants
The new program’s objective is to support the donor’s gesture by compensating him or her for part of the expenses linked to the donation process and for lost earnings, if any.
A few statistics
In Quebec, around 10% of transplanted organs come from living donors; the proportion for Canada as a whole is 25% (CORR-CIHI). In 2010, the proportion for Quebec was 6.3 DPM (donors per million) compared to the Canadian average of 15.4 DPM for 2009.
- Attitudes are changing, which suggests that the number of living donors will increase in the coming years.
- The first liver (lobe) transplant from a living donor was performed at CHUM–Hôpital Saint-Luc in 2004.