Windsor ICU nurses recognized for organ and tissue donation advocacy
Two nurses at Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) are being recognized by the Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) for being exceptional advocates for organ and tissue donation.
Intensive care unit nurses Terra Popovski and Andrea Brearley were awarded the 2023 Provincial Donation Champion Award on Tuesday for excellence in fulfilling Ontario Health’s TGLN mandate to save and enhance more lives through the gift of organ and tissue donation.
“It’s a wonderful honour and a privilege to be nominated for this award and to receive this award,” said Popovski, who works at the MET Campus and has been a registered nurse for over 20 years. “Organ donation is something that I believe in both professionally and personally, so it does mean a lot.”
Brearley, who works at the Ouellette Campus, said she was honoured by the recognition, and added organ donation became important and personal to her in 2012 when her husband was listed as a donor, but passed away before he could receive a heart transplant.
“I felt honored that I was able to support my co-workers in the unit,” she said. “We have a lot of young nurses, so to be someone who's 25 years in, and then be able to watch them grow with the donor families and get their comfort level as they speak to the families as well and take care of the whole family, not just the patient,” she said.
“Andrea and Terra have supported many organ and tissue donation cases ensuring families always receive quality end-of-life care. They both make organ and tissue donation a priority in their daily practice in the ICU,” added Karen Riddell, WRH chief operating officer, chief nursing executive, and vice president critical care and cardiology.
A ceremony was held in Windsor to honour ICU nurses Andrea Brearley and Terra Popovski for their dedication to raising awareness for organ and tissue donation on April 30, 2024. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)Riddell added, “Their hard work and enthusiasm for donation and eagerness to provide outstanding care to our donor families who are honoring the wishes of their loved ones is what makes them true donation champions.”
In 2023, the province contributed to 1,152 essential organ transplants. Together, Ontario hospitals supported 365 organ donors and 1,853 tissue donors.
According to Ontario Health, these milestones could not be met without the dedication of individuals like Popovski and Brearley.
"Support for organ and tissue donation among Ontarians stands strong at 90 per cent, yet only 35 per cent are registered donors. Be a Donor Month is a significant opportunity for the province to come together to bridge this gap by educating and inspiring people to register, while also fostering hope, nurturing compassion, and empowering individuals to have important conversations with their loved ones,” said Rebecca Cooper, vice president, Ontario Health.
On average, there are 1,400 people in Ontario waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. According to officials, someone on the waiting list dies every three days.
“Registration is actually extremely low in Windsor,” said Brooke Denomme, organ and tissue donation coordinator at Windsor Regional Hospital. “So we're really encouraging our population to register their consent for donation and talk to their families about their wishes.”
Denomme said local organ donor registration is at 32 per cent, and the TGLN said Windsor ranks 152 out of 170 in the province.
“When we poll Ontarians, 90 per cent are in favour of donation,” Denomme said. “So we're hoping that we can increase that registration right here by getting some awareness for donation.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot multiple times in attempted assassination
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting after a political event Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
BREAKING Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge hit a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a small island, officials said.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here's how to stay focused: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.