Organ donor signups have surged in several provinces in response to Logan Boulet, the Humboldt Broncos player who donated his organs to six patients following the tragic bus collision that killed him and 14 others in Saskatchewan.
Boulet was fatally injured, but remained on life support after the crash, until doctors from the University of Alberta could be flown in to harvest his organs. His godfather, Neil Langevin, said shortly after turning 21 in March.
That decision was inspired by his beloved coach, Ric Suggit, who died in 2017. Boulet鈥檚 father, Toby Boulet, clearly remembers the day his son told him that he wanted to be an organ donor, just like Suggit.
鈥淚鈥檓 thinking, that鈥檚 nice, by the time you鈥檙e a donor, they鈥檒l never want your stuff, but that鈥檚 good, because he鈥檚 going to outlive me,鈥� Toby Boulet told CTV Lethbridge. 鈥淭hat didn鈥檛 happen.鈥�
Boulet remembered his son as a team player who strived to 鈥渂e a giver, not a taker.鈥� He was also a focused athlete who won his team鈥檚 physical fitness award the last two years in a row.
鈥淗e would have won -- and that鈥檚 our personal opinion -- this year,鈥� Boulet said.
Even as his son was on life support in hospital, doctors remarked on the strength of his heart, Boulet said.
鈥淭hey said he had the strongest heart that they had seen that anyone could ever remember. His heart was so strong, he was so fit,鈥� Boulet said.
One woman hailed Boulet as a 鈥渉ero鈥� on social media, saying that her aunt will get a second chance at life thanks to his kidney.
His last gift appears to have struck a chord with many across Canada, prompting renewed .
A spokesperson for Manitoba鈥檚 organ donation agency said there has been a 鈥渞emarkable鈥� jump in signups since the Friday crash, . That鈥檚 up from just 51 signups over the previous weekend.
Ontario鈥檚 Trillium Gift of Life Network says it saw 182 new signups on Sunday, tripling the number recorded over the previous two weeks. That number jumped to 412 on Monday and a whopping 865 on Tuesday. The daily average is only 42 signups, according to the organization.
B.C.鈥檚 organ donation agency said signups increased six fold over that same period.
Ronnie Gavsie, president and CEO of the Trillium Gift of Life Network, called Boulet 鈥渁n example to all Canadians.鈥�
鈥淭his beautiful young man taught the world the right thing to do,鈥� she said. 鈥淸It] is really breathtaking.鈥�
She told 麻豆影视 on Monday that there are no restrictions to signing up as an organ donor.
鈥淭he only thing that gets in the way is procrastination,鈥� she said.
Gavsie was out with other volunteers at a Toronto subway station on Monday, raising awareness about in Ontario. One of the passersby who stopped to talk to volunteers said her daughter in Edmonton had just received a double lung transplant over the weekend.
鈥淚 want everyone out there to put their name on the donor list because you can save so many people鈥檚 lives if you just do that,鈥� an emotional Susan Procack told CTV Toronto.
鈥淎nd I thank the family that helped my daughter.鈥�
Ken Douglas, a recipient of a double lung transplant, told CTV Ottawa that his life was saved three years ago by a stranger who chose to donate their organs.
鈥淭he biggest hero in my life is somebody I鈥檝e never met and nor will I ever meet,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 someone who chose to make that decision.鈥�
With files from The Canadian Press, CTV Toronto, CTV Winnipeg and CTV Ottawa
