This Holiday Season, The David Foster Foundation Presents Alarming Canadian Statistics Focusing on the Need for Organ Donation

TORONTO, Dec. 8, 2020 /CNW/ - Throughout the pandemic and as we enter the holiday season, The David Foster Foundation is drawing awareness to the continuing need for organ donation within Canada by sharing some surprising, and shocking, facts. Most concerning, Canada has one of the worst donor rates in the world.

The David Foster Foundation is a national non-profit Canadian charitable organization dedicated to providing financial support for non-medical expenses to Canadian families with children in need of life-saving pediatric organ transplants.

"I started this Foundation to help those in need and to help raise awareness regarding the importance of organ donation," said David Foster, Founder of The David Foster Foundation. ''Sadly, as we continue dealing with the global pandemic and other issues, the need for organ donation can be overlooked."

Some hard-hitting organ donor facts and impact numbers that may surprise Canadians this holiday season:

• Canada has one of the worst donor rates for a developed country in the world.
• Over 4,500 Canadians are currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant and each year upwards of 1,600 people are added.
• Of those on the wait-list, the number of deaths work out to roughly 5 deaths per week and 1 death every 30 hours, all which could have been avoided.

"The alarming numbers don't lie and we want Canadians to be aware of the urgent need for organ donation, especially during these difficult times," said Michael Ravenhill, Chief Executive Officer at The David Foster Foundation. "We want to help educate Canadians about how easy it is to become an organ donor and how many lives they can save in the process."

Over the past 34 years, the David Foster Foundation has assisted over 1,300 families with children in need of life-saving organ transplants and provided much-needed dollars in direct family support. One organ donor can save up to 8 lives and improve the quality of life for up to 75 people. It takes less than 1 minute to register, and Canadians can find out more at www.davidfosterfoundation.com.

As an example of their support, The David Foster Foundation was able to help a boy named Nathan, who at birth was diagnosed with a rare heart condition and would need to be listed for a life-saving transplant. The David Foster Foundation helped by providing funding for the unexpected financial burdens that arose for the struggling family. Happily, Nathan received a double-lung transplant in early 2020 and you can read Nathan's full transplant story here: https://davidfosterfoundation.com/nathan/. However, there are a number of more families that need support.

About The David Foster Foundation

The David Foster Foundation provides financial assistance to families of children for all non-medical expenses while their child is going through the major organ transplant process. Thanks to its annual fundraising efforts and the generous support of Life Legacy Members, national partners, and donors, families receive financial support for day-to-day expenses such as mortgage/rent, car payments, travel expenses, utilities, groceries and more while their child is going through the major organ transplant process.

The success of the David Foster Foundation would not be possible without the generous support of Life Legacy Members including Jim & Sandi Treliving, AWIN Group of Dealerships, Jim Pattison, TELUS, The Slaight Family Foundation, Parq Vancouver, Walter & Maria Schneider, and the Newton Glassman Charitable Foundation in Partnership with the Catalyst Capital Group. The Foundation is also supported by national partners WestJet, Aird & Berlis LLP, Post Media Inc., ALLVISION, and Schnitzer Steel, and community partners Boston Pizza, Oak Bay Beach Hotel, Tom Lee Music, and RBC Dominion Securities, The Hillyard Stephen Group. For those who wish to have a deeper involvement with the organization, there are a number of ways to contribute including the donation of RBC Rewards and Aeroplan miles, all of which will directly help families going through the organ transplant process.

The Foundation also promotes organ donor awareness and registration in both Canada and the United States. For more information, visit www.davidfosterfoundation.com.

Note to editors/producers: David Foster is available for limited interviews to discuss this news release topic only and times can be arranged through contacting the media contacts below.

SOURCE The David Foster Foundation

Media Contacts: Jerry Grymek, LMA Digital, at 416-918-2043 or [email protected]; Michael Ravenhill, Chief Executive Officer, David Foster Foundation, at 602-318-6786 or [email protected]