Two-time liver recipient Matt Scaife is encouraging British Columbians to register as an organ donor this April for National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Month.

Scaife was diagnosed at 29 with a rare auto-immune liver disease. After about a decade, symptoms worsened and Scaife found himself being assessed for a transplant.

sa国际传媒淎t that time I was really, really sick. They put me on the waitlist and at that time they sort of figured I had about six months to live, give or take.sa国际传媒� Less than five months later Scaife received his first transplant in April 2000.

The Kelowna man explained what it was like to get that call.

sa国际传媒淲hen they phone you they start out with this whole long spiel like, sa国际传媒楬i, how are you feeling today?sa国际传媒� because they have to make sure yousa国际传媒檙e not illsa国际传媒� I answer all this stuff and itsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒榥o, Isa国际传媒檓 fine. No, Isa国际传媒檓 fine.sa国际传媒� sa国际传媒極K, we have a liver for you and the ambulance is going to come to your house and pick you up in half an hour to go to Vancouver to have surgery and then stay for three months.sa国际传媒�

Scaife said it was surreal, and he sat at the kitchen table stunned and unsure what to do until his then-wife finally got his attention.

Surgery went well and Scaife had 15 great years with the new liver before the symptoms returned.

sa国际传媒淚 became quite sick again, not as sick but enough symptoms that I wasnsa国际传媒檛 able to work or function readily on a daily basis.sa国际传媒�

In October 2020, Scaife got the second call for a third chance at life.

sa国际传媒淭o literally have your life back, to be saved twice in your life I cansa国际传媒檛 even honestly put it into words.sa国际传媒�

Scaife took the time on April 16 to spread awareness of organ donation in the lobby of BC Cancer Kelowna. The recipient was joined by two life savers.

Stacy Rodriguez is a living kidney donor.

sa国际传媒淚 had always heard about living donation. I had registered to be a deceased organ donor, and living donation is just something Isa国际传媒檇 thought about for years.sa国际传媒�

When Rodriguez came across a Facebook post of a young father in need of a transplant. The post pulled at her heartstrings and she began the testing process to become a living donor.

sa国际传媒淚 think the scariest part of the testing would be finding out I wouldnsa国际传媒檛 be able to go through with the surgery at the end.sa国际传媒�

The donor later met the man who received one of her kidneys. She said his family has become an extended part of her own.

Through the process, Rodriguez had support from friend Letecia Hayes who felt inspired to become a living donor herself.

Hayes travelled to Toronto this past November for surgery to donate about 70 per cent of her liver to someone she has never met.

sa国际传媒淚 felt very proud knowing that I was able to save someonesa国际传媒檚 life and itsa国际传媒檚 still cool to think about,sa国际传媒� Hayes said, adding that she has gotten updates the recipient is doing well.

Despite all the travel and time off work, Hayes said she was able to utilize a lot of resources to have nearly everything compensated. sa国际传媒淎 lot of funding was through Hope Air which is a company that provides travel assistance and hotels.sa国际传媒�

Hayes said the application process to become a donor was simple, filling out a form and submitting it to a team in Toronto. She said she felt taken care of along the way as medical professionals determined if she was healthy and able to donate.

Scaife praised Rodriguez and Hayes for their bravery but said unfortunately in his case his donors were at the end of their lives.

sa国际传媒淵ousa国际传媒檙e far more likely to need a transplant than you are of ever becoming an organ donor,sa国际传媒� Scaife said, adding only about 1 per cent of deaths result in organ donation.

The two-time recipient is urging people to register as an organ donor, or register to not be one, but donsa国际传媒檛 leave it to question when yousa国际传媒檙e at the end of the line.

sa国际传媒淚f you donsa国际传媒檛 sign up on the registry your family has to make all those decisions at the worst possible time,sa国际传媒� Scaife said, sa国际传媒渂ecause if you become eligible for transplant as a donor a team will have to come and ask them what they would like to do. Do you want your family to have to make that decision while theysa国际传媒檙e also thinking about the loss of you?sa国际传媒�

BC Transplant reported a record-breaking 563 people received a transplant in 2023. Donations came from 160 deceased and 77 living donors.

Learn more about organ donation or register by visiting .

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