In a rare display of unity, the House of Commons has unanimously passed legislation creating a national medal to recognize Canadians who donate organs while still alive, marking a formal effort to honour what MPs described as an extraordinary act of selflessness.Blacklock's Reporter says the private member’s bill, sponsored by Conservative MP Ziad Aboultaif, now moves to the Senate after clearing the House without opposition. It establishes a Living Donor Recognition Medal to acknowledge individuals who donate an organ without receiving compensation.Aboultaif said the intent is to properly recognize donors who save lives through what he called an irreplaceable gift.“Living donors are not paid and are not allowed to be compensated for their donations, and this is a good thing,” he said during debate. “They have freely given what they can to save the life of another. It is a priceless gift.”He recounted hearing from transplant recipients who felt simple expressions of gratitude were insufficient to acknowledge what donors had done for them..Bill C-234, titled An Act Respecting the Establishment and Award of a Living Donor Recognition Medal, would formally recognize individuals who donate organs without financial gain. The bill states the medal would honour “a person who has donated one of their organs without profiting from the donation.”According to testimony cited during committee hearings, no other Commonwealth country currently offers a dedicated national honour specifically for organ donors. The bill’s preamble describes living donors as individuals who act with “extraordinary compassion, courage and commitment,” often taking on personal risk with no expectation of reward.It also notes that such donations not only save lives but ease pressure on the health-care system while promoting civic values across Canada.The legislation comes against the backdrop of ongoing demand for transplants. Parliament was previously told in 2021 that roughly 4,600 Canadians were on organ transplant waiting lists each year..That same year, MPs passed Bill C-210, which amended the Canada Revenue Act to include an organ donation check-off on federal tax forms, intended to boost provincial donor registries.At the time, then-Conservative MP Len Webber, who sponsored that initiative, said he had been repeatedly contacted by Canadians facing long waits for transplants.“Some were tragic and some were remarkable, but all of them came from the heart,” Webber told the Commons. “Let us not delay this any longer.”Interest in organ donation surged after the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash, when 21-year-old player Logan Boulet registered as a donor shortly before his death. His decision inspired thousands of Canadians to sign up, though MPs say demand still far exceeds supply.
