Celebrated Canadian composer and musician David Foster calls for compulsory organ donation

David Foster is singing a new tune these days; the renowned Canadian composer is pushing for automatic organ donation when you die.

His latest campaign of presumed consent, is an idea that would make all Canadians potential organ donors unless they explicitly opt out of the system.

According to Health Canada, more than 4,500 people in this country are currently waiting for some kind of donation and only a fraction of people in this country have registered to donate.

One of the biggest problems facing organ donation is there isn’t a national registry or database.

There is also a host of legal and ethical complications that follow the idea of mandatory donation, including freedom of religion.

Canada has some religious groups that frown upon organ donation, referring to it as an extreme personal choice.

Canadian Transplant Society’s CEO James Breckenridge likes the idea of the opt-out, but he warns it has to be handled properly.

Breckenridge says the family members of donors need to be made aware of their wishes, in the event of tragedy, so they’re not circumnavigated.

In Alberta, the Alberta Tissue and Organ Donor Registry was set up in April, donors can register online or at a registry office.

Only two provinces have flirted with the idea of presumed consent: Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

Canada’s deceased donor rate currently sits at 15.5 for every one million Canadians.

David Foster will be in town this weekend for his foundation’s Miracle Gala and Concert, raising money to cover the expenses of families whose children are currently undergoing lifesaving transplants.

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