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St. Paul’s Hospital performs 25 heart transplants in 2024

Harvey Keizer, left, is one of 25 people who received a heart transplant at St. Paul's in 2024. Here, he holds his old heart at St. Paul's biobank.

St. Paul’s Hospital, the BC centre for heart transplants, performed 25 of these operations in 2024, saving 25 lives in the process.

The recipients of the heart transplants were among the 481 British Columbians who received a life-saving organ transplant last year, thanks to the generosity of more than 200 donors. (People often register to donate multiple organs.)

Now 6,318 British Columbians are followed up and cared for today because of organ donation.

One grateful heart-transplant recipient is Harvey Keizer, who received his new heart at St. Paul’s in March 2024. The surgery took place after he suddenly went into heart failure nearly a year prior. The 60-year-old from Langley was on an artificial heart pump for 10 months before receiving his second chance at life.

“To my donor family, I would like to express my sincere condolences for the loss of their loved one and my appreciation for their gift,” says Keizer. “For the nurses, doctors, surgeons, technicians, social workers, pharmacists, dietitians, and everyone who supports patients and caregivers throughout the process, I can’t say enough to thank them.”

Organ donation is “ultimate act of selflessness” – BC health minister

“Organ donation is the ultimate act of selflessness and generosity,” says Josie Osborne, BC Minister of Health. “Living donors who choose to undergo surgery to save someone’s life, and the deceased donors and their families who make this selfless decision during their grief are profoundly inspiring. We also recognize all the incredible health care professionals who support organ donation and transplantation across our province.”

BC Minister of Health Josie Osborne/Photo courtesy Mary P Brooke / Island Social Trends

There were 118 deceased donors and 90 living donors who contributed to 309 kidney transplants, 92 liver transplants, 47 lung transplants, the 25 heart transplants, and 13 pancreas and islet transplants (numbers include multi-organ transplants, of which there were five pancreas/kidney transplants). 

After record highs for three years, the number of deceased donors has moved towards more historic levels.

Many factors contribute to the success of organ donation and transplantation in the province. BC Transplant continues to invest in elements such as the education of health care professionals, a robust network of in-hospital donation coordinators and wide-reaching public awareness campaigns. There were a record 1,119 referrals from hospitals and health care providers for potential donors in 2024 (compared to 989 in 2023).

New donor-registration campaign with Canada Revenue Agency

“We need to be flexible and innovative to evolve and continue the important work of ensuring every family has the right to consider organ donation at the end of life,” says Dr. Sean Keenan, provincial medial director of donation services at BC Transplant. “To help normalize conversations about organ donation, we are partnering with the Canada Revenue Agency on a new public awareness initiative this spring.”

Starting in 2025, British Columbians will see a check box on their annual tax return asking if they would like to receive information about registering as an organ donor. Anyone who selects “yes” will receive an email from BC Transplant later this year with information on how to register.

Registering as a donor takes two minutes

British Columbians can register as an organ donor online anytime at www.registeryourdecision.ca. It takes just two minutes and all you need is your Personal Health Number. As of December 31, 2024, 666 people are still waiting for their second chance at life.

Quick Facts: 

  • It takes upwards of 150 health-care professionals for one donor case, from organ recovery to transplant. 
  • In B.C., there were a total of 118 deceased donors and 90 living donors in 2024. 
  • BC Transplant recently surpassed the milestone of 11,000 organ transplants in B.C. since the first transplant in the province at Vancouver General Hospital in 1968. 

A version of this story was originally published on BC Transplant’s website.

For more detailed statistical information about last year’s organ transplants in BC, visit here.

Late last year, Knowledge Network broadcast a docu-series on organ transplant. Some of the transplant stories featured patients from St. Paul’s Hospital, such as Angela Neufeld, profiled here.