How do you give your consent?
There are two major steps to consenting to tissue donation :
- Sign your consent
- Speak to your loved ones about your wishes.
Changing lives by making a tissue donation starts with you.
Sign your consent
There are three ways of consenting to tissue donation.Choose the one that suits you best.
1.Sign your Québec health insurance card.
When renewing your health insurance card, the Régie de l’Assurance maladie du Québec will attach a pamphlet to the card inviting you to become an organ or tissue donor. All you need to do is sign the attached sticker and affix it on the back of your new card. You can order a sticker from the RAMQ at any time.
By signing your card, you are indicating to healthcare staff and your loved ones your intention to donate your tissues and change lives.
2. Register with the Registre des consentements au don d'organes et de tissus (organ and tissue donation consent registry).
Your registration is permanent and confidential. You may request that it be revoked at any time. Héma-Québec will consult this register to validate your consent.
Note that consent to organ and tissue donation is managed by the Régie de l’Assurance maladie du Québec. By signing the sticker, you consent to organ and tissue donation. One or other or both donations are possible, depending on the circumstances.
3. Register with the Registre de la Chambre des notaires.
You can also indicate your intention to donate your human tissues upon your death when drawing up your will or mandate in case of incapacity with your notary.
Your intention will be entered in a register reserved for this purpose by the Chambre des notaires and may be consulted by authorized staff.
Speak to your loved ones about your wishes.
Share your wishes to be a tissue or organ donor with your loved ones and family. By affirming your desire to perpetuate your values of altruism and generosity, you ensure that your wishes are understood and will be respected.
This simple gesture of speaking about it with your loved ones will facilitate their decision-making when the time comes. Ultimately, the final decision to consent to human tissue donation rests with them.
This conversation can also be inspirational. They may even wish to make the same commitment as you.