The colours of fall are back – orange, green, yellow, brown – and with them, the roar of the crowd, the crack of the puck, the squeak of the court. Football, hockey, basketball – new seasons, new chances: a fresh surge of energetic potential of new opportunities. Just like those teams coming together, good things, really good things, happen when we unite for a common cause.
September. It also marks the start of a new school year. I looked back on three years of telling these stories for the David Foster Foundation (DFF), and when I did, I realized what I wanted to lay down this month is the same vital message I dropped last September.
Sure, we could just hit copy and paste. Take the easy route. But that’s a highway to nowhere, a shortcut in a world that demands passion and persistence. Someone once told me that the greatest victories – the truly profound achievements – never come from doing things the easy way. And I’m here to tell you that truth resonates deep in my bones. So instead, we’re telling the story again, but this time we’re amplifying the rhythm, adding a new twist that will resonate where it matters.
Because the issue of organ donation in Canada isn’t just a concern; not yet, a national emergency – but, an eerily silent battle being fought.
In homes.
In hospitals.
It’s impossible to save the life of a young child, desperately in need of an organ transplant, when there are no organs available for transplant. We could, and have, bombarded you with the dismal statistics – the tragically low percentage of registered donors in Canada. It’s a number that screams for action, a stark reminder of the urgent need to get more people registered, to turn this tide.
To spark that revolution, we need more than just information … we need a movement. We need to create awareness, to light a fire under people, to make them understand the profound, life-altering importance of signing that donor card. It’s been said, and it’s a wisdom carved in stone, that if you want to shift attitudes, if you want to ignite genuine change, you start with the youth. Speak to the hearts and minds that are still open, still dreaming, still ready to embrace a better future.
My mind flashes back to a man named Lee Bussard. A true force of nature. He lived with cerebral palsy, and let me tell you, that man was a wizard with words, a wonderfully funny speaker who could captivate a room. Back in 1981, during the International Year of Disabled Persons, Bussard didn’t just talk the talk; he walked the walk. He took his electrifying message straight to the provincial government, then hit the road, touring all over Alberta, connecting with thousands of kids. He talked about living with a disability, not as a limitation, but as a different path, a testament to resilience. And his impact? Profound doesn’t even begin to cover it. He opened eyes, he changed lives, he proved that true power comes from within.
This brings me to the “What If” segment of this journalistic journey, the place where we dream big, where we envision a future that’s not just better, but truly transcendent.
What if the individuals who have received assistance from the David Foster Foundation – those who have walked through the darkest valleys and emerged into the light – created a speaking roster? Imagine the impact. They could stride into schools, into auditoriums, into the hearts of young people, and tell their stories. Not just tales of hardship, but sagas of triumph, of what it truly meant to receive that life-changing help from the DFF: how it didn’t just offer a proverbial band-aid, but unlocked the very door to a full, productive, and utterly vibrant life. In their raw, honest talks, they could hammer home the absolute, undeniable importance of signing a donor card. And here’s the kicker – they could have the cards right there, ready for kids to sign on the spot, turning inspiration into immediate action.
The bigger ask, the grand slam, the game-changing move that would reverberate across the nation, would be for local school boards to make this program a fundamental part of the curriculum. It’s a monumental idea, I know. It’s audacious. But if you feel that jolt of recognition, if you believe in your gut that this could be the spark that ignites a revolution in organ donation, please, don’t hesitate.
Hit me up at ctait@davidfosterfoundation.com.
We already have a working name for this movement, a name that captures the spirit of hope and the promise of new beginnings: The Signs of Foster’s Friends. Let’s make some noise. Let’s make a difference. Let’s save lives, one beat at a time.
