On The Comeback Tour, How You Can Help + Online Resources

Hi Everyone,

It gives Martin and team great pleasure to let you know that Natalia is doing very well since last night’s blog post. In her typical fashion, she’s fighting, fighting, fighting, starting to make progress in her recovery sooner than anticipated, and is currently exceeding expectations. The bleeding which was an issue has completely stopped. And all of her vitals are at normal levels. She does have a bit of a blood infection but it's being managed. The sedation has been reduced enough for her to start to wake up and open her eyes. As of right now, she can communicate by blinking & nodding yes/no and is cognisant of the battle she’s making strides towards winning. As Martin updated her and explained the gravity of what she's been through, her tears started to flow. Whether she will remember today once she gets past this next phase is to be determined.

As an aside, to help raise awareness about the trials of terminal illness and the incredible importance and benefits of organ donation, as most of you know, Natalia and family’s journey has been followed in the media --- to the chagrin of some and gratitude of others.

They made the choice to make their private story a lot less so in the hope that it would bring a greater good.

The outpouring of support for this choice has been overwhelming. The number of people who have written to say they have been inspired by Natalia’s story....inspired by Natalia and her family....inspired and motivated to make that important decision about their organ donation wishes should anything ever happen....to discuss their wishes with their loved ones (even better is to also make wishes known via signing organ donation card and even more importantly registering with provincial organ donation agency as a matter of record [see links below])....well....it has been equally inspiring and rewarding for Martin and all.

Countless people have also reached out and offered help in Natalia's time of need. Everything from babysitting Scarlett, to dropping off food, to coming by the hospital, to sending out emails to raise additional awareness. Martin and family can never thank you enough. Right now there's enough support to babysit Scarlett until she's well into her 30's (hopefully that won't be necessary:), feed an army, and keep a signficant part of the Toronto population awake with vats of tea and coffee.

Here is what you can do to really really help:

Consider making the very personal choice about organ donation, and take time tonight to make your organ donation wishes known.

On behalf of Natalia, her family, the approximately 4000 Canadians currently on transplant waiting lists; and of course on behalf of future Canadians who will need the gift of life, to those that have already done so: thank you, thank you, thank you.

Hopefully events over the last few days will inspire even more of you to do the same, because it really does save lives and makes the most profound difference for entire families and many many others.

On the media coverage front, tune into CBC’s “Connect with Mark Kelley” tonight for an update on Natalia and visual account of the last few days.

Also, here is some recent coverage by our Team Get Nat Lungs supporters at the Toronto Star:

Today:

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/article/729390--new-mother-well-after-double-lung-transplant
Yesterday:
http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/article/729154--surprise-lung-transplant-gives-mom-renewed-hope

CBC Coverage from last week as promised:
http://www.cbc.ca/connect/2009/11/on-a-mission-update-on-natalias-health.html

Very best to you all,
And here’s to Natalia’s continued recovery,

Myles Slocombe

It’s never too late to register your organ donation wishes. By making your wishes known, you have the opportunity to save up to 8 people’s lives and enhance the lives of up to 75 more should, God forbid, something happen to you. In many cases, when families lose a loved one, the gift of life their loved ones were able to provide is the one tangible silver lining that brings a degree of comfort at a time of loss. Don’t just discuss it with loved ones: sign your donor cards and add your name to applicable provincial registries in the provinces that have them. Even more powerful is to state your wishes in a living will. All of the above will let your next-of-kin know your intentions, having your name in a registry can save important time, and a living will with a health care directive carries the most amount of weight.

For more information and to register your wishes now:

->Alberta, Nunavut, Northwest Territories:
No registries at this time – sign the back of your health card
->British Columbia:
http://www.transplant.bc.ca/index.asp
->Manitoba:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/donor.html
->New Brunswick:
http://www.snb.ca/e/0001e.asp
->Nova Scotia:
http://www.legacyoflife.ns.ca/
->Newfoundland & Labrador:
Donor Card/Driver’s Licence
->Ontario:
http://www.giftoflife.on.ca/page.cfm?id=3F79E442-F7FD-4057-AA63-7B0279A17EF1
->Prince Edward Island:
Place sticker on your health card renewal form onto your health card and/or have red heart engraved into your driver’s license at time of renewal
->Quebec:
Obtain donation sticker from local hospitals and pharmacies and attach it to your health card
->Saskatchewan:
http://www.health.gov.sk.ca/organ-and-tissue-donor-information
->Yukon:
Donor Card

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
http://www.organ-donation-works.org
http://www.recycleme.org (Ontario only, but a very effective & informative website)