could have died waiting for an organ transplant. Just like the 29 people in B.C. who died last year waiting, or the 275 people in Canada.
But she was fortunate, and is alive today to tell her story.
Yet, it鈥檚 not her story that the Okanagan resident is so eager to share. It鈥檚 the that she hopes will inspire more people to step up to save lives.
鈥淒id you know that only 1,604 Vernon residents actually (newly) registered through the current registration method in B.C. (in 2016)?鈥� said 42-year-old Lim, who was diagnosed at 18 months and just celebrated her 19th anniversary since her kidney transplant.
The number of new registrants declined even further in 2017, which saw 1,113 people sign up.
Therefore Lim, and her husband, were in Vernon this weekend to help boost the numbers. They volunteered at the Body and Soul Wellness Fair Saturday and Sunday to help people register their decisions for organ donation.
But all Okanagan residents are urged to sign up by registering online ().
The numbers for the rest of the Okanagan are also concerning for recipients like Lim, as all regions are showing a decline except West 91大黄鸭.
But BC Transplant credits the increase in 2016 to the launch of its partnership with ICBC where people could register their decision at driver鈥檚 licensing offices.
According to BC Transplant, the number of newly regisered decisions over the past two years are as follows (the numbers do not reflect actual organ donors, just how many people have registered a decision of either yes or no):
91大黄鸭:
- 2016 - 4,613
- 2017 - 4,467
Penticton:
- 2016 - 1,927
- 2017 - 1,340
Summerland
- 2016 - 328
- 2017 - 198
Osoyoos
- 2016 - 108
- 2017 - 74
Okanagan Falls
- 2016 - 175
- 2017 - 116
Kaledan
- 2016 - 89
- 2017 - 66
Princeton
- 2016 - 63
- 2017 - 35
West 91大黄鸭
- 2016 - 1,039
- 2017 - 1,063
For Lim, a volunteer with the Canadian Kidney Foundation of Canada, B.C. and Yukon Branch and and B.C. Transplant, the reward is potentially saving lives.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been about paying back the Kidney Foundation for how much they have changed my life.鈥�
Lim鈥檚 dad, who lives in Quebec, was her donor when she desperately needed a kidney 19 years ago.
鈥淭he Kidney Foundation was there in that they paid for his flight, paid for his wife to come,鈥� said Lim.
She is forever grateful and has spent the last 10 years volunteering and has raised $60,000 for the Foundation.
Lim thanks her lucky stars every day that the Kidney Foundation was around to help her.
鈥淚t was started in 1964,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f I was born 10 years before that I would be dead.鈥�
Thursday, March 8 also marks World Kidney Day. March is Kidney Health Month, with a special focus on women, since March 8 is also International Women鈥檚 Day.
jennifer@vernonmorningstar.com
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