April is a big month for Matt Thompson. This restaurateur is raising money and awareness for organ donation.
“(We’re) going to donate 25 cents for every oyster eaten after 6 p.m. for a month,” Thompson, owner of Smitty’s Oyster House in Vancouver, told Global. This is BC.
“We sell a lot of oysters.”
Two years ago, Thompson underwent a liver transplant that saved her life. Due to years of alcoholism, he suffered from stage 4 liver disease.
“It gets progressively worse until you can’t walk, you can’t use your hands. You even lose mental function,” Thompson added. “You know you’re going to die. You know it very well,” he said.
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“I would love to have my surgery paid back. As long as I’m alive and doing business and being able to help, I’m going to raise money.”
As the disease progressed, Thompson’s family and friends desperately waited for a donor to be identified, a scenario many British Columbians face today.
“My father-in-law’s pulmonary fibrosis has worsened and he is currently in need of a double lung transplant,” said Jamie Strickland, a friend and colleague of Thompson’s.
“I hope I get the same results as Matt.”
BC transplant Elaine Young said personal stories like Thompson’s are important.
“When organ donation becomes a reality for people, then they can start thinking seriously about the impact they want to have when they die and the legacy they want to leave behind.” she says.
With new initiatives planned for the future, this month’s fundraiser is another step Thompson is taking to make a difference.
He hopes his story serves as a reminder of the importance of registering as an organ donor.
“It saves people, it saves children, it saves families,” Thompson said.
“This is great research that will help advance organ donation so people can live. It’s incredible.”
Learn more about registering as an organ donor On the BC Transplant website.
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