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Alberta Woman Becomes Canada’s First Dual Living Organ Donor
By Drooid · · How we work
First Dual Living Organ Donation in Alberta
Meghan Rozema, a resident of Sherwood Park, Alberta, completed two separate living-donor surgeries: a partial-liver transplant in 2021 and a kidney donation later that year. The liver graft saved an infant who otherwise might not have survived past their first birthday. After a two-year interval, Rozema donated a kidney to a stranger who had been on dialysis for many years, honoring a family friend whose mother had died before a planned donation could occur. She is the first person in Alberta to donate two different organs while alive and one of only a handful of such donors in Canada.
Background on Living Donation in Canada
Living donation—where a healthy person gives a kidney, portion of the liver, or other tissue—supplements the supply of organs from deceased donors. National transplant registries indicate that more than 500 Canadians are awaiting life-saving organ transplants, with roughly 400 of those candidates specifically needing a new kidney. Health officials note that reliance on deceased donors alone cannot meet this demand, and public awareness of living-donor options remains limited.
Official Statements & Verbatim Quotes
Cassandra Garneau, living-donor coordinator for Give Life Alberta, explained the rarity of Rozema’s achievement: “She would be the first person to minimize her decision,” — Cassandra Garneau She added that the shortage of donors creates a “short blip” in a donor’s life, describing the recovery period as brief but potentially inconvenient. Rozema reflected on her experience, saying: “It’s an honor and also, it’s unfortunate that I am the only one,” — Rozema She also noted that after her surgeries she was able to resume regular exercise and participate in her children’s activities.
Impact and Statistics
Rozema’s dual donations illustrate both the feasibility and personal commitment required for living donation. The transplant community cites her case to highlight that living donors can safely undergo multiple procedures when spaced appropriately. However, the statistic that over 500 Canadians await organs—and 400 need kidneys—underscores a persistent gap between supply and demand. Health advocates argue that increasing public education about living-donor options could expand the donor pool and reduce waiting-list mortality.