Essex-Windsor EMS Paramedic Recognized by Trillium Gift of Life Network

An Essex-Windsor EMS paramedic has received a provincial award for his efforts to ensure tissue donations that help save and improve lives can be made even if the donors die at home.

Gerry Seguin has been named the 2024 Provincial Donation Champion Award recipient by Trillium Gift of Life Network for spearheading a new partnership between the organization and Essex-Windsor EMS.

Seguin promoted the partnership and helped train his fellow paramedics to assist the efforts of Trillium Gift of Life Network, which is responsible for delivering and coordinating organ and tissue donation and transplantation services in Ontario.

“As a paramedic, you always want to do your best for your patient and that includes helping their loved ones carry out a last wish when their life can’t be saved,” Seguin said. “It’s an honour to receive this award, which I share with my fellow paramedics and Essex-Windsor EMS leadership for supporting this initiative. Lastly, I want to thank Cathie Driedger for her contributions to this program's success.”

In the past, donors who died out of hospital were unable to donate their tissue because there was no process in place to retrieve the tissue in a timely manner and honour their wishes. Now, for victims of cardiac arrest who die at home, a bridge is built directly to those who can ensure the tissue goes on to benefit others.

Starting in December 2024, paramedics with Essex-Windsor EMS have been trained to reach out to the Trillium Gift of Life Network when they encounter a patient who has died at home of sudden cardiac arrest and meets eligibility criteria for donating tissue.

The paramedic connects family members with Trillium Gift of Life Network, which coordinates the tissue recovery and donation process. Tissues that may be used for donation include parts of the eyes, heart valves, skin, bones and connective tissues.

The partnership is already working to improve lives. Paramedic Adam Droski facilitated the first successful out-of-hospital tissue donation in Windsor-Essex.

In January, he attended an emergency call for a cardiac arrest at home. Unfortunately, the patient was pronounced deceased. However, Droski was able to refer the patient and their next of kin to Trillium Gift of Life Network, which ultimately resulted in a successful ocular tissue donation.

“Honouring the wishes of our patients is such an important part of being a paramedic,” said Droski. “It was great to hear that this individual went on to be a tissue donor and give the gift of sight to someone in need. I’m glad to have been a part of that process.”

Several other Ontario paramedic services participate in the program, which is helping close the gap on the 1,400 people in Ontario waiting for an organ transplant and thousands more waiting for tissue transplants.

April is Be a Donor Month in Ontario and April 20 to April 26 is National Organ and Tissue Awareness Week. For more information on how to register as a donor, visit www.beadonor.ca.