For six months last year, film crews from Vancouver production company Omnifilm were onsite at hospitals, transplant clinics and the BC Transplant office almost every day, working hand in hand with health-care teams to capture footage of their round-the-clock jobs in organ donation and transplant.
The producers worked very closely with members of our dedicated organ donation and hospital development team, who are always on call for the next potential life-saving organ donor case in B.C.
Aly Janmohamed, Clinical Practice Lead and Surgical Recovery Specialist shares that being a part of this Knowledge Network documentary series is incredibly meaningful for him.
“It offers a powerful platform to raise awareness and educate the public about the importance of organ donation. Sharing real stories can break down misconceptions, encourage conversations, and inspire people to consider becoming organ donors. Highlighting the impact on both donors and recipients can foster empathy and understanding, ultimately saving lives. It’s an opportunity to celebrate hope, generosity, and the profound connections that can arise from such selfless acts.”
Nearly five years in production, the heart-pounding four-part series Transplant Stories takes you behind the scenes of real-life British Columbians and their hope to find good health again. You’ll meet individuals like Dianne who was told that she would not live to see another Christmas with her grandkids without a double-lung transplant, and Kevin, who awaits a suitable liver donor, alongside hundreds of patients on the waitlist hoping for their second chance at life.
Transplant Stories also offers a rare glimpse into the operating room, where health-care professionals perform a highly-coordinated mission to honour a family’s decision to give life through organ donation. Viewers will get an in-depth look at the complexities of how organ donation works in B.C. on both the patient and clinical sides of such an extraordinary feat.
With every successful organ transplant, comes a story of a life lost. Organ donation would not be possible without the generosity of organ donors and their families, who are making the most selfless decision during a tragic time. That is something that Aly remembers every day.
After 10 years of working on this team, he still finds his job exceedingly rewarding. His favorite parts include witnessing successful transplants and seeing patients thrive post-surgery, building strong relationships with colleagues and donor families, and participating in community outreach to raise awareness about organ donation with colleagues and volunteers.
“I hope that this documentary will help people understand organ donation a little bit better, and that it sparks discussions at home. These real-life stories of donors, recipients, and their families can humanize the challenging organ donation process. It really highlights the importance of being an organ donor and the need for more British Columbians to register their decision and discuss their wishes with loved ones.”
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BC Transplant is grateful to all the health authorities who make organ donation and transplant possible and the three transplant centres featured in the series, Provincial Health Services Authority, Vancouver Coastal Health, and Providence Health Care who went above and beyond to make this series possible.
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