Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops was just one of 29 sites for BC Transplant's 33rd annual Operation Popcorn this year. Every December, transplant recipients like myself, living donors and donor family members volunteer to thank healthcare workers for all they have done for us by giving them boxes of popcorn. This isn’t just a holiday treat, but a symbol of life, hope and gratitude.

When I was four I received a heart transplant and the gift of life. It has now been 18 years post-transplant and events like Operation Popcorn highlight how lucky I am to be here today.

I have volunteered with BC Transplant and Operation Popcorn since elementary school. Each year I am more grateful and appreciative that I can contribute to this amazing event.

For the past eight years of Operation Popcorn, I have been joined by another BC Transplant volunteer Tony Maidment, a liver recipient. Maidment received a liver transplant in 2017 after a long battle with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare disease that damages the bile ducts. Maidment's transplant has allowed him to walk both of his daughters down the aisle at their weddings, spend more time with his family, and watch his new granddaughter grow up.

    

    

On December 5th, I met with Maidment and Leah Chesney, an organ donation specialist at BC Transplant, at Royal Inland Hospital for our Operation Popcorn delivery. We visited the operating room, transplant clinic, intensive care unit and emergency room to give our thanks and drop off the treats.

Stopping at each department, every interaction between the volunteers and nurses brought smiles, hugs and even a few tears. I think it is rewarding for healthcare workers to see the impact of their efforts firsthand by meeting us, instead of only seeing the ill patients who need a transplant or the tragic side of organ donation through their care of organ donors.

Throughout the week, more than 80 volunteers delivered 150 boxes of popcorn to hospitals around the province. 

It’s just a small act of gratitude and appreciation to say thank you to all the healthcare workers who support organ donation and transplantation. Without them, both Tony and I would not be here today.