Photo: Quinn Thomas, 21, a second-year medical student at Laval University, is riding his bike across Canada to raise awareness of organ donations. He stopped in Kamloops Friday and met with several organ donor recipients and Kidney Foundation supporters. Throwing their support behind the cyclist in photo, from left, two-time kidney recipient Joe Amyott, two-time kidney recipient Yvonne Fortier, and kidney recipient Margaret Thompson. Credit: Murray Mitchell
A cyclist in the first days of a solo ride across Canada to support organ donation estimates his journey will take less time than the best-case scenario of 136 days for someone needing a kidney.
In fact, second-year medical student Quinn Thomas who arrived in Kamloops Friday noted the national average wait is 1,258 days for a kidney from a deceased donor.
That's not news to Margaret Thompson, who received a kidney transplant one year ago.
"Seven years is a long wait," said Thompson, who was at Gaglardi Square Friday morning to greet Thomas on his way through the city.
"I'm back to work full time and back to riding my Harley," she told people gathered at the square to meet Thomas and tell their stories.
"It's truly a gift," she said of organ donation. "We have to get that out to people. You're not giving a part of your body — you're giving a gift to someone to carry on."
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{Register to be an organ,eye and tissue donor. To learn how, www.donatelife.net or www.organdonor.gov}
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