Cornwall, ON St. Andrew’s resident Myles Lynch is excited to announce that a new e-petition aimed at saving lives across the country has been verified and passed by the Clerk of the House of Commons, and is now open for digital signatures across the country.

The petition calls upon the Government of Canada to direct the Standing Committee on Health to launch a study into the feasibility of the creation of a National Opt-Out program for organ and tissue donation, with the hope of saving countless lives across Canada.

There are currently over 4,500 Canadians who are waiting for an organ transplant. Sadly, 260 Canadians died last year alone, while waiting for a potential donor. The vast majority of Canadians, over 90%, support organ and tissue donation, yet many do not take the time to make their wishes known to family and loved ones, or sign up online to indicate their desire to donate.

“In my case, I was fortunate enough to have had 3 organ transplants over the last 5 years, but for every exceptional case like mine, there are many others whose time runs about before a good match can be found. I felt it important for me to try and do whatever I can to help many more, and the creation of a national opt-out program could save thousands of lives per year for generations to come” said Myles Lynch.

The e-petition was sponsored by local Member of Parliament Eric Duncan.

“I believe a key role as a Member of Parliament is to connect constituents with resources to advocate for issues that are important to them. Myles’ life story is inspiring and I am happy to help him raise awareness on a cause very personal to him”, stated MP Eric Duncan.

The e-petition can be found online at https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-2398 or on Eric Duncan’s website at www.ericduncanmp.ca