An Olds family has experienced both sides of organ donation and they're urging Canadians to make their wishes known if they want to donate theirs.
On May 8, 2015, Randy Evans, 54, son of Bob and Betty Evans of Olds, was murdered in Edmonton during the attempted robbery of his truck and trailer.
After consultation with doctors, the family agreed to have his organs donated because Randy had earlier indicated that that's what he wanted, should he pass away.
Those donations did indeed happen.
Randy's liver was donated to a middle-aged man in Alberta, and both of his kidneys were donated, one to a middle-aged man, one to a middle-aged woman.
His pancreas wasn't able to be used as a whole organ but Betty says it will be used for research in the effort to find a cure for diabetes.
Then on April 16 last year, Randy's sister, Jennifer Lynch, who has been ill since 2003, was given a liver transplant.
Unfortunately, she suffered a stroke while recovering from that operation, but the family is very grateful for that donation.
The family got together with the Albertan to talk about their experiences and spread their message about the need for organ donation.
"I first got sick in 2003 and we knew right from the beginning that I would eventually need a liver. And last spring it kind of came to the point where I was needing a liver quite quickly and they got me on the list and I was only on it for two days," Jennifer said. "We never realized at all when I went up to Edmonton how sick I was."
"In my estimation it was the hand of God. I mean, how else would that have happened," Betty said.
The family is also very aware that April 7 is Green Shirt Day. On that day, Canadians are urged to wear a green shirt to boost awareness of the need for organ donation.
Green Shirt Day is an initiative of the family of Logan Boulet of Lethbridge. He passed away April 7 last year as a result of the April 6 Humboldt Broncos bus crash.
Before he died, Boulet had signed an organ donor card. As a result, his heart, liver, lungs, kidneys and corneas were transplanted into six people across Canada.
"It was just a week later that she got (her liver)," Jennifer's sister Beth Johnson said. "And whatever families that Logan's organs impacted, it's like you can't even really describe what that's like. And sometimes we forget the human aspect in all the talk about organ donation.
"There's a family grieving, there's a family rejoicing, and you know, all the emotions involved in that — it's huge. And we grieve with the Boulets because we did lose somebody; you know, a loved one.
"Just to let them know, 'thank you.' Thank you for doing that, and thank you to Logan because here's a living example of what organ donation does," she said.
"Because we've had both ends of it, even though we were so happy that she got a liver, we also knew that there was a family that was grieving the loss of a loved one, because we had been there too. So it was very mixed," Beth added.
"And one other thing about Randy that really made a huge difference: not only that Jen needed a donor, but Randy had wanted to donate. He had made that clear; that he wanted to donate his organs when the time came."
Beth said Randy did not sign a donor card but he had spoken about his wishes.
"It wasn't written down, but it doesn't always matter if it's written down or not. You need to verbally say 'family, this is what I want to do,'" she said.
"And thankfully, the family of Jennifer's donor knew that that's what that person wanted. Because of that, we have her sitting here today, because (otherwise) we wouldn't."
Jennifer's husband Sean Lynch suspects the publicity surrounding Boulet's decision to sign his donor card may have helped spur the organ donation Jennifer received.
"Who knows? It may have worked out the way it worked out just because," he said.
"But it may have helped her get one faster because people applied or made the conscious decision to donate, make sure they were donating their organs, after that incident. Because I honestly do not believe that Jen would be here today if she had not gotten that (organ donation)."
Jennifer's medical problems began back in 2003.
"My gall bladder basically blew up," she said.
Her gall bladder was removed. Things got better for a while, but problems persisted, and it was clear Jennifer would eventually need a liver transplant, so she was put on a waiting list for one. But she didn't get on the critical list until last April.
"My kidneys shut down," she said.
Although Jennifer is still dealing with the effects of the stroke, as of late last week at least, her body had not rejected the donated liver. She had no need of anti-rejection drugs.
Betty said that too is the hand of God.
"This is why I want to thank the Lord, she has never had trouble with her liver. Her liver has functioned perfectly. So she's dealing with the stroke. Not her liver," Betty said. "So we are a thankful family for that."
