Albertans Gift Life: 40 Living Donors Honored

Forty Albertans were celebrated for their extraordinary act of donating an organ to save another life. Give Life Alberta, the provincial organ and tissue donation program, hosted the event to honor these living donors.

The recipients recognized had all donated a kidney or a portion of their liver between 2022 and 2025. This crucial donation provided a much-needed lifeline, with living donor transplants offering a significantly shorter waiting period—six months to a year—compared to the four to five years typically expected for a deceased-donor kidney.

Among those honored was Caitlin Garcia, a neonatal intensive care unit nurse. She chose to donate part of her liver to a stranger, a decision she described as simply "a thing I could do." Her selfless act directly led to saving the life of two-year-old Mia Sanderson, who had been on a transplant waitlist. Mia's mother expressed immense gratitude, calling Garcia the reason her daughter is alive today. Approximately 75 Albertans undertake living organ donations annually, a vital contribution to those awaiting transplants.