As our country gets larger but our sense of community gets smaller, the need for organ donors continues to be high across the county.

April is Alberta Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness month, where the Human Organ Procurement and Exchange Program, or HOPE, encourages people to sign their donor card.

Dr. Dennis Djogovic is the Medical Director of the HOPE Program, which helps to coordinate and streamline the organ donor process.

He says it's easier than ever to register, with the impact being far reaching.

“The gift really is a legacy, and we use that term because it does reach so far beyond that one individual. When we look at organ donation we know that our donors can save lives of up to 7 other people, and when we look at tissue donation they can enhance the lives of well over 80, so the reach is phenomenal.”

Dr. Djogovic says most people who hesitate to sign the sign, are simply not informed as to exactly what it means.

“People just don’t know what it entails, they’re not sure on the details, what they have to commit to. They are scared of asking, I think is another thing, and probably just don’t want to go through the discussion and I think the most important thing they should consider is finding out more, asking questions and getting information.”

At the start of April only 8% of Albertans were registered organ donors, however, in the wake of the tragic Humboldt bus crash, there has been a dramatic increase in people signing their cards, with the number increasing by 400% percent Alberta wide.

For more information on how to register, you can go to the Canadian Transplant Society’s website.