Dr. Joe Pagliarello receives lifetime achievement award for organ donation work

An Ottawa surgeon has received a lifetime achievement award from the Trillium Gift of Life Network for helping redefine Canada's organ donation system.

Specifically, Dr. Joe Pagliarellohelped make it possible for people whose hearts hadstopped known as cardiocirculatory deathto donate their organs.

Since the 1960s and 1970s,only people who were braindead and whose hearts were still beating were able to give organs.

But that changed in 2006when Ottawa resident Sarah Beth Therien, 32,died suddenly. Pagliarellotold CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning Friday thatpushing the case for her donation eligibility was a team effort.

"With a little persuasion from [Sarah Beth's father]Emile and his family, and some persistence on our part, and some co-operation and collaboration from all levels of administration ... we were given the go-ahead to do this," he said.

"In her case in particular, she probably would never have gone on to brain death; many people do not."

'Robust and rigorous processes'

Now, 10 years later, upwards of 20 per cent of all organ donations in Ontario come from people whose hearts have stopped, Pagliarello said, and it's practised across Canada.

"That's many, many people who have an organ transplant who would not have received one otherwise," he said.

In Canada, doctors must wait five minutes after cardiocirculatory death before removing organs. In other jurisdictions, doctors must wait from twoto 10 minutes, Pagliarello said.

"We have very, very robust and rigorous processes by which we do this," he said.

EmileTherien said his family is "extremely proud" of Sarah Beth, and they've received two letters from families who benefitedfrom her donation.

• Listen to the entire interview with Pagliarello and Therien here.