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2 Dutiful donor Following in his father's footsteps, Acton's David Dayman continues to give the gift of life and donate blood to Canadian Blood Services. He made his 50th blood donation at last Thursday's Acton clinic, an event marked with special thanks from clinic officials who reported 50 units of blood were collected. There were two first-timers and one person making their 10th donation THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011 DUTIFUL DONOR Acton's David Dayman began giving blood as a teenager, and hasn't stopped. He made his 50th donation last week, with the help of Canadian Blood Services staffer Deanna, at the Acton clinic. ­ Submitted photo Ontario makes organ donation easier For the first time ever, Ontarians can now register as organ and tissue donors online through a new web site, BeADonor.ca. Every registered donor has the potential to save up to eight lives. Previously, Ontarians could only register as organ and tissue donors in person at a ServiceOntario centre or by downloading, completing and mailing a Gift of Life Consent Form. By logging onto BeADonor.ca Ontarians can also confirm their current status as an organ donor. Many Ontarians mistakenly believe that the signed donor card they carry in their wallet means they are registered, and that is not the case, as this card pre-dates Ontario's registry. "Getting more Ontarians registered as organ and tissue donors is critically important to prevent needless deaths on the waiting list and to cut the wait time for patients in need of a transplant," said Dr. Frank Markel, President and CEO of Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN). "By making it possible to register online, we've made it easier for Ontarians who haven't yet registered because they didn't know how or it wasn't convenient." While over 80 per cent of Ontarians believe that giving consent to donate in advance of their death is an important thing to do, less than 20 per cent of eligible Ontarians have registered their consent to donate organs and tissue. "As long as people are waiting for organs and tissue donations, it's important that we make registering to become an organ and tissue donor as quick and easy as possible. This online donor registry will give hope to over 1,500 Ontarians, and their families, who are currently on the waiting list," said Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long Term Care. "It is important for us to create an awareness and make it easier for organ donors to register. The new online donor registration service is another example of ServiceOntario's commitment to make it easier for Ontarians to access key government services, simply at the click of a button," said Harinder S. Takhar, Minister of Government Services. By registering consent to donate, an individual's information is recorded and stored in a secure Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care database so it can be made available to families at the right time, for the purpose of ensuring the patient's donation decision is known and respected. With evidence of their loved ones' registered consent, almost all families consent to organ donation. Dayman, 56, said he was a teen when he first gave blood, copying his father who gave blood "religiously" until an injury 10 years ago ended his donor days. "I give fairly regularly, six to eight times a year" Dayman said on Sunday, adding it's easy to do, and rewarding. The next blood donor clinic is Monday, July 4, from 3:30 to 8 p.m., at the Acton arena/community centre. Presented by & Saturday, June 18, 2011 · In-Store Draws at both locations GIFT BAGS to First 100 Customers at GLOBAL PET FOODS Charity BBQ at the Parkette corner of Mill & Main Sts. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Upper Credit Humane Society All proceeds will be donated to the