A new fund supported by the Rich Griffin #1Saves8 campaign will help organ transplant candidates from Northern Ontario cover their basic expenses when they head south to wait for life-saving organs to become available.
When a person is added to an organ transplant list in Ontario, they must be close to the hospital where the operation will occur to ensure the transplant happens as fast as possible.
For people from northeastern Ontario, that usually means moving to Toronto, London or Ottawa.
After long-time local radio host Rich Griffin died of a brain aneurysm on May 25, 2015, he donated his organs to help others live.
Since his death, his widow, Nancy Griffin, launched the Rich Griffin #1Saves8 campaign and upcoming Griff's Anatomy Gala (set for May 14) to encourage organ donation and support people who need organ transplants.
Nancy said she couldn't find any official charities in Northern Ontario to support transplant recipients who must move to southern and eastern Ontario.
With the help of the Health Sciences North Foundation, she launched the Rich Griffin Transplant Assistance Fund.
After her husband passed away, his colleagues nominated him for the Employee of the Year Award through Rogers Broadcasting.
He ended up posthumously winning the CEO Award and $10,000 that Nancy donated to the charity she created in her husband's memory. The money will help kickstart the new fund, and will support four transplant recipients.
To start, the fund will be capped at $2,500 for each recipient, but Nancy said she hopes to increase that amount over time through charitable donations.
“A lot of people start GoFundMe drives because it's extremely expensive,” she said. “On average, a patient probably spends around $10,000 of their own money.”
People often have to put their jobs on hold, and others sometimes lose their jobs, to wait for treatment in another city.
On Saturday, the first annual Griff's Anatomy Gala will take place at the Sudbury Holiday Inn.
Nancy said she hopes funds raised through the gala can help at least eight more organ transplant candidates with their living expenses.
While tickets for the gala are no longer for sale, it's possible to donate to the Rich Griffin Transplant Assistance Fund online.
Nancy said she also encourages people to register as organ donors if they haven't already.
“The demand for organs way outstrips the supply,” she said. “There are a lot of people who will die waiting for their organs.”
