On January 18, 2021, Nova Scotia became the first jurisdiction in North America to adopt a “deemed consent” model for organ and tissue donation. Under the Nova Scotia Human Organ and Tissue Donation Act, all eligible residents are presumed to have consented to donation after death unless they opt out.

If you’re 19 or older, have lived in Nova Scotia for at least 12 months, and haven’t opted out, you are considered a potential donor. This change was made to help increase the number of lives saved through organ and tissue transplants.

You can opt out at any time by registering your decision online with your Nova Scotia Health Card. Youth aged 16 or older can also register a decision, though individuals under 18 or those lacking capacity will require consent from a substitute decision-maker.

Even with deemed consent in place, families will still be consulted at the time of death. Medical teams will seek to understand any known wishes of the deceased before proceeding with donation. In addition, all medically eligible individuals will be referred to the appropriate provincial donation programs to assess suitability.

What happens after death?

If death is expected, the body becomes part of the deceased’s estate, and the executor or family is responsible for final arrangements. If death is unexpected, the medical examiner has temporary jurisdiction over the body for investigation before releasing it to the family or executor.

For those who wish to provide home deathcare, participate in spiritual or cultural rituals, or arrange a green burial, there are important considerations:

• Who will have authority over the body after donation procedures?

• What condition will the body be in following organ or tissue recovery?

• Will medical teams avoid toxic chemicals and ensure respectful suturing and preparation to allow for home vigil or green burial?

These are essential questions, especially for families wanting a more personal or environmentally conscious approach to deathcare. Open communication with medical staff is vital to ensure the body is handled in accordance with your values and wishes.

For more information or to register your donation decision, visit:
Nova Scotia Health: Organ and Tissue Donation

Spoiler Alert – you will die.

In 1973 Ernest Becker won the Pulitzer Prize for The Denial of Death.  We’ve been denying for a while.  The toss-up seems to be with the dual nature of our physical selves and our symbolic selves. And that comes down too,  here we are… what does it mean?  The search for meaning or the true nature of reality is good/absolute.  It awakens the mind and that, my friends, is a connection to the present, which is wisdom. 

They say our life flashes before our mind’s eye in our final days.   Will yours be all scared and in denial about the fact that you will die?  Or might we find meaning which has us present in our everyday lives?… with whatever is?

Why exactly are we so frightened of death that we avoid looking at it altogether? Or worse, we take all manner of measures to get more “dying days”. 

Somewhere, deep down, we know we cannot avoid facing dying and death forever. Nothing is permanent and enduring.

When you are in denial, you’re trying to protect yourself by refusing to accept the truth about mortality.

When you are in denial, you’re trying to protect yourself by refusing to accept the truth about your dying and death that is  happening. Refusing to acknowledge mortality is a way of coping with fear, stress, painful thoughts, conflict, threatening information and anxiety. You can be in denial about anything that makes you feel vulnerable or threatens your sense of control, such as dying.  You can be in denial about something happening to you or to someone else.

When you’re in denial, you:

~ Will not acknowledge a difficult situation

~ Try not to face the facts

~ Downplay possible consequences of the matter.

Sometimes it seems as if the only real activity we are engaged in is closing our eyes to the truest fact about life: No one makes it out alive.