Dirk Brinkman and Joyce Murray meet Queen Elizabeth

The official photo of Joyce Murray, MP, and Dirk Brinkman, citizen, meeting Queen Elizabeth ended up with Dirk greeting the Queen and Joyce greeting Prime Minister Harper, not her favourite person, so I thought I would post it on our web site. There is a reason for that.

(Article follows image)

Yes the June 2010 dinner in Toronto was in the same month we collectively planted the billionth tree. But the reason I posted the picture is Joyce's flaming red hair. Joyce had dyed her hair red so as a Member of Parliament she could be an advocate for organ donation.

Eva Maarkvort had just died that March, waiting for a lung transplant. No organ donor became available in time. Eva had a two wonderful years after a previous double lung transplant, but her body then began to reject the transplant. She was confident to the end that she would get a second chance. She did not. Eva had cystic fibrosis and was a friend of our daughter Dawn (planting supervisor) and was admired by everyone in our family.

An actress, Eva was the subject of a documentary 65 Red Roses for her first lung transplant. A child once asked Eva “What's wrong with you?”, and heard “I have Cystic Fibrosis” as “You have 65 Red Roses? Wow!” Eva who loved life and kids, loved that response. 65 Red Roses tripled organ donation commitments in Canada after its release. But Canada's per capital organ donor commitments remain the lowest of the industrial coutnries. 65redroses.com/campaign/ will make your registry easy no matter where you live in North America. (Eva's film even increased organ donations in Poland.) Thanks for engaging in the life-giving act of treeplanting. Please also give to those who are waiting like Eva once was.

Dirk Brinkman