Calgarian makes a life-saving plea on World Organ Donation Day

Jonathan Ferguson says the lead up to his thirtieth birthday was spent being misdiagnosed.

He never quite felt right: and it took him years before anyone was able to correctly identify why.

It wasn't good news.

"I was diagnosed with a rare liver disease called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, or PSC," Jonathan told CTV News. "I looked awful. I had jaundice, I was very gaunt. It wasn't fun."

Looking back Sunday, 13 years later, the Calgarian says it flipped not only his health on its head, but his life outlook.

"It became about family and travel," he says. "I visited 80 counties, a lot of them with my mom."

But eventually, PSC slowed him down. And he was faced with a tough situation: Jonathan needed a transplant, and time was limited.

"The list is huge," he said, pointing to the more than 4,300 Canadian names on the transplant waitlist. "I thought a cadaver liver donation might happen, but it fell (through)."

So, Jonathan was left with another option: living donation.

"It was just frustrating for the whole family to see him decline over time," his brother Daniel said. "So I said 'this is something I can do.'"

Brothers Daniel, left, and Jonathan Ferguson. (Supplied)

'MY SUPERHERO'

In 2020, one day before Jonathan turned 40 years old, Daniel called him to say he'd give his brother his liver.

Less than a week later, they were face-to-face in Edmonton prepping for surgery.

"We just looked at each other and said, 'this is it. We're gonna make it,'" Jonathan explained.

His brother offered up two thirds of his liver; enough to help both men make a full recovery.

Jonathan says the first time they met after surgery was one of the best moments of his life.

"A couple days after the transplant I heard his slippers shuffling in the room," he remembered. "(Daniel) opened the curtain and you can just imagine the tears flowing and the huge embrace."

"We both lost it," Daniel added. "It was the first time I've felt hopeful."

Three years removed from the successful liver transplant, the Ferguson brothers are pushing more Canadians to opt-in to organ donation.

Brothers Jonathan, left, and Daniel Ferguson. (Supplied)

DONATION AWARENESS

"To be able to have the opportunity to save somebody's life and leave that legacy, it's something that as human beings it's just a gift we can give," Jonathan said.

August 13 marks World Organ Donation Day across the globe. It's a day meant to raise awareness about the importance of donation and to provide a platform for discussing everything to do with the procedures.

Donations of kidneys, liver, heart, pancreas, and lungs are always needed.

"It's remarkable, the gift of live you can give," Daniel said. "Honestly, if you asked me to do it again, I'd do it tomorrow. It's one of the greatest things I've ever done and I have no regrets whatsoever."

Neither does his brother. Jonathan is now healthy and active, working as a photographer in Calgary and educating others about his journey through a social media page.

"To have creative thought, to be physically fit again, to have energy again," he said, "I can't explain it."

To learn more about donation, and about how simple it is to sign up in your province, visit the Government of Canada's information page.