Leanne Johnson, a Resource Nurse in the Operating Room with Lakeridge Health‘s Surgery Program, has received the Provincial Donation Champion Award from Ontario Health (Trillium Gift of Life Network).
The award was announced May 13, 2026 and recognizes health-care professionals across Ontario who go above and beyond in supporting organ and tissue donation. Lakeridge Health said Johnson has spent more than two decades in the field and is known for bringing dignity and compassion to each case.
Before each procedure, Johnson creates a pause that may include music or a reading, followed by a moment of silence to honour donors. She said the work is a team effort, adding that she is “just one piece of the puzzle” and that “everyone plays an important role.”
The recognition comes as Lakeridge Health continues to post strong results in organ and tissue donation. The hospital network said it reached a 100% Eligible Approach Rate for a fifth straight year, meaning every eligible patient in its critical care units was offered the chance to consider donation.
In 2024 and 2025, Lakeridge Health said 10 organ donors led to 30 transplants and 23 lives saved, along with 105 tissue donors and nearly 800 eye donors who could help people regain sight.
