Victoria organ transplant recipients Steve Farmer and Faye White toured the Royal Jubilee Hospital on Wednesday to hand out snacks to nurses and doctors. 

This was part of an initiative organized by BC Transplant called Operation Popcorn, which gives transplant recipients a chance to thank the health-care professionals who help make organ transplantation a reality. 

B次元官网网址淓ven though transplants are all done in Vancouver, we come to the other hospitals because there's a lot of post- and pre-treatment,B次元官网网址� said Farmer, who was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease 20 years ago. B次元官网网址淚've had nothing but great care all the way through.B次元官网网址� 

The pair arrived at the hospital early with a cart stacked high with massive, bright-red boxes, each of which was filled to the brim with caramel popcorn. Over the next two hours, they handed out the neatly wrapped gifts to dozens of thankful nurses and doctors. 

Eighty others participated in similar Operation Popcorn initiatives across the province on Wednesday.

FarmerB次元官网网址檚 daughter Kelsey, who was eight when her dad underwent his transplant surgery, also toured the hospital.

B次元官网网址淭he scariest day of my life was the first time my dad went into a coma when he was really sick," she said. "He went into a coma five times while he was waiting for his transplant." 

The now 28-year-old recounted the time she and her older sister found Farmer unconscious. 

"We woke up and dad was comatose in the bathroom, which is pretty scary for an eight-year-old," she said. B次元官网网址淭hankfully, everything went well with the transplant, and weB次元官网网址檝e had 20 years to make up for all those scary things."  

White, who was all smiles as she marched from one hospital unit to another, received a new kidney 18 years ago.   

B次元官网网址淎ll we hear about are bad things about the health-care system and this is a good news story," she said. "I can't say that there's one thing that has not gone well." 

The health-care professionals appreciated the transplant recipients' gifts, many of whom expressed how nice it was to interact with people who benefit from their life-saving services.

B次元官网网址淚'm really grateful to see the other side of it,B次元官网网址� said William Owens-Krahn, Island Health's surgical services coordinator. B次元官网网址淲e often retrieved organs, but we never saw transplanted organs. I didn't have that opportunity to see this, and this really brings it home and makes it feel that much more special.B次元官网网址� 

BC TransplantB次元官网网址檚 executive director Eric Lun expressed a similar sentiment.

B次元官网网址淗ealth-care teams on the organ donation side often have limited contact with transplant recipients, and those who work with transplant recipients donB次元官网网址檛 usually interact with organ donors and donor families,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hen they meet our volunteers at the Operation Popcorn deliveries, it is a powerful affirmation of the power of the gift of life.B次元官网网址�

To find out more information about BC Transplant, visit: .