Canada Post says more than 4,400 Canadians are waiting for a donation of a life saving organ and many more are waiting for health tissue so they can recover from a potentially fatal illness.

Canada Post has issued a new stamp on Thursday to raise awareness around the importance of organ and tissue donation.

A single organ donor can save up to eight lives, and a tissue donor can help save or improve the lives of up to 75 people.

Fewer than a third of Canadians have actually registered for organ and tissue donation.  It is important you inform your family of your wishes as you sign up.

About the stamp:

The stamp illustration was created by artist Christopher DeLorenzo and features two figures who form a heart connected by a pair of hands, each cradling a glowing star. Within the heart are abstract representations of the spirit of life, including flowers in bloom, a droplet of water and a bird in flight. Green, the official colour of organ and tissue donation, symbolizes hope and appears in various shades on the stamp design.