TORONTO — A two-time liver transplant recipient is calling on provincial governments to follow the lead of European countries by allowing negative-option organ donor registration in Canada.

Such a system would automatically put everyone on a donor list, unless people choose to opt out by signing a form indicating they don't want to donate their organs upon death.

"What could be more important than trying to do everything we can do to save lives?" asked George Marcello, who takes his ongoing crusade to the Ontario legislature Thursday with a plea to enact presumed consent.

Marcello is recovering from his second liver transplant - received on his 50th birthday, 10 years to the day after receiving his first transplant due to hepatitis C.

He beat almost impossible odds by getting a second liver, and he still can't believe how lucky he was after he fell ill in Paris during an organ donation fact-finding mission this summer.

"I thought I was going to die in Paris, I had my funeral planned already," said Marcello, who suffered a blocked artery that caused him to develop abscesses in the first transplant.

Marcello got well enough to fly home to Toronto and then received the amazing news that a second liver had been found for him.

He will take his story to the Ontario legislature Thursday, where provincial politicians have been grappling with ways to increase donations.

A new regulation takes effect this fall that would increase the number of donors in the province.

It would require hospitals to notify the Trillium Gift of Life Network - which oversees organ donation in Ontario - when a patient passes away and has organs that can be harvested.

It would also allow Trillium to require hospitals to ask relatives of brain-dead patients for their organs.

David Spencer, a spokesman for Health Minister George Smitherman, said the province is intent on encouraging more donors.

"It's something we can all improve upon, but one of our foremost messages is really asking people to think about signing that organ donation card," Spencer said.

Ontario's third-placed New Democratic Party, meanwhile, has a bill before the legislature to create a negative option system.

In New Brunswick, Health Minister Elvy Robichaud suggested in April that surgery patients be given the option of signing a donor form before going under the knife.

But his ministry later backtracked, saying that was just an idea being looked at.

On his trip to Europe, Marcello brought a video camera to put together a documentary that would show Canadians how much more efficient donor systems are in other countries.

"We want to make sure that most Canadians will be able to see this, but as well as (ordinary) Canadians, our government officials," Marcello said.

"The material that we have gathered is an eye-opener."

Marcello points to Spain as a paragon of organ transplant planning.

In addition to having negative option donor lists, they transplant organs from people who no longer have beating hearts. In Canada, organs are harvested only from people who are brain-dead, with hearts still beating.

Marcello said Spain increased its organ availability by 20 per cent by using non heart-beating donors.

"I believe that the government will finally realize, why not look at another way?" he said.

Canada has one of the poorest organ donation rates in the developed world, but recent figures suggest the tide is turning.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information reported in April that the number of transplants in Canada went up 22 per cent between 1994 and 2003. But the number of brain-dead donors remained the same.

Still, the figures suggest awareness of the need for organ donation has improved.

Marcello was certain his planned documentary would improve the rate of donation even more, and after his latest brush with death he said he's more determined than ever to push for reform.

"The reason to do this feels that much stronger," he said. "There's a lot of spirituality in this (second transplant) as well. Maybe I had to be around a little longer to get this work done."