Every Christmas it seems my son, Robert, (who is 34 and my best friend) and I are always at a loss as what to do. In June 1998, I pondered the idea of going on a cruise at Christmas—somewhere WARM. I quickly went about finding out how much a cruise would cost and presented the idea to Rob. To my surprise and pleasure he said, "sure!" We decided the Caribbean would be great—who wouldn’t?

I found out from the head nurse at the dialysis clinic that I had to contact a travel agency based in Florida called, Dialysis at Sea Cruises. This is the only travel agency that specializes in people on dialysis. I phoned the 1-800 number, and was sent all the information I needed (sailing dates, costs, etc.). Not all cruise ships are equipped with dialysis facilities, so we altered our dates by a few days to accommodate dialysis.

You can’t just decide to go on a cruise and leave in a month. You must plan at least two months in advance, and be accepted by the Dialysis at Sea medical team. You need a letter from your doctor, your latest blood work, and Hepatitis and HIV tests. All this information is sent to the medical team. Also, if you may be participating in any off-shore activities that require physical exertion, it will help to get a letter from your doctor stating that you are able to participate—or they won’t let you.

I had never been on a cruise, and I didn’t know if I would like it. And of course, I was apprehensive about leaving my "comfort zone" of the clinic in Vancouver, and the nurses I know and who know me.

After our flight to Florida, we boarded Holland America’s Westerdam. We went to a designated area where the other dialysis patients met the Nephrologist and the two nurses. I was impressed by the Nephrologist, who was on board during Christmas, with his young family.

The dialysis schedule is set up in advance and consideration is given to the activities on-shore so that you can be part of most of them.

I was a little apprehensive about doing dialysis on board, but after my first run, my apprehensions were tossed to the sea. The nurses were excellent. One of the nurses heads a 92 bed clinic back home and brought another colleague with her. I felt very safe, so with that out of the way, the rest of the cruise was great. The other bonus was that dialysis was ‘right there’. I didn’t have to get in a car, ride a bus, hire a taxi, or go to a hospital or clinic.

The food is wonderful and always available. If you are on a salt-restricted, low-cholesterol, or diabetic diet, you just tell the Maitre de, and they will give you the next night’s menu. You choose what you want and it is specially prepared for you the next day.

We thought we might get tired of all the people on the cruise, but that wasn’t the case at all. Everyone was in a good mood and full of fun, and the service from the staff was wonderful.

We loved the warm water and swimming. We did something everyday—from snorkeling in deep water off a boat to my first SCUBA diving adventure in Cozumel. (But remember to have that letter from your doctor, or they won’t let you go). While in the water, I wore a tensor bandage around my fistula arm, which worked well.

Waiting for a transplant can sometimes be a long time, but in the meantime I try to live my life to the fullest. As one of my favourite patients at the dialysis clinic says, "I don’t want this disease to control my life." So it was, as we were flying home, that I decided one week wasn’t long enough. I can hardly wait to save my pennies so I can go again—next time, maybe for 10 or 14 days.

In April, a re-design of the B.C. Transplant Society web site was launched. The old site was not very effective. It was dark, not kept up-to-date, and wasn’t interactive. The new site, on the other hand, is bright, colourful, and provides visitors with front-line information.

"We re-designed the web site for a number of reasons," says Sally Greenwood, BCTS’ Manager of Communications. "The monthly costs on the old site were quite high for the kind of site that was being maintained—it really wasn’t serving our needs."

The web-site is intended to give people some basic information, and if they are interested, will allow them to delve deeper to learn more about organ donation and transplantation. The web site re-design will be completed in three phases. The first was done for Organ Donor Awareness Week in April. The second phase will be an expansion of the volunteer page, and a new section devoted to research initiatives at BCTS. The third phase, which will be completed by the Fall of this year, will expand on the Living Donor Program.

The Opening Ceremony was a heartfelt event. Three recipients sang O Canada, after which Annie Parker, a native elder from the Kamloops Band welcomed everyone. As Parker beat her drum, she spoke from the heart, saying that a few years ago she hadn’t’ known about organ donation. Now some of her family members needed transplants and she realizes the importance.

Also speaking at the opening was Theresa Rath, a donor family member, who spoke about how her family decided to donate her father’s organs eight years ago. Many of the participants spoke to Theresa afterwards and thanked her for her family’s generous gift. Mychelle Harding, a living donor, spoke about how she had donated a kidney to her seven-year-old daughter. The strains of "All I Can Do," a song written and composed by Scott MacKeigan, to his donor, and "The Living Proof", written by MacKiegan and Chris Bond (Heart Recipient) for the 1997 World Transplant Games in Australia, could then be heard throughout the stadium.

Participants competed in a number of friendly events including track and field, softball, golf, and volleyball. Many thanks to all those who helped make the games a success, including the Kidney Foundation, BC Branch, the BC Transplant Society, and all the participants and supporters. The next Gift of Life Games will be in Edmonton.

As our wedding neared, we told ourselves we didn’t want kidney disease to control our lives, so we decided on a one-week driving trip that would take us east, from Vancouver to Yoho National Park. And from there onto Banff, the Rockies, and Calgary. On our return trip we headed south through the Kootenays. These were places we hadn’t yet discovered. Places that seemed to be by-passed on previous vacations.

We sat down one evening and mapped out the places we wanted to see, taking into account Carrie’s dialysis schedule. As our plans began to take shape, we decided Carrie could do dialysis in Calgary and Trail.

The head nurse at Carrie’s dialysis clinic gave us the contact name and number for the Wildrose Dialysis Facility in Calgary, which is open only to people visiting Calgary, and the clinic at Trail Regional Hospital. We initially chose the dates that best suited us, but had to change our plans slightly to accommodate the clinics. After that Carrie’s medical reports and recent blood tests were sent to the visiting clinics. In all, it only took a month or two to organize.

After two days on the road, B.C gave way to Alberta. And mountains melted into Prairie. We drove into Calgary and quickly oriented ourselves to the city. Fortunately our hotel was only a few minutes drive to Foothills Hospital, where the dialysis clinic is located.

We were initially told that the cost for dialysis at the Calgary clinic would be $290, the same as that covered by the Medical Services Plan of B.C., but the fee had to be paid up-front, which would be reimbursed after we returned home. But when we arrived at the hospital, they just took Carries’s medical number and billed B.C directly. The process was smooth and effortless.

Like most anyone, Carrie was a little apprehensive about leaving the security of the Vancouver dialysis clinic. She had a routine, and more importantly there were nurses she had come to trust and respect. But after the initial jitters, she felt comfortable with the new surroundings.

The nurses at the clinic gave us advice as to what restaurant we should go to for dinner. One was adamant we should go to the Colander. But the others dismissed this suggestion, and said that we newlyweds should go to Olive’s, a much more romantic eatery. We didn’t end up going to either. What a shame really, because I heard recently that the Colander was voted one of the best restaurants in B.C.

Like most vacations, ours ended faster than we wanted, but we were glad that we decided not to let dialysis come between us and our dreams. That yes, there was a life away from the clinic. And yes, with a little bit of effort and planning, we could go on a vacation.

Bradley has been a juvenile diabetic since he was six months old, but apart from that he was relatively healthy. On Christmas Eve he had a small cold, which didn’t seem out of the ordinary, and his blood sugar level was fine.

When he got up on Christmas morning his blood sugar was a little low, but nothing to be alarmed at. Bradley’s family went to the grandparents’ house for breakfast, where Bradley ate a surprising amount of food. "He ate everything on his plate, and then started eating everyone else’s food," says Beth, Bradley’s mother, "It was very uncharacteristic."

After breakfast, Bradley laid down. He had no interest in opening his presents. Beth checked his blood sugar and expected it to be normal, but it was way off the mark. The doctor said to treat it with more insulin. Later that afternoon, Bradley was very lethargic and his blood sugar was checked again. Still it remained high, and again the doctor said to treat it with more insulin.

Dinner had no interest for Bradley and at 7:30 that evening he was breathing fast, and he looked greyish. This time the doctor told them to come to Children’s Hospital immediately.

After being admitted, doctors ruled out a diabetic problem. An ER attendant thought that Bradley’s liver was swollen. From there he was quickly transferred to ICU, where his health steadily deteriorated.

"When Bradley and his mother left, I just looked at my wife and told her to look after him," says Bradley’s father, Jerry. "I just kept thinking to myself that I wouldn’t see Bradley again—I really just wanted them to get there [Edmonton] before he died."

Bradley was placed at the top of the transplant waiting list across Canada, but time was running out. Beth was told that Bradley’s kidneys were also failing, and that he’d need kidney dialysis. By the time Jerry got to Edmonton, the family was told there was no time for a cadaveric donor. By the time an organ could be retrieved and transported to Edmonton, Bradley would have died—Bradley was down to hours and minutes.

At this time, Beth was informed of another option—living related donation. But she had to wait until Jerry arrived at the hospital. When he did arrive, he was told that living donation would be the only thing to save his son’s life. His response, "What are we waiting for—let’s do it."

Living kidney donation has been taking place for many years, but living liver donation is a relatively new procedure, especially in Canada. The Granger’s had never heard of living transplants, but Beth knew that the liver was the one organ that regenerates.

After two or three hours of tests, it was determined that both Beth and Jerry matched. Now, came the decision as to who would be the one. Once the two of them were left to discuss the situation, they decided that Jerry would be the donor. "You know, I’ve lived a good life, and it didn’t matter if I lived or died, but I just wanted to give Bradley the same opportunities that I had," says Jerry.

After a number of hours, the transplant was complete, but soon Bradley’s new liver was swollen, and he still had renal [kidney] complications. While Jerry only spent a week in the hospital, Bradley was in for two and a half months. There were many complications. Everything that could go wrong did. "We knew Bradley was out of the woods when Dr. James Shapiro, the transplant surgeon, said there weren’t many more things that could go wrong.

Bradley has two sisters, eight-year old, Tamara, and three-year-old Kimberley. Tamara asked lots of questions, but Kimberley just knew her brother was very sick. "We talked to the girls everyday on the phone, but we didn’t see them for several weeks," says Beth and Jerry, "it was very hard."

As Bradley runs around his living room, he looks and acts like any two-year-old. He swings his toy golf club like a seasoned pro. It’s hard to imagine that he was so close to death only six months earlier. But while Bradley’s health has bounced back, he and his family have gone through some difficult times. "The people in our community have been very supportive," says Beth, "there was lots of fundraising done, but what some people don’t understand is it doesn’t last. We have lots of medical expenses that aren’t covered by Medicare."

The Granger household has been anything but normal since the transplant. "Looking after Bradley has added challenges, but it is a small price to pay for the gift of his life." says Beth.

Bradley had two big rejection episodes, but adjusting his medication controlled these. His liver numbers are stable, but they don’t seem to be coming down to a normal level. He recently had a liver biopsy to determine the health of the organ.

It’s difficult to look far into the future. There is no long-term prognosis until Bradley keeps his liver for a year. But there’s one thing for certain—Bradley loves his parents and his parents love him.

Would I do it again? "To save one of my children—you bet I’d do it again," says Jerry.

The crowd was inspired by the play of these remarkable individuals, who once again showed the living proof of organ donation. Among the BC Lions Alumni were fan favourites, Stewart Hill, Nick Hebeler, and Jim Mills. Some of the Canucks Alumni included Norm Jewison, Chris Oddleifson, and Wayne Van Dorp.

During the game of course, there were the usual pranks and good-humoured fun. The Richmond RCMP arrested and handcuffed former Lion, Nick Hebeler for stealing a base. The on-going antics of homeplate umpire, Mike Hornak added to the friendly competition.

Event programs, along with organ donor brochures and registration forms were passed out to the spectators.

The purpose of the new registry is to improve the consent rate for organ donation. Although the old system of indicating your wishes to be an organ donor through one’s driver’s license was an easy and painless procedure, it had many flaws.

• It was only available to BC’s drivers, clearly missing a large segment of society.

• It didn’t provide individuals with a choice as to which organs, if any, they wanted to donate

• Once someone has filled out the registration form, indicating their wishes to be a donor—they mail it back to the B.C. Transplant Society (BCTS), where it is scanned into a central computer database.

• Individuals will not be contacted and will not receive a card in the mail.

They will only be notified if there is a problem with their registration. If people want to confirm their registration they can call BCTS at 
1-800 663- 6189.

• At the time of an individual’s death, hospital personnel would telephone the registry and key in the person’s personal health number (CareCard). If the individual has registered, a copy of their registration form is faxed to the hospital, where it can be verified and shown to the person’s family.

The Communications Department is responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing communications plans for the BC Transplant Society. This includes creating and maintaining a public profile and image for the Society; identifying and recommending marketing communication opportunities; producing materials such as the annual report, newsletters, press releases, reports and brochures. The department also develops and delivers public education programs, plans and implements special events and administers and promotes the Organ Donor Registry.

"We" consist of two full time communication people, one full time Organ Donor Registry (ODR) staff and one part time person in each of these areas. Add to these talented people a host of dedicated volunteers and you have the make up of our department.

With the launch of the new registry behind us, it is imperative that we focus on the future. To that end we have developed a strategic plan that focuses on a number of targeted initiatives.

With the goal of increasing Organ Donor Registration we are targeting three key areas for 1999/2000:

An Asian marketing committee has been struck with the first meeting scheduled for mid August. This Committee is comprised of representatives with an understanding of Asian culture. The Committee will help us to better understand the cultural and ethnic barriers unique to this community in relation to organ donation. Once we have thoroughly discussed and researched this demographic group we will then create and implement a specific marketing plan in order to boost organ donor rates and transplantation education in these communities.

The high school and College/University student population is of particular interest to us. We ran insertion campaigns with both the University of BC (UBC) and the BC Institute of Technology (BCIT). Our brochures and registration cards will appear in all UBC Undergraduate and Graduate registration guides this Fall as well as in all BCIT Student Handbooks. This in combination with some targeted advertising and publicity on the campuses will act as a test pilot for this particular market. A comprehensive campaign scheduled for this year will see us running campaigns at most Colleges and Universities throughout the province.

In regard to the high school population, the BCTS has been working with the David Foster Foundation and the Ministry of Education to have Creating More Tomorrows (a video and workbook on organ donation) introduced into the school curriculum. During Organ Donor Awareness week we made numerous presentations to student bodies throughout the Lower Mainland with positive results. Although we have a lot of work to do in this area we are committed to reaching this important demographic group.

We recently formed a partnership with the members of the BC Medical Association (BCMA) to have our brochures and registration cards available at all doctors’ offices throughout BC. The BCMA has made their membership list available to us and has asked all doctors to help in the education of the organ donation process. We are hopeful that this means of distribution will make registration cards even more accessible and will provide people with an additional resource for information.

Over the past eight months we have made a significant investment in the distribution and promotion of the organ donor registry and all aspects of organ donation. We have had newspaper inserts through all the regional daily papers in April, the Vancouver Sun and Province newspapers in July and through the community newspapers in November. We have been doing some advertising through Global Television to further promote that "Your Driver’s License Decal is No Longer Enough" and we are pleased with the results. Following the Vancouver Sun and Province insertion our daily registration increased from an average of 350 per day to 2,500 per day and we are now trying to maintain that momentum.

Corporate partnerships have been developed with our brochures and registration cards now available at the following outlets: London Drugs, VanCity, Overwaitea/Save-ON Foods pharmacies, ICBC Driver Service Centres (and soon to be Claims Centres), and very shortly all BC Pharmacy Association Members and BC Medical Association Members.

In April, we redesigned our web site, which is proving very successful. Our average visits have increased from 800 per month to over 2,500.

The Communications Department is also developing a new volunteer and speaker’s bureau program. These two programs will play an integral role in the promotion of organ donor awareness in the months and years to come. We will be hosting a retreat for volunteers throughout the province in October. Here, volunteers of both the Kidney Foundation and the BCTS will learn important information regarding organ donation and new techniques to better communicate with all audiences.

Through our external newsletter, "Transplant Times" and our internal newsletter "The Organizer" our department is committed to sharing valuable information. These two publications are critical to the ongoing lines of communication we have with both our patients and staff.

Our media relations program is very successful, as we have been receiving an increased amount of media coverage over the last ten months. This news coverage is due in no small part to the cutting edge initiatives the BCTS has involved itself in. Through the ODR, Universal Referral and Training, and our Living Donor Program BCTS remains newsworthy. It is through the promotion of these programs and the further education of all British Columbians regarding these programs that we hope to improve our organ donor rates.

A more comprehensive donor program is also currently underway. In conjunction with the Retrieval Team, the Communications Department is working on our Annual Organ Donor Medal Ceremony and the establishment of a new donor support system here in BC.

There is no doubt we have our work cut out for us, but what rewarding work it is. There is no greater satisfaction then knowing that you are helping to promote the "Gift of Life". Get involved – our volunteer program needs you. To find out more please call us at 1-800-663-6189 or locally at 877-2100.

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Earlier this year, the B.C. Transplant Society embarked on a quality process that saw the Society awarded with a site visit from the National Quality Institute (NQI). "It is uncommon for organizations to be awarded site visits, and unheard of to receive one on a first try," says Bill Barrable, B.C. Transplant CEO." It was an honour, and speaks well of the quality of our staff, and the volunteers that make this organization run."

Prior to getting a site visit, the BCTS had to evaluate itself and the quality of its programs. Once that was completed, a quality report was sent to the NQI, who then evaluated it. The Society scored well enough for a quality team to visit the Transplant Society, so they could judge first-hand the quality of the organization. The two-day visit consisted of a half-day session with the Society’s management team, concluding with a full-day at the Society’s offices observing and meeting with staff.

The quality team is reviewing their findings and is scheduled to deliver its report by the beginning of September

"There was only one other organization in BC that qulaified for a site visit this year," says Barrable. "We want to ensure that the B.C. Transplant Society is doing everything it can to serve its patients well."

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