Winter 2010 - The Kidney Foundation of Canada

Living Donor Transplant
Kidney-Link
Volume 22 • No. 3 • Winter 2010-2011
The Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation of
Canada (KFoC) would like to thank all its volunteers
for their generosity and their continuous commitment and dedication to people living with kidney
disease. In addition to being volunteers, they are
the Foundation’s cornerstone, as they provide the
means for the Foundation to carry out its mission.
Fleurette Bilodeau,
An Extraordinary
Volunteer
Fleurette taking
part in the Kidney
Walk in Montreal
on May 16, 2010
Eighty-year-old Fleurette
Bilodeau is still a woman
of action with a big
heart. She is well known
in Longueuil, where she
has raised over $60,000
since 2003 for the Summer Camp for Dialysis
and Transplant Children,
which is run by the Quebec
Branch of the Kidney Foundation of Canada, by canvassing her neighbours and friends
in both Longueuil and her native
Lac-Saint-Jean.
Moved by the story of a young man
who made a public appeal on television for a kidney transplant, Fleurette
decided to volunteer with The Kidney
Foundation of Canada and contribute
in her own way to improving the
daily lives of kidney patients.
Important news about Bill no. 125:
An Act to facilitate organ and
tissue donation ................................................... 8
The 2011 Kidney Walk .................................................. 3
Interviews with Volunteers ................................. 4 and 5
ht ism
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ot te
Sp lun
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on
Your Health
Quebec Branch Newsletter
In this special issue of Kidney-Link, we highlight
volunteers’ outstanding contributions to the fight
against kidney disease.
We will introduce you to some of the volunteers who
work tirelessly, each in their own special way, in the
Foundation’s various Quebec chapters to improve the
quality of life of people living with kidney disease.
But this wasn’t Fleurette’s first volunteer endeavour.
Every year for the past 40 years, she has organized a
Christmas dinner for the elderly, people with disabilities,
shut-ins and people in need. Thanks to her efforts, on
December 11, 2010, more than 350 people enjoyed a
wonderful Christmas dinner.
As far as volunteers go, Fleurette is a real dynamo. In addition to working with seniors, people with disabilities
and The Kidney Foundation of Canada, she lends an open
ear to young people in difficulty, at all hours of the day
and night.
The high point of Fleurette’s volunteer career came in
1985, when Reader’s Digest profiled her in an article that
would be translated into 17 languages.
When Fleurette turned 73, fellow volunteers began to
worry about her health and suggested that she stop
fundraising. But for this woman who just can’t sit still,
throwing in the towel was out of the question.
At 80 years young, Fleurette Bilodeau still isn’t ready to
pack it in and plans to keep helping others, something she
has done so well for over four decades now. Thank you,
Fleurette, for your tremendous dedication.
Interviews with volunteers continued on page 4.
Organ Donation ........................................................... 6
Patient Services ........................................................... 9
News from the Chapters ............................................ 10
Research .................................................................... 13
Bulletin Board ............................................................ 14
The foundation of kidney care
The personal information you
have provided is used only to
send you this newsletter. To stop
receiving it, please e-mail us at
infoquebec@kidney.ca or call us
at 514-938-4515.
Readers: You can help enrich our
newsletter by sharing your experiences with kidney disease or
transplants. Please send a text of
no more than 300 words, along
with a high-resolution photo, to
infoquebec@kidney.ca.
COORDINATION AND WRITING
Antoine Ardiley
GRAPHICS AND PUBLISHING
Ardecom
PRODUC TION Ardecom
CONTAC T US:
The Kidney Foundation of
Canada – Quebec Branch
2300 René-Lévesque Blvd West,
Montreal, QC H3H 2R5
TELEPHONE 514-938-4515
or 1-800-565-4515
FAX 514-938-4757
E-MAIL infoquebec@kidney.ca
Circulation: 10,000 copies
The Kidney-Link newsletter and
Your Health insert are published
three times a year by the Quebec
Branch of The Kidney Foundation
of Canada. Distributed in English
and French to all people suffering
from kidney failure, these publications provide valuable information on the Foundation’s services
and activities, including the latest
findings on kidney disease and
organ donation.
The opinions expressed in Kidney-Link and Your Health do not
necessarily reflect those of the
Quebec Branch of The Kidney
Foundation of Canada, its directors, employees or members.
Moving? Please let us know at
infoquebec@kidney.ca.
Articles may be reproduced provided that the source is quoted.
2
Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011
A word from the Executive Director
Organ donation: The Kidney Foundation of Canada,
an important player in the adoption of new
government measures
A kidney transplant can radically improve
the life of someone with kidney failure.
About 80% of people on the province’s
organ transplant list are awaiting a kidney.
That’s why promoting organ donation is
an integral part of The Kidney Foundation
of Canada’s mission. The Quebec Branch of
The Kidney Foundation of Canada created
an Organ and Tissue Donation Committee
years ago to raise public awareness about
organ donation, and to call on governments
to implement measures that would facilitate organ donation from living or deceased donors.
November 11, 2010, marked a major milestone for people awaiting a transplant, for
the Foundation and, more particularly, for
the Organ and Tissue Donation Committee.
Dr. Yves Bolduc, Quebec’s Minister of Health
and Social Services, announced a series of
measures, two of which were introduced by
our organization.
Health Minister agrees to two of The
Kidney Foundation of Canada’s requests
The minister announced that, from now
on, the Quebec government would participate in the Canadian Living Donor
Paired Exchange Registry. Participating in
a complex, Canada-wide, paired living
donor and recipient system will increase
transplant opportunities when
no compatible related donor
kidney can be located.
The Government of Quebec
will also establish a living
donor expense reimbursement
program. Anyone who donates
an organ will be reimbursed
for certain expenses, such as
travel, meals, accommodation and loss of
employment income, a measure sure to
limit the potential drawbacks of giving so
selflessly.
Two other praiseworthy measures:
Minister Bolduc has also announced that
Quebec’s labour laws will be amended in
order to protect the living donor’s employment following the operation. Since the bill
was adopted, a leave of absence for organ
donation is considered sick leave.
Lastly, with the new Act to facilitate organ
and tissue donation, the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) has a
mandate to develop a provincial registry for
organ donations at the time of death. As a
result, in addition to signing the back of
their health insurance card, people who
wish to donate their organs upon their
death can add their name to the registry.
Upon the donor’s death, health professionals
will refer to the registry to ascertain the
deceased donor’s final wishes.
On behalf of the Quebec Branch of The
Kidney Foundation of Canada and the
more than 900 Quebecers awaiting a
kidney transplant,* I extend my thanks to
Minister Bolduc for all the measures that
have been taken. I would also like to thank
the Foundation’s volunteers
and employees who, under
the leadership of Dr. Michel
Pâquet, introduced some of
these measures.
Together we can make a difference
Martin Munger
* As of December 31, 2009.
Source: Québec-Transplant
The Kidney Walk
The 2010 Kidney Walk attracted more than 1,000 people
and raised $130,000.
Did you know that in 2009, 14,700 Quebecers were
either diagnosed with or treated for kidney failure?
Help The Kidney Foundation of Canada set new records
by joining us on Sunday, May 15, 2011, to promote organ
donation and help people suffering from kidney disease.
Of those people:
• 6,400 use the services of a renal protection clinic
(pre-dialysis)
• 4,600 are on dialysis
• 3,700 have received transplants
This year, the Outaouais Chapter will join the five other
chapters participating simultaneously in the Kidney Walk.
The Kidney Walk will take place in the Eastern Townships,
the Mauricie, Montreal, the Outaouais, Quebec City, and
Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean. The fundraiser seeks to help finance research and raise public awareness about kidney
disease and the importance of organ donation.
It’s a perfect opportunity for dialysis patients, transplant
recipients, donors’ families, living donors, the medical
community and the general public to support the advancement of renal health and organ donation.
“Beyond saving lives, organ donation also improves the
lives of the friends and family of transplant recipients,”
said Louis Charest, President of the Montréal-Métropolitain Chapter of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, and father of 10-year-old Pénélope, who is alive and thriving
today thanks to an anonymous donor.
Organ donation needs have risen sharply due to the rapid
increase (about 10% per year) in the number of people
living with kidney disease. The shortage of transplantable
organs is a harsh reality for thousands of people in
Canada. As of December 31, 2009, 1,200 Quebecers were
on a waiting list for an organ transplant, 941 (78%) of
whom were waiting for a kidney.
For more information, and
to register online, please visit
www.kidney.ca/kidneywalk
REGISTER ONLINE TODAY
You may also mail or fax us the registration form.
Please print.
Tear off and mail your registration form in a sufficiently
stamped envelope, or fax it to:
The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch
2300 René-Lévesque Blvd West, Montreal, QC H3H 2R5
Fax: 514-938-4757
In which region would you like to walk?
Eastern Townships Mauricie Montreal Outaouais
Quebec City Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean
For more information about the Foundation, please call us
at 1-800-565-4515.
• www.kidney.ca/kidneywalk
First name
Last name
Address
City/Postal code
Telephone
E-mail address
Mobile phone
Employer
Relationship to the disease
Team name
Team leader
Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011
Your donation goes a long way at The Kidney Foundation
3
Profiles of volunteers who promote the Founda
Dr. Martin Plaisance
Eastern Townships Chapter
Dr. Martin Plaisance has served
as a nephrologist at Sherbrooke
Hospital since 1999 and is an associate professor in the faculty of
medicine at Université de Sherbrooke.
“Some people I’ve met at the dialysis unit can’t get
around without a wheelchair. I’m incredibly lucky to be
fully independent and to be able to move around freely
despite the inconveniences this disease causes,” he said,
always looking on the bright side of life.
For a number of years now, Dr.
Plaisance has played a key role in
organizing the Eastern Townships
Chapter’s annual oyster party to
support the Foundation’s initiatives.
With the invaluable support of Lévi Trottier and 230
volunteers, Nelson Bellavance organizes the door-to-door
campaign for the Abitibi-Témiscamingue Chapter of The
Kidney Foundation of Canada every March, which raises
$50,000 a year.
Josée Parenteau, President of the Eastern Townships
Chapter, contacted Dr. Plaisance in early 2010 and asked
him to help organize that year’s event.
The Kidney Foundation of Canada is proud to have such
an exceptional volunteer at its side—so exceptional, in
fact, that in summer 2010, Nelson cycled an unbelievable
4,500 kilometres!
“Organizing a fundraiser takes a lot of time and dedication, but in the end, it’s very rewarding. We know that the
fruit of our labour goes directly to helping people living
with kidney failure,” said Dr. Plaisance.
Noëlla Gagné
Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean Chapter
Why is Dr. Plaisance so committed to the Foundation? Because it funds research. A number of his colleagues have
received grants from The Kidney Foundation of Canada,
and even though the benefits of research are often felt
only years later, research provides a real opportunity to
improve the lives of thousands of people living with kidney failure.
Nelson Bellavance
Abitibi-Témiscamingue Chapter
Kidney Foundation volunteer
Nelson Bellavance has been working actively for 10 years now and,
in 2003, he became president
of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Chapter.
4
four hours of dialysis, three times a week. After 12 years
on dialysis, not to mention 15 major operations since he
was 17, Nelson is still a powerhouse of energy.
Born with only one kidney, Nelson Bellavance has been living
with kidney failure since he was
17. In 1998, at the age of 50, Nelson was told that his single impaired kidney would not function properly without
Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011
Noëlla Gagné has been a Foundation volunteer since early 2007,
and in early 2009, she became the
president of the Saguenay/LacSaint-Jean Chapter.
After five years of dialysis treatments, she received a transplant
in May 2006. Noëlla Gagné has
always been a fighter. After retiring at age 45, she wanted to get
involved and give of her time to help improve the lives of
the dialysis patients she came to know so well and, above
all, to promote research into kidney disease.
“Volunteering makes me feel useful, and to be honest,
it just makes me feel good about myself. So offering my
services to the Foundation just came naturally,” she said.
Teaming up with Nathalie Saulnier and a few other volunteers, Noëlla Gagné organizes a number of events. The
second Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean Chapter Kidney Walk was
held on May 16, 2010, and was attended by Dr. Bélisle,
whose role as Foundation spokesman has helped mobilize
many of the region’s nephrologists.
We're behind you all the way
ation
Noëlla also organizes a number of Coffee Club Meetings
for patients with kidney failure. “During these laid-back
gatherings, patients can listen to professionals giving advice on concrete matters, such as tax credits for people
with kidney failure. These events really help people lead
better lives,” she adds.
Nicole Therriault
Outaouais Chapter
Nicole Therriault has been an
organ and tissue donation resource nurse at Hull Hospital
(CSSS de Gatineau) since 2003.
Her role is to provide the help
specifically requested by patients
and their families, and to support
them through the decision-making process. Once they’ve made
an informed decision, she provides them with psychological
and moral support, as well as a
physical presence.
After being contacted by The Kidney Foundation of
Canada in 2004, she became the Outaouais Chapter’s
organ and tissue donation specialist. Ever since, she has
been a member of the committee tasked with raising
public awareness about organ and tissue donations.
In addition to educating dialysis nurses at Hull Hospital
about organ donations, she is also a fully committed
volunteer in the chapter’s various activities.
“Since 2004, we’ve been organizing a golf tournament
that raises $20,000 each year for people with kidney
failure,” said Nicole Therriault.
This year, for the very first time, the Outaouais Chapter
will host its own Kidney Walk on May 15. The chapter also
recently began organizing Coffee Club Meetings designed
to inform people living with kidney failure about measures
they can take to improve their day-to-day lives.
“We’re delighted that new activities are being organized
for this chapter of the Foundation, because we need to
raise public awareness about organ donations and
change people’s attitudes,” notes Therriault, who sees
the recent arrival of a new head for the Outaouais
Chapter as a good thing.
Louis Charest
Montréal-Métropolitain Chapter
June 28, 2004, will forever be
etched in Louis Charest’s mind.
That day, after three difficult
years of dialysis, Louis’s fouryear-old daughter Pénélope had
a kidney transplant, bringing
hope that she would finally be
able to live a normal life, just like
other kids her age.
Fully aware of the new lease on
life this transplant had given his
daughter, Louis wanted to devote himself to sensitizing
the public to the realities of kidney disease and the importance of organ donation.
In 2006, he took part in his first Kidney Foundation of
Canada event. Thanks to Louis Mousseau, then-president
of the Montréal-Métropolitain Chapter, Louis Charest
joined the board of directors in 2007.
That May, he was put in charge of organizing the city’s
first Kidney Walk, which was held at Lafontaine Park and
raised $5,000. In 2009, Louis became president of the
Montréal-Métropolitain Chapter’s Kidney Walk Committee. The 2010 Kidney Walk in Montreal got 600 people
moving and raised over $80,000 for people living with
kidney disease and for research.
“The Kidney Walk is a unique occasion for the Foundation to focus the spotlight on the crucial role our kidneys
play in our body, and on the importance of keeping them
healthy. It’s also an ideal opportunity to raise public
awareness about the need for organ donation,” said Louis
Charest, who will be doing his best to make the 2011
Kidney Walk the most successful yet.
Would you like to become a
Foundation volunteer and support
its work? Contact Joëlle Turck,
Director, Volunteer Resources,
at 514-938-4515, ext. 233.
The foundation of kidney care
Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011
5
Organ Donation
CODA Gala
On October 22, 2010, the Canadian Organ Donors Association’s traditional
donor recognition ceremony took place at Sherbrooke’s Saint-Michel
Cathedral. The Kidney Foundation of Canada would like to thank the
14 living donors honoured that day for having made a generous,
life-giving donation to a loved one.
Of course, we cannot fail to mention the 232 donors from
Quebec who received the posthumous honour of Health
Ambassador for having
handed down the most
precious inheritance
According to a 2008
of all, life itself.
Impact Recherche survey,
a huge gap still exists between
one’s willingness to donate organs
The Honourable
(9 out of 10 people) and actually
Pierre Duchesne,
signing
the organ donation section
Lieutenant Governor
on
the
back
of one’s health insurof Quebec, awarding
ance card (5 out of 10 people),
the Good Samaritan
Medal to Lyne Beaulieu,
which is why it’s vital to tell loved
who gave one of her kidneys
ones how important organ
to little Raphaëlle Gosselin
donation is to you.
(6½ years old).
“Gift of Life” Humanitarian Award
2011 “GIFT OF LIFE” HUMANITARIAN AWARD NOMINATION PERIOD
The “Gift of Life” Humanitarian Award was created to
recognize and express gratitude to businesses that, through
their humanitarian work, have in some way facilitated
kidney transplants or donation for one or more of their
employees. The award seeks to raise awareness among
Quebec businesses about the importance of supporting
their employees during the kidney donation or transplant
process.
For instance, did your employer provide support by
continuing to pay your salary while you were on leave to
either give or receive a kidney, or allow you to take leave
6
Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011
to attend medical exams? If so, and if you would like to
express your gratitude publicly, nominate your employer
today by sending in a duly completed nomination form.
You can obtain a form:
•
•
•
From the Foundation’s Web site
(www.kidney.ca/quebec) under “Organ Donation”
From an employee at your nearest transplant centre
By calling 514-398-4515
Together we can make a difference
Organ Donation
Respecting their last wishes is about
respecting life
By Simon Brodeur, member of the board of the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada
Just about every day, the
media reports on tragic accidents and events that cost
people their lives. Without
warning, people’s precious
lives are taken away. It can
happen to any of us, and
there’s little we can do about
it. Families are always greatly
affected by the loss of a loved
one. And one of the hardest
parts comes when the family
is told that the doctors can’t
do anything more, and that it’s
time to say goodbye.
Last Remembrance Day, Quebec Health Minister
Yves Bolduc announced important measures that
would facilitate organ donation, including the
creation of a donation consent registry. For that, I
would like to congratulate him. Unfortunately, this
kind of news rarely makes headlines. We mustn’t
forget that the list of patients awaiting an organ
donation grows longer every year, not because of
the lack of surgical space in our hospitals, but because of a lack of available organs. The list is now
1,200 potential transplant patients long; 78% of
them are awaiting a kidney, and until they get one,
each patient’s dialysis costs the healthcare system
$40,000 a year. In this case, the lack of available
organs can’t be blamed on the health minister or
the healthcare system. It’s our own doing.
Over the past few years, a multitude of public
awareness campaigns have attempted to make
people realize the importance of organ donation. Thankfully, each year more people are affixing a sticker on the back of their health
insurance card, thereby informing others that,
after thoroughly considering the matter, they
want to donate their organs upon their death in
an ultimate act of generosity.
Did you know that a single donor can save a number of lives, the lives of people in need of a heart,
a kidney, lungs, a liver, a pancreas, intestines and
more? Did you know that nearly one out of three
families refuses to donate a loved one’s organs
upon his or her death,1 even when that loved one
had clearly consented to it after giving it serious
thought and affixing a sticker to that affect on the
back of his or her health insurance card? What
moral right do any of us have to refuse to respect
our loved one’s explicitly expressed last wishes?
On what arguments do we base our refusal to acknowledge that one life lost can mean many lives
saved? When the doctor gives you the heartbreaking news that there’s no more hope, there’s still
one more difficult but precious step you can take:
you need to agree to organ donation. This one act
can save the lives not only of future transplant recipients, but also of their immediate families, because they too are desperately awaiting a better
life. Unless and until the day when explicit consent
to organ donation acquires the force of law as it
has in other countries, we must recognize the vital
importance of organ donation, life’s ultimate gift.
If you have consented to organ donation by affixing the appropriate sticker on the back of
your health insurance card, I highly encourage
you to speak with your family to remind them
that, should the unthinkable ever happen, you
would like them to honour your last wishes. It’s
a moral issue that’s really about having deep
respect for life.
Simon Brodeur
1 Source: “Approaching families for organ donation - the Quebec experience,” Québec-Transplant 2006
Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011
7
Organ Donation
An Act to facilitate organ and tissue donation
On December 8, 2010, Quebec’s National Assembly
adopted the Act to facilitate organ and tissue donation. This unprecedented law is extremely important
to The Kidney Foundation of Canada, which has been
a fervent proponent of organ donation for many
years, particularly as kidney transplants account for
75% of the transplants carried out in Quebec each
year. This law covers four measures designed to
promote organ donation:
1 - Organ donation consent following
death and verification
Consent for organ donation upon death can now be
given in three different ways:
By signing up with the Régie de l’assurance maladie
du Québec (RAMQ) consent registry for post-mortem organ and tissue removal (new);
2 – The Canadian Living Donor Paired
Exchange (LDPE) Registry
Quebec’s participation in the Canada-wide Living
Donor Paired Exchange (LDPE) Registry will enable
patients and willing but incompatible donors to agree
to an exchange in order to find compatible pairs.
Once listed in the LDPE registry, people awaiting a
kidney transplant will greatly improve their odds of
finding a compatible living donor. Moreover, the
lifespan of the transplanted organ is longer (18 years
on average) when it comes from a living donor.
By registering with the Chambre des notaires du
Québec;
3 - Living Donor Expense
Reimbursement Program
By signing and affixing an organ donation sticker on
the back of one’s health insurance card.
Living donors often need to travel to undergo
medical exams, miss a few weeks of work and
incur other expenses. As a result, their altruistic act
can have a major financial impact. Thanks to this
program, donors will be entitled to reimbursements
of up to $5,715 to cover lost revenue and certain
expenses, including travel, accommodation, meals
and parking.
As a complement to the other sources of proof that
a deceased person, or someone whose death is imminent, has consented to organ donation—informed
family members, the sticker on the back of the
RAMQ card and the registry held by the Chambre
des notaires — the RAMQ registry will allow hospital staff to check quickly, via an accredited intermediary organization, whether that person is listed
in the registry and has signed an organ and tissue
donation consent form. It will also make it easier for
families to carry out their loved one’s last wishes;
this is particularly important considering that one
of the leading factors for families’ refusal to consent
to organ donation is that they are unaware of their
loved one’s wishes.
8
The healthcare facility will thus be better able to
carry out its mission of identifying potential donors,
which is a key factor in increasing the number of
transplants.
Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011
4 – Changes to Quebec’s Labour
Standards
The Act to facilitate organ and tissue donation also
modified the province’s labour standards in order
to protect donors’ employment and to make any
absence required by the act of donating considered
as sick/accident leave. These legislative changes
should further encourage people to donate organs.
We're behind you all the way
Your
Health
The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Quebec Branch
Volume 22 • No. 3 • Winter 2010-2011
Living Donor Transplants
People with severe kidney failure usually suffer a slow but progressive deterioration in
their kidney’s ability to filter blood. When patients’ kidney’s filtration capacity hits a critical low—between 10% to 15% of normal—they
must undergo a blood purification procedure
to avoid the serious complications that can
endanger their lives. Three options exist, each
with its own advantages and potential complications: hemodialysis (usually three treatments a week at the hospital), peritoneal
dialysis (at home) or a kidney transplant.
A kidney transplant provides the greatest
benefit in comparison to the two other blood
purification techniques: better quality of life,
more freedom to engage in daily activities and
travel, better overall state of health, as well as
a longer life. Unfortunately, getting a transplant
is not always easy. First of all, the potential
recipient must undergo a complete medical
workup to ensure that the transplant can be
carried out safely. The required exams and
time involved can vary significantly depending
on the recipient—anywhere from a few weeks
to several months. Once the workup is done,
the patient is placed on the waiting list for a
kidney from a deceased donor. Although
Quebec has consistently maintained Canada’s
highest post-mortem donor rate year after
year, far from the required number of kidneys
can be found for all those people awaiting a
transplant. Currently, over 900 Quebecers are
waiting for a kidney, and only 450 transplants
are performed each year. What’s more, the
number of new patients on the waiting list
each year outpaces the number of transplants
performed, leading to more people remaining
on the ever-growing list. Moreover, the average
waiting time for a kidney transplant (in cases
of kidneys from deceased donors) is currently
around two years, a timeframe that is also
on the rise. To help offset the increasing
organ shortage, a number of measures are
being taken to raise awareness about the
problem among the general public and health
professionals, with the ultimate goal of
increasing the number of donors.
This issue of Your Health was made possible through the financial support of
YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2010-2011
1
Your Health
2
Comparison between living
and post-mortem donation
Prerequisites for a living
donation
Kidney transplants can be done through living
donors, an option that has a number of benefits over transplants from deceased donors.
For one, this is the only way to provide a
transplant quickly while ensuring the safety of
both donor and recipient. Transplanting a kidney from a living donor brings together all the
best conditions possible. Success rates are
higher than those obtained when transplanting
a kidney from a deceased donor: better kidney
function, fewer post-operative complications,
lower rejection rate and a significantly higher
average lifespan for the transplanted kidney—
18 to 20 years, compared with 12 years when
the kidney comes from a deceased donor. Faster
access to a transplant, when a living donor is
available, is beneficial not only because the time
spent on dialysis can be reduced, but also, and
more importantly, because the total duration
of dialysis treatments can have a marked
influence on transplant success, if the transplant
takes place at all. When the total time on
dialysis is reduced by as few as six months,
rejection rates decline, the lifespan of the
transplanted kidney increases, fewer cardiovascular complications arise in the years
following the transplant, and the recipient’s
lifespan increases. However, it is important to
note that the number of living donor kidney
transplants in Quebec today is too low. In fact,
only one in five kidney transplants involves a
living donor, whereas in the other Canadian
provinces, the rate is one in two.
A living donor transplant can take place only if a
number of conditions are met. To begin with,
someone interested in donating a kidney to a loved
one must personally and directly contact a transplant centre. This person will then be informed of
the benefits to the recipient, the other options
available to the recipient (dialysis, transplant
from a deceased donor), and the potential risks
of donating a kidney. Next, the transplant team
has to ensure that the donor is in good physical
and psychological health, and that the decision
to donate a kidney is a well-informed one being
made of one’s own free will. This typically entails a number of meetings with members of the
transplant team, as well as several exams. This
assessment usually takes under two months, but
may also take considerably longer.
YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2010-2011
The total time the kidney donor has to spend in
hospital is typically less than a week, and the
donor can get back to his or her regular routine, including work, around six weeks after the
leave began. Donating a kidney is very safe as
long as all the above criteria are met. The risk
of complications is extremely low, and for the
donor, it’s business as usual without restrictions. Of course, like everyone, the donor
should maintain a healthy lifestyle, which
includes maintaining an appropriate weight,
eating right, exercising regularly and not smoking.
The transplant team conducts annual followups on people who have donated a kidney in
order to quickly and effectively deal with any
Your Health
medical problems that could potentially arise as
a result of such an operation.
First transplant from a living
donor
The experience gained from the past 50 years
or more has shown that people who donate a
kidney do not have shorter lives than those
who still have two kidneys, and are at no greater
risk of developing kidney failure or one day
requiring dialysis. The very first kidney transplant involving a living donor took place in
Boston in 1954. In fact, that donor attended
the 2004 celebration highlighting the 50th anniversary of this medical milestone.
A is able to donate to recipient Y, and that donor
X can donate to recipient B. When the blood
types and test results indicate that these two
“crossed” transplants are compatible, we refer
to it as a Living Donor Paired Exchange (LDPE).
The Canadian Living Donor Paired
Exchange (LDPE) Registry
In order for both transplants to be successful,
the surgeries on both donors take place at the
same time, and both transplants immediately
follow the removal of the donated kidneys. To
maximize the odds of finding donor-recipient
pairs to take part in such an exchange, a large
number of incompatible donor-recipient pairs
need to be identified. A Canada-wide registry
was created in April 2009, but it was not until
Living Donor Paired Exchange
December 2010 that Quebec signed on. To
To ensure the success of a living donor trans- date, five provinces have registered patients,
plant, the donor’s and recipient’s blood types which has led to a number of transplants that
need to be compatible. Specific laboratory would not otherwise have been possible.
tests are also carried out prior to the transplant procedure to make sure that the reci- Living Donor Compensation
pient’s blood does not react negatively to the Program
donor’s cells. In cases where the donor and
recipient are deemed incompatible, the risk of Although all costs involved in evaluating potenrejection becomes too high to attempt the tial donors (many exams and medical appointtransplant. However, one recent approach has ments) as well as surgical and hospitalization
managed to overcome this particular obstacle. fees are currently covered by Quebec’s public
health insurance plan (RAMQ), it was not until
Let’s look at an example. Donor A wants to do- December 2010 that the Act to facilitate organ
nate a kidney to recipient B, but the tests show and tissue donation was adopted, adding covthat their blood types are incompatible. It is pos- erage of a number of other expenses associated
sible that another donor-recipient pair (donor X with donating: travel, accommodation and
and recipient Y) are also incompatible for the meals, as well as, in some cases, loss of revenue
same reason. However, it is possible that donor during the hospitalization and convalescence
YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2010-2011
3
Your Health
periods. Donors can therefore be reimbursed been taken in this respect by The Kidney Founfor expenses up to $5,715.
dation of Canada, which plays a key role in
raising awareness among the general public,
The implementation of this expense reimburse- patients, health professionals and government
ment program for living donors is a way to re- representatives so that more kidney patients
ward acts of altruism by generous people who in Quebec can benefit from this preferred
wish to donate a kidney to help a loved one. It treatment.
is important to recognize that this is not a matter of paying someone to donate a kidney; it is Michel R. Pâquet*
a question of reimbursing the donor for ex- Nephrologist, Montreal’s Notre-Dame Hospital
penses incurred during the donation process. Chairman of The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s
Provincial Organ Donation Committee
In short, living donor kidney transplants are
currently the best treatment for people living * Text written in September 2009 and upwith severe kidney disease. In Quebec, the dated in January 2011 following the Quenumber of kidney transplants occurring thanks bec National Assembly’s adoption of the
to living donors is much higher than in other Act to facilitate organ and tissue donation on
Canadian provinces. Many measures have December 8, 2010.
4
YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2010-2011
PATIENT
Income tax
Did you know that people living with kidney failure are entitled to tax credits? To find out more, refer to the Web
sites of the Canada Revenue Agency (www.cra-arc.gc.ca)
and Revenu Québec (www.revenu.gouv.qc.ca). You may
also obtain the required forms and get advice from the
Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s programs director.
Pagers
Get a free pager! Bell Mobility offers people awaiting a kidney transplant a free pager for a renewable one-year period.
Ask the Foundation’s programs director for the appropriate
forms; her particulars are listed opposite.
Note that in order to renew your subscription, you will need
to complete a new registration form at the end of the 12month period.
Services
To receive documentation and information
about the programs offered by the Quebec
Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada,
refer to the “Patient Programs and Support”
and “Organ Donation” sections of our Web site
at www.kidney.ca/quebec, or contact:
Hélène Boisvert, Programs Director
The Kidney Foundation of Canada
– Quebec Branch
2300 René-Lévesque Blvd West
Montreal, Quebec H3H 2R5
Tel.: 514-938-4515, ext. 224,
or 1-800-565-4515
E-mail: helene.boisvert@kidney.ca
Prevention
Mauricie Chapter hosts symposium
on kidney failure prevention
The symposium on kidney failure prevention organized by
The Kidney Foundation of Canada was held on October 22,
2010, in Quebec’s Mauricie region and was attended by
80 people. Aimed at health professionals (general practitioners, nurses, dieticians, pharmacists and hospital administrators from the Mauricie region), local community
health centres (CLSCs), nursing homes (CHSLDs), private
clinics and medical centres, as well as representatives of
the Agence de santé et de services sociaux de la Mauricie,
the symposium’s main objective was to raise awareness
about the realities of chronic kidney failure.
However, the symposium had many specific objectives,
including to:
• Give participants a sense of the realities of chronic kidney disease in Quebec.
• Demonstrate the importance of prevention when it
comes to chronic kidney failure.
• Inform participants about kidney failure’s impact on patients, society and the economy.
• Inform participants about the risk factors leading to
chronic kidney failure.
• Inform participants about the medical means to prevent
chronic kidney failure (prevention).
• Inform participants about the means used to recognize
and treat the medical complications of chronic kidney
failure.
• Inform participants about the right time to direct a patient toward kidney substitution treatments (dialysis
and kidney transplant).
This event was made possible thanks to the hard work of
the following Organizing Committee members:
Chairman:
• Dr. Pierre Nantel, Nephrologist, Sorel-Tracy’s Hôtel-Dieu
Hospital
Members:
• Dr. Pierre Cartier, Nephrologist, Saint-Jérôme Hospital
• Louise Corneille, Nephrologist, Centre hospitalier
ambulatoire régional de Laval (CHARL), Laval’s Citéde-la-Santé Hospital
Thanks to our sponsors: Ortho-Biotech, Bristol-Myers
Squibb Canada, Sanofi Aventis and Shire.
The foundation of kidney care
Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011
9
News from the Chapters
Quebec City
Christmas Party
The Kidney Foundation of Canada hosted a breakfast for
kidney failure patients at Hôtel Québec, where more than
200 people enjoyed music and received door prizes.
That day, at the same time, a party for dialysis patients
was held at Quebec City's Hôtel-Dieu Hospital.
Left to right: Gaétan Rhéaume, President of the
Quebec City Chapter; Marcel Bédard, Outgoing
President of the Quebec City Chapter; Pierre de
Beaumont, Vice-president of Communications
for the Quebec City Chapter.
Saguenay/
Lac-Saint-Jean
Christmas dinner
The traditional Christmas dinner for kidney failure patients took place on December 20 at Chicoutimi Hospital, where some 180 people including patients, staff,
doctors, nurses and dietitians shared great holiday food
and warm moments.
Eastern Townships
Oyster party
The traditional oyster party in honour of Jean-Jacques
Bégin took place on October 8 at Sherbrooke’s Centre
Julien Ducharme, giving over 100 people an opportunity
to enjoy succulent oysters! Thanks to attendees’ generosity, the event raised nearly $10,000.
From the left: Martin Munger, Executive Director
of the Quebec Branch; Josée Parenteau, Eastern
Townships Chapter President and Oyster Party
Coordinator; Dr. Martin Plaisance, Nephrologist
and Organizing Committee member.
10
Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011
Together we can make a difference
Montréal-Métropolitain
FOUNDER’S AWARD CAMPAIGN
Seventeen kidney transplant athletes receive the 2010 Founder’s Award
Held on November 24, 2010, The Kidney
Foundation of Canada’s 20th annual Founder’s Award Gala was a tremendous success. At the event, 17 kidney transplant
athletes who participated in the 2010
Canadian Transplant Games were given the
Founder’s Award.
The Gala brought to a close the 2010
Founder’s Award Campaign, which had
been chaired by Luciano D’Ignazio, CA,
of Schwartz Levitsky Feldman LLP, and
Honorary Chairman Tony Loffreda, CPA,
Regional Vice-president, Western Quebec
& Place Ville-Marie, RBC Royal Bank.
Thanks to their invaluable participation and
dedication, as well as that of Founder’s
Award Campaign Committee members, the
event raised over $800,000, bringing the
campaign’s 20-year fundraising total to
over $14 million.
“Organ donation is the ultimate act of
generosity, a true gift of life. We thought it
was important to honour these 17 remarkable people during our 20th annual Gala.
They are living proof of what this gift of life
can truly accomplish,” said Mr. Loffreda,
Honorary Chairman of the Founder’s Award
Campaign.
Front (left to right): Tony Loffreda, Honorary Founder’s Award
Campaign Chairman, Nadine Ogonowski, Lloyd Mangahas, Rosa
Shields, Carmen Boudreau, Luciano D’Ignazio, Founder’s Award
Campaign Chairman. Middle (left to right): Jean-Christophe Nicolas,
Lise Plamondon Guay, Riitta Kaarre, Elizabeth Ingram, Laureen
Bureau. Back (left to right): Sarah Ferron, Sébastien Larochelle,
Jonathan Émond, Gordon Denison, Guy Peterson.
This year’s Gala is proof that life really can be prolonged
through organ donation, and in this particular case,
through kidney donation. Every year, hundreds of Quebecers
watch their health deteriorate due to kidney disease.
Because they don’t have the opportunity to receive a
transplant, they need medical care to stay alive. Initiatives like the Gala are essential, because they support
research that will one day find a cure for kidney disease
and help everyone living with it today,” said Mr. D’Ignazio, Founder’s Award Campaign Chairman. As proud
contributors to the measures included in the Act to facilitate organ and tissue donation, which was recently
defended by Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc and
subsequently adopted into law, the Foundation took the
opportunity to honour these 17 kidney transplant
athletes and celebrate the new act.
Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011
Your donation goes a long way at The Kidney Foundation
11
News from the Chapters
Founder’s Award Campaign Golf Tournament
The 12th annual Founder’s Award Campaign Golf Tournament took
place under sunny skies at the Royal Montreal Golf Club on Île-Bizard
on September 20, 2010. The event, which could only be described as
a hole in one, raised $120,000 for the Foundation. We salute and extend our most heartfelt thanks to all the golfers and sponsors for their
immense generosity. Their ongoing support will help the Foundation
improve quality of life for people living with kidney disease.
Luciano D’Ignazio, Founder’s Award Campaign Chairman, and Tony
Loffreda, Founder’s Award Campaign Honorary Chairman.
Headliners’ Happy Hour
The Headliners’ Happy Hour (5@8 Têtes d’affiches) took place at the
Corona Theatre on November 17, 2010. This new concept, which was
launched by the Montréal-Métropolitain Chapter of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, seeks to shine the spotlight on young Montreal entrepreneurs who stand out in their respective fields. Over 90 people
took advantage of the warm and laid-back atmosphere of this all-new
event to mix, mingle and network with the evening’s five headliners.
By the end of the evening, the Foundation had raised over $4,000,
which will be used to improve the day-to-day lives of people suffering from kidney disease.
On the left, one of the headliners, Michael Charest, Human
Resources Partner at ADP Canada, and Michel Lamoureux,
Partner at Raymond Executive Search.
Soul of Hope Concert
On October 23, 2010, at St-Hyacinthe’s Hôtel des Seigneurs,
Pierre Lucien, a singer well known in the region, performed
a benefit soul music concert for The Kidney Foundation of
Canada before an audience of over 100 people.
“All proceeds from the event went to The Kidney Foundation
of Canada to help people with kidney disease. In fact, I’m
one of those people, and I have to undergo dialysis several
times a week, so it just made sense for me to try to make a
difference,” said Mr. Lucien.
12
Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011
We're behind you all the way
RESEARCH
The Kidney Foundation of Canada
awards its 2010 Medal of Excellence
to Dr. Kevin D. Burns
Dr. Kevin D. Burns stands out as a pioneer dedicated to
putting the fruits of his research to work for patients,
and as a clinical researcher who is committed to training
future scientists. For that reason, The Kidney Foundation
of Canada awarded him the 2010 Medal of Excellence in
Research.
Dr. Burns is the former president of the Canadian Society
of Nephrology and is currently directing the management
committee of the Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training Program (KRESCENT), a national basic sciences and clinical research program that he
had a lead role in launching. “After playing an active part
in creating the KRESCENT Program, Dr. Burns continues to
show incredible leadership and devotion in providing
young scientists with the best possible training so that
they’ll be in a position to develop innovative multidisciplinary research programs themselves,” said Dr. MarieJosée Hébert, who holds the Shire Chair in Nephrology
and Renal Transplantation and Regeneration at Université
de Montréal.
Dr. Burns’s work deals mainly with the function of the hormonal system in the kidneys that regulates blood pressure and fluid levels (renin-angiotensin system or RAS).
His laboratory recently made some discoveries about the
activity of an RAS enzyme called ACE2, which could provide protection against kidney disease. Dr. Burns is always
seeking to find practical applications for his research,
which could serve to help patients with kidney disease.
About Dr. Kevin D. Burns
After graduating from McGill University, Dr. Burns went
on to perform a research fellowship in the Division of
Nephrology at Tennessee’s Vanderbilt University before
returning to Canada, where he currently holds a large
number of high-profile positions. Dr. Burns is Professor
and Head of the Division of Nephrology at the University
of Ottawa and at the Ottawa Hospital, Director of the Kidney
Research Centre at the Ottawa Health Research Institute
of the Ottawa Hospital, not to mention Vice-president
of Research at the Department of Medicine at Ottawa
Hospital. Dr. Burns has 80 original publications to his
name, has had countless articles published in prestigious journals, and has either authored or co-authored
seven book chapters.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Kidney Foundation of Canada
was founded by a group of devoted
people who mobilized in 1964 after
realizing how little kidney research
was being done.
For the year extending from July 1,
2009, to June 30, 2010, the Foundation funded 61 projects in 27 centres, for a total of some $3 million.
Since it was created, The Kidney
Foundation of Canada has awarded
grants totalling nearly $100 million
to support a variety of research projects nationwide, and the financial
support it provides each year continues to increase.
The foundation of kidney care
Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011
13
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Chapter Volunteer Aw
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14
Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011
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Together we can make a difference
PROVINCIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS
handed out at the AGM
1.
ral
Annual Gene
Meeting
ranch
The Quebec B
Foundation
of The Kidney
hold its annual
of Canada will
g (AGM)
general meetin
d 29, 2011,
on May 28 an
tel Suite
at L’Escale Hô
in Val-d’Or.
no later than
Kindly register
y contacting
May 2, 2011, b
ud
Jocelyne Rena
15, ext. 230,
at 514-938-45
5-4515.
or at 1-800-56
BECOME
A MEMBER
OF THE
FOUNDATION
Complete the
form
on the back of
this
newsletter.
THANKS
FOR YOUR
SUPPORT
PRESIDENT’S AWARD
This award is given to an exceptional volunteer who has actively contributed to
the Foundation’s mission in an out-of-the-ordinary way.
2. MORTY TARDER AWARD
Young Montreal architect Morty Tarder died of complications brought on by
kidney failure. His family got together to create an organization to raise funds
for research that would lead to a better understanding of this disease.
The award is given to the chapter that has provided the Foundation with
exceptional support in all its activities.
3. COMMUNICATIONS AWARD
This award is given to a journalist, media representative or media organization in
recognition of efforts made to raise the public’s awareness of the Foundation.
4. FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT AWARD
This award is given to an individual, group or chapter whose efforts to help
the Foundation reach or surpass its non-corporate fundraising goals is deemed
extraordinary.
5. MICHEL PERRON AWARD
In April 1993, a week after receiving a kidney transplant, Michel Perron decided
to become a Foundation volunteer in order to help promote organ donation. His
commitment to the Foundation’s work, his contribution and his accomplishments
have made their mark on the Foundation. This award is given to a company that
makes a major financial contribution, by either donating directly or organizing a
campaign to benefit the Foundation.
6. JEAN-JACQUES BÉGIN AWARD
Jean-Jacques Bégin supported the Foundation and all its activities. He chaired a
number of patient services committees, and served as President of the Eastern
Townships Chapter and of the Quebec Branch from 1980 to 1982. His unremitting
work led to considerable improvements in patient services. This award is given
to an individual, group or chapter whose commitment to providing patients with
programs and services is deemed extraordinary.
7. ORGAN DONATION AWARD
This award is given to an individual or group whose outstanding commitment
to the Foundation’s programs and activities has helped promote organ and
tissue donation.
8. CHAPTER VOLUNTEER AWARD
This award is given to a volunteer whose efforts have constituted a remarkable
contribution to the growth and development of the chapter’s activities.
9. GIFT OF LIFE HUMANITARIAN AWARD
This award seeks to recognize an employer whose efforts facilitated the kidney
donation or transplant process for one or more of its employees.
Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011
Your donation goes a long way at The Kidney Foundation
15
The mission of The Kidney Foundation of Canada
The Kidney Foundation of Canada is the national volunteer organization committed to lessening
the burden of kidney disease through:
• funding and stimulating innovative research;
• providing education and support;
• promoting access to high quality healthcare; and
• increasing public awareness and commitment to advancing
kidney health and organ donation.
www.kidney.ca/quebec
Quebec Branch
2300 René-Lévesque Blvd West
Montreal, Quebec H3H 2R5
Tel.: 514-938-4515
1-800-565-4515
Fax: 514-938-4757
infoquebec@kidney.ca
2011
Become a member of The Kidney
Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch
• Receive the Kidney-Link and Your Health insert • Receive information on our activities
Name
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Please complete this form, detach it and mail it in the return envelope included with this newsletter. Thank you for affixing your own stamp.
Doing so helps us minimize costs and is considered an additional donation.
16
Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011
Your donation goes a long way at The Kidney Foundation