House pauses to acknowledge ‘godsend’ of organ donation, Ottawa, Canada

JANE TABER
Globe and Mail Update

From time to time in the House of Commons an MP will stand in his or her place and reveal something terribly personal about their life in an effort to inspire others. Tuesday was one of those times.

Edmonton Conservative MP Peter Goldring stood and delivered a statement that was very short in length but long in message and inspiration.

He told his colleagues – and all Canadians – the story of his older sister, Sue, whose life was forever changed through the generosity of a family that had just lost a loved one. In October, Sue, underwent a successful kidney transplant.

Mr. Goldring received a standing ovation from all sides of the chamber. His sister, however, missed the statement; she was busy at home in Whitby with other appointments.

“Mr. Speaker: Tremendous news from my sister, Suzanne Ross,” Mr. Goldring said as he read his statement. “A proud and accomplished person, she has for years been dialysing for hours daily, never complaining, always remaining upbeat.”

“A wonderful anonymous donor gave Sue a gift of freedom, of renewed life of normality, a kidney which allows her the fullness of daily being,” he said. “This gift, a godsend to my eternally grateful sister, is also a true blessing to her loved ones and friends who have silently prayed for this day of liberation for her.”

Mr. Goldring thanked donors and their families “who selflessly contribute this extraordinary gift, most often in moments of deep sadness.”

He added: “May this generosity, this giving of life renewal, be repeated many fold.”

A true character with an optimistic outlook on life, Ms. Ross, 68, talked to The Globe in an interview Tuesday night about her experience.

She had limited kidney function when the transplant occurred. She had been suffering from kidney disease for about 18 years and was undergoing four hours of dialysing a day, mostly at home. The portable procedure did allow some travel, however – she says she even did the treatment in her car while visiting the United States.

Mr. Goldring also suffers from some kidney issues so he was not a candidate for a match. Ms. Ross’s husband was a match but he had a stroke so there were fears his kidneys were scarred.

So, she decided to try for a “cadaveric” organ and one that was from someone around her same age. She explained that had she tried for a younger kidney, her wait would have been impossibly long.

On Oct. 6, she received the call. With little time to pack or prepare anything – she describes it all as “surreal” because she was expecting she had a lot more time before a kidney became available – Ms. Ross traveled from her Whitby home to St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto for the surgery. (She chose that hospital because it was where she was born.)

The kidney, she found out from doctors, was being flown in from Ottawa. “That’s where Peter lives so that is going to be a smart kidney,” she said.

Now all is well. With her energy back, Ms. Ross has managed to find many different ways to fill the four hours she spent every day on dialysis.

And she wants to give back. She is involved in a mentor program with other potential kidney transplant recipients and she wants to get the word out, as does her brother, about the importance of organ donations.

For now, however, she is waiting a replay of Question Period so that she can watch her brother’s statement.