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The Ottawa Senators made a desperate and unusual public plea Thursday for a donor willing to give a part of his or her liver to save the life of the team’s owner.
Eugene Melnyk, who was noticeably absent from the Senators’ recent first-round NHL playoff run, is in a Toronto hospital in urgent need of a liver transplant, team president Cyril Leeder told a hastily called news conference.
Melnyk’s condition has deteriorated, and “time is of the essence” Leeder said. Doctors at the Toronto General Hospital have concluded that Melnyk’s condition “is very serious and that the option that must be pursued in his circumstances is that of a live liver donation.”
The team learned late Wednesday that potential live donors for Melnyk had turned out to be unsuitable. By Thursday, the team had phone lines waiting for potential donors and a statement prepared to make a public plea for help.
“At this stage, we are using every opportunity we have to help him find a liver donation,” Leeder said.
Melnyk, sole owner of the Senators, was founder and former CEO of the pharmaceutical company Biovail and in 2014 was ranked 77th on Canadian Business Magazine’s list of Canada’s wealthiest people.
A live liver donation involves taking a portion of a donor’s liver and transplanting it into a recipient. The procedure is becoming more common, especially at Toronto’s University Health Networks Multi-Organ Transplant Program, which has conducted 600 such transplants in the past decade, the most in North America, including a recent high-profile case involving young twin girls from Kingston. Although it can be risky for both donors and recipients — and there have been deaths in the U.S. and elsewhere — every person who has donated through the Toronto program has returned to normal life without any restrictions.
The unusual plea by the hockey team on behalf of its owner has the potential to be controversial, particularly among others who are also waiting for liver transplants but who lack the same platform to seek donors.
Leeder agreed that not everyone would have the same platform as Melnyk, who he said was reluctant to go public. He said he hopes the plea will help others waiting for donations. “I think our concern was for Eugene and his health, but hopefully we will be able to shed some light on organ donation as part of this process.”
One of the reasons there is a growing demand for live liver donations, he noted, is that not enough people sign organ donor cards. Such a public plea on behalf of Melnyk has the potential to raise awareness about organ donations, similar to the way the Ottawa’s Hélène Campbell did a few years ago while awaiting a double-lung transplant.
“What we are doing today can help everyone out there who is waiting,” added Gary O’Byrne, of the Canadian Liver Foundation who, along with team doctor Dr. Don Chow, attended the news conference.
The 55-year-old Melnyk has a rare blood type — AB — which makes it unlikely for him to find a match from a deceased organ donor, whose blood must be an exact match. But people with his blood type can accept donations from more blood types with a live donation.
Dr. Atul Humar, medical director of the transplant program, said any healthy adult between 18 and 55 could be a potential live liver donor.
He said the surgery is major for both donors and recipients and there have been serious consequences for donors in some cases. “They are thankfully rare, but they do occur.” The Toronto program, he said, has not had a death and all the donors have done well.
Potential donors go through rigorous medical as well as social and psychological screening to make sure they are suitable. “We want to make sure it is something the donor actually wants to do and there is no coercion and the donor is doing it for the right reasons.”
Humar said patients typically look to family, friends, then members of their community when looking for a donor.
“The majority tend to be family members or close friends,” he said. In some cases, that means turning to a church group or a cultural community. In the Senators’ owner’s case, that community includes fans of his team.
“In this case, the way I see it is he is reaching out to his community, which is his fan base.”
Leeder said Melnyk has “consistently remained very private on matters of a personal or family nature.”
Leeder said anyone considering becoming a donor should read information about being a live liver donor, but should not wait.
“It is very urgent. We are asking people if they are considering it to call us now.”
In a matter of weeks, he said, it could be too late.
The Senators management team has struggled with illness. In April, assistant coach Mark Reeds died of cancer. And team general manger Bryan Murray is battling stage 4 colon cancer.
Mayor Jim Watson passed his wishes on to Melnyk on Thursday.
“I wish Mr. Melnyk and his family much hope and strength during this difficult time. Mr. Melynk is an important member of the Ottawa family and we hope that a donor can be found as soon as possible.”
Senators officials asked anyone with questions about donating to call 613-599-0100. It also posted frequently asked questions about being a live donor at http://www.ottawasenators.com.
epayne@ottawacitizen.com
查看原文...
Eugene Melnyk, who was noticeably absent from the Senators’ recent first-round NHL playoff run, is in a Toronto hospital in urgent need of a liver transplant, team president Cyril Leeder told a hastily called news conference.
Melnyk’s condition has deteriorated, and “time is of the essence” Leeder said. Doctors at the Toronto General Hospital have concluded that Melnyk’s condition “is very serious and that the option that must be pursued in his circumstances is that of a live liver donation.”
The team learned late Wednesday that potential live donors for Melnyk had turned out to be unsuitable. By Thursday, the team had phone lines waiting for potential donors and a statement prepared to make a public plea for help.
“At this stage, we are using every opportunity we have to help him find a liver donation,” Leeder said.
Melnyk, sole owner of the Senators, was founder and former CEO of the pharmaceutical company Biovail and in 2014 was ranked 77th on Canadian Business Magazine’s list of Canada’s wealthiest people.
A live liver donation involves taking a portion of a donor’s liver and transplanting it into a recipient. The procedure is becoming more common, especially at Toronto’s University Health Networks Multi-Organ Transplant Program, which has conducted 600 such transplants in the past decade, the most in North America, including a recent high-profile case involving young twin girls from Kingston. Although it can be risky for both donors and recipients — and there have been deaths in the U.S. and elsewhere — every person who has donated through the Toronto program has returned to normal life without any restrictions.
The unusual plea by the hockey team on behalf of its owner has the potential to be controversial, particularly among others who are also waiting for liver transplants but who lack the same platform to seek donors.
Leeder agreed that not everyone would have the same platform as Melnyk, who he said was reluctant to go public. He said he hopes the plea will help others waiting for donations. “I think our concern was for Eugene and his health, but hopefully we will be able to shed some light on organ donation as part of this process.”
One of the reasons there is a growing demand for live liver donations, he noted, is that not enough people sign organ donor cards. Such a public plea on behalf of Melnyk has the potential to raise awareness about organ donations, similar to the way the Ottawa’s Hélène Campbell did a few years ago while awaiting a double-lung transplant.
“What we are doing today can help everyone out there who is waiting,” added Gary O’Byrne, of the Canadian Liver Foundation who, along with team doctor Dr. Don Chow, attended the news conference.
The 55-year-old Melnyk has a rare blood type — AB — which makes it unlikely for him to find a match from a deceased organ donor, whose blood must be an exact match. But people with his blood type can accept donations from more blood types with a live donation.
Dr. Atul Humar, medical director of the transplant program, said any healthy adult between 18 and 55 could be a potential live liver donor.
He said the surgery is major for both donors and recipients and there have been serious consequences for donors in some cases. “They are thankfully rare, but they do occur.” The Toronto program, he said, has not had a death and all the donors have done well.
Potential donors go through rigorous medical as well as social and psychological screening to make sure they are suitable. “We want to make sure it is something the donor actually wants to do and there is no coercion and the donor is doing it for the right reasons.”
Humar said patients typically look to family, friends, then members of their community when looking for a donor.
“The majority tend to be family members or close friends,” he said. In some cases, that means turning to a church group or a cultural community. In the Senators’ owner’s case, that community includes fans of his team.
“In this case, the way I see it is he is reaching out to his community, which is his fan base.”
Leeder said Melnyk has “consistently remained very private on matters of a personal or family nature.”
Leeder said anyone considering becoming a donor should read information about being a live liver donor, but should not wait.
“It is very urgent. We are asking people if they are considering it to call us now.”
In a matter of weeks, he said, it could be too late.
The Senators management team has struggled with illness. In April, assistant coach Mark Reeds died of cancer. And team general manger Bryan Murray is battling stage 4 colon cancer.
Mayor Jim Watson passed his wishes on to Melnyk on Thursday.
“I wish Mr. Melnyk and his family much hope and strength during this difficult time. Mr. Melynk is an important member of the Ottawa family and we hope that a donor can be found as soon as possible.”
Senators officials asked anyone with questions about donating to call 613-599-0100. It also posted frequently asked questions about being a live donor at http://www.ottawasenators.com.
epayne@ottawacitizen.com
查看原文...
