Canadians in dire need of a kidney now have a chance to directly appeal to potential living donors thanks to a new service that lets them share their photos and life stories in hopes of finding a transplant match.
The novel service , a Canadian support group for people with kidney disease. The site鈥檚 鈥減atients seeking donors鈥 section takes inspiration from dating apps, where people post photos and share insights into their lives in their callout to potential donors.
"I'm basically pleading to this site to help me get a kidney transplant," said 64-year-old Ron MacDonald, who broke into tears during an interview with 麻豆影视.
The Ojibway community leader is a school principal in Wabaseemoong, Ont. near Kenora. He's been and he is losing hope.
"My health has been declining rapidly. I have difficulty breathing,鈥 MacDonald said.
His wife Linda is exhausted. She connects MacDonald to his home dialysis unit, a device that cleans his blood. It buys him time, but not a future like a transplant would. So MacDonald has posted his photo and profile on the TAP website, along with a request for O-positive blood type donors -- a loss of privacy but an act of desperation.
People like MacDonald have been given the hardest assignment of their lives, told by their doctors to 'go find a living donor,鈥 said Susan McKenzie, a TAP co-founder.
There were 1,600 kidney transplants in 2021 across Canada. About two thirds come from deceased donors. But over the past decades the supplies have never kept up with the growing demand from Canadians developing kidney failure caused by diabetes, infections or other diseases.
Last year, there were another 3,060 people across the country waiting for a transplant. Data from the shows there are more than 23,000 patients who receive ongoing dialysis treatments to sustain life, who may at some point need a transplant.
Statistics also show that one Canadian dies every three days because the wait for a deceased kidney donor can stretch four to six years.
So the focus has shifted to finding healthy donors because there is a larger potential pool. But it is a hard ask of patients to search for potential donors.
鈥淭hat's a pretty, pretty crazy thing to ask people to do. The number one question we're getting from recipients is: how do I do that?" said McKenzie.
After a genetic disorder triggered kidney failure, McKenzie was told to find herself a new kidney. Fortunately, her search was shorter than most. Her brother-in-law had a compatible blood type and donated his kidney to her in 2010. She says she鈥檚 been in good health since.
But her transplant sparked her to help guide others through the process. Some people turn to community and church groups or social media platforms in their search. But McKenzie said she's heard from many who have no families or don't feel comfortable launching their own campaigns. That was the trigger for TAP鈥檚 鈥減atients seeking donors鈥 service.
There are about a dozen people, mostly from Ontario, on the fledgling site, which is expanding to accept profiles from across the country. Patients can post photos and details of their medical journey along with the transplant centre they are connected to. Those interested in donating a kidney can write directly to the patient, or to the transplant team where testing can begin.
"We offer the extra security of a secure server and a temporary password for people who want more anonymity," said McKenzie.
Potential donors can contact either the patient directly, or the transplant centre where they are registered, which would begin the process to vet them to see if they are a suitable donor. While there are risks in surgically removing a kidney, including infection and the chance that in the future the donor鈥檚 own kidney may fail, studies show that the risks are low in healthy people who function well with one kidney.
Stephanie Bouskill was among the first to post her profile on TAP searching for a kidney donor. "The sooner the better," said the 33-year-old in Burlington, Ont. She gets dialysis in a clinic several times a week. It's keeping her alive but it is a gruelling process.
"The days you don't have dialysis, your kidneys aren't working. So everything you eat or drink and toxins are in your body... your body's not working properly, "said Bouskill.
Dialysis is expensive, costing the health-care system roughly $100,000 a year per patient in Canada, said Dr. Amit Garg, a kidney specialist at London Health Sciences Centre in London, Ont. and an adviser to the Transplant Ambassador Program. By comparison, the cost of a transplant runs about $66,000 with ongoing costs of $23,000 a year after that for anti-rejection medications and for monitoring recipients, he told 麻豆影视.
It makes promoting living transplants a cost-saving measure, said Garg.
"If more people get transplants through this mechanism, that means a shorter waiting list for the deceased donor. So everyone still benefits," he added.
Another benefit of the TAP site is that it may appeal to donors who don't want to donate anonymously, which is the standard for most living donor programs. connecting living donors to recipients. But most living transplants are done anonymously.
"We've talked to several donors who would much rather know they've made a difference and they can see that person in their mind's eye and they know that what they did really benefit someone," said McKenzie. TAP will direct donors to the Canadian Blood Services site if they prefer an anonymous donation.
Ethically, the site does raise some questions including the possibility of what University of Manitoba ethicist Arthur Schafer calls a "popularity contest."
"Patients who are plain, old, wrinkled, belong to racial or ethnic minorities are likely to be passed over. Not every time. Not everyone. But often." he wrote in an email to CTVNews.
That could lead to unfairness that would be balanced only if more living kidney donors come forward and "lives are saved that would otherwise be lost and suffering is prevented," he wrote.
McKenzie, however, said that altruistic donors who are willing to sacrifice a kidney often want it to go to the person most in need, and doesn鈥檛 foresee this being a problem. However, the 鈥減atients seeking donors鈥 section of the site is new and has yet to facilitate a transplant match.
Except for Nova Scotia, no Canadian province has adopted a 鈥減resumed consent鈥 program for organ donations, where those who die and are healthy are assumed to be organ donors. Other countries, such as Spain, have boosted supplies of organs from deceased donors using presumed consent.
But until that becomes law across Canada, organ donation remains a popular 鈥渋dea鈥 among Canadians, but not something they sign up for, ethicists say.
"We wouldn鈥檛 need such a website if more people would register for organ donation," according to Schafer and Charles Weijer, a bioethicist and professor at Western University in London.
He cites Ontario statistics that show only 35 per cent of adults are registered to donate organs if they die. "Living organ donors give the gift of life. While some come to the decision on their own, we know that stories move people---they create a human connection," he said of the Transplant Ambassador initiative.
That is exactly what Ron MacDonald is hoping for. He and his supporters hope his story will connect with people open to donating, particularly those with Indigenous backgrounds.
"I pray this website will provide an avenue for his community,鈥 said Amanda Dale, a social worker in Muskoka, Ont., who is assisting MacDonald. "It's not just his family, but ....there's trauma there to the community by losing someone like Ron.鈥
Applause erupted over and over at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg Sunday as the son of Murray Sinclair, a former judge, senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools, spoke about his father.
A children's book written by British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has been withdrawn from sale after it was criticized for causing offense to Indigenous Australians.
Tenty-five of the 43 monkeys bred for medical research that escaped a compound in South Carolina have been recovered, officials said Sunday.
A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.
Donald Trump has said he wouldn鈥檛 be a dictator 鈥 'except for Day 1.' According to his own statements, he's got a lot to do on that first day in the White House.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.
A government-funded report released to 麻豆影视 highlights 'systemic racism' against dozens of Black executives within the federal public service, including allegations of abuse, violence and harassment that, in some instances, led to suicide.
King Charles III led the nation Sunday in a two-minute silence in remembrance of fallen service personnel in central London as the Princess of Wales looked on, a further sign the royal family is slowly returning to normal at the end of a year in which two of the most popular royals were sidelined by cancer.
As the possibility of mass deportations looms following Donald Trump's re-election on Tuesday, border towns like the City of Cornwall are preparing for a potential influx of asylum seekers.
A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.
Police in Newfoundland say a man was electrocuted Saturday by a downed power wire about 10 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L.
Applause erupted over and over at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg Sunday as the son of Murray Sinclair, a former judge, senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools, spoke about his father.
A government-funded report released to 麻豆影视 highlights 'systemic racism' against dozens of Black executives within the federal public service, including allegations of abuse, violence and harassment that, in some instances, led to suicide.
Nova Scotia's New Democratic Party says a candidate criticized by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs for "troubling" and "damaging" social media posts is no longer running for the party in the Nov. 26 general election.
On Friday, the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) received a report of an alleged abduction in the area of Kathleen Avenue and Walnut Avenue.
Much of the U.S. federal workforce is on edge and bracing itself for the likelihood its ranks will be purged when President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
Donald Trump has said he wouldn鈥檛 be a dictator 鈥 'except for Day 1.' According to his own statements, he's got a lot to do on that first day in the White House.
Thousands of Spaniards marched in the eastern city of Valencia on Saturday to demand the resignation of the regional president in charge of the emergency response to last week's catastrophic floods that left more than 200 dead and others missing.
Paris police said Sunday that 4,000 officers and 1,600 stadium staff will be deployed for a France-Israel soccer match to ensure security in and around the stadium and on public transportation a week after violence against Israeli fans in Amsterdam.
Gunmen open fired in a bar in central Mexico killing 10 people and injuring seven, a local official said.
Bitcoin on Sunday hit a new record above US$80,000. The world鈥檚 largest cryptocurrency surged in the run-up to Tuesday鈥檚 US presidential election, rose sharply immediately on election night after it became clear Donald Trump would win and has continued rising in the days since his victory.
Murray Sinclair鈥檚 family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.
Canada's ambassador to the United States 鈥 and co-lead of the federal government's Team Canada war room 鈥 says U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has a different understanding of the bilateral relationship than he did during his first term in the White House.
Just five more minutes of exercise doesn鈥檛 sound so bad, right? Especially when such a small amount may improve your blood pressure, according to a new study.
Researchers say taking a peek inside a person's brain is as difficult as understanding the universe or discovering the ocean in its entirety.
B.C. health officials say they have detected Canada's first-ever case of H5 avian influenza in a human.
Bernadett 'Bett'鈥 Szab贸, a 19-year-old Hungarian sex worker, was murdered in the Dutch capital in 2009. Now, more than 15 years after her death, police are hoping to uncover new information about her killing.
In 1916, Harold Wrong plucked a flower from the fields of Somme, France and tucked it into a letter he mailed home to Toronto. For decades, the type of flower sent remained a mystery.
Elwood Edwards, who voiced America Online鈥檚 ever-present 'You鈥檝e got mail' greeting, has died Tuesday at his home in New Bern, N. C. He was 74.
Taylor Swift came out on top at the 2024 MTV EMAs on Sunday, walking away with best artist, best U.S. act, best live act and best video for 鈥淔ortnight鈥 (featuring Post Malone).
Chu shared on his Instagram Stories that he and his wife Kristin Hodge welcomed their fifth child on Saturday, writing that he 鈥渃an鈥檛 believe this happened while the movie is premiering.鈥
On Thursday morning, Dave Penny officially ended a suggested hundred-day isolation period that followed his diagnosis and stem cell treatment for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. On Thursday night, Penny returned to a stage at a downtown St. John's bar, regaling a small crowd with songs and stories with a distinctive Newfoundland flair.
Shannon Davidson was let go from her executive role at a marketing firm last year after a merger led to cuts. She knew she wasn't done with her career yet, but finding her next workplace in her mid-50s was a daunting prospect.
Bitcoin on Sunday hit a new record above US$80,000. The world鈥檚 largest cryptocurrency surged in the run-up to Tuesday鈥檚 US presidential election, rose sharply immediately on election night after it became clear Donald Trump would win and has continued rising in the days since his victory.
Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia's ports since Monday.
Doom spending, or the practice of spending money to soothe fears about broader issues like politics or the economy, shows up everywhere from YouTube and TikTok videos to Reddit to personal finance discussions and data in surveys.
A Vancouver designer is making waves in the architectural world with an outdoor modular building created to address the city鈥檚 unrelenting housing crisis.
A rare letter signed by three of the U.S. Founding Fathers of the United States is going on sale, and is expected to fetch up to US$1 million when it goes under the hammer next week.\
The Edmonton Oilers may have found the break they were looking for.
No. 15 LSU has been criticized for unveiling a live caged tiger in its stadium for the first time in almost a decade before they were routed 42-13 by No. 11 Alabama in their SEC showdown.
A Maui man who lost a part of his leg to a shark bite is now out of the hospital and thanking those who saved his life and helped him recover.
Select Porsche owners in Canada have been told to stop driving their cars immediately and to seek repairs after an issue was identified that could cause wheels to separate from vehicles.
A driver's trip from London, Ont. to Ottawa to visit their girlfriend ended in a traffic stop for speeding on Highway 417, according to police.
Recall notices have been issued for some Volkswagen models from 2006 to 2019 for airbag safety issues.
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.
Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.
A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.
Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.
A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.
Six deer were struck by vehicles in six different locations in a six-hour period on B.C. highways on Saturday, according to the transportation ministry.
A plan to allow corporations and other "commercial entities" to pay to sponsor civic assets, projects and programs is coming to Vancouver council next week.
Thousands of people are expected to gather in downtown Vancouver on Monday to observe the city鈥檚 100th Remembrance Day ceremony.
A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.
Patrons were inside a movie theatre when a suspect fired bullets at the business鈥 doors on Saturday night, before the cinema was shot at again hours later in a second incident, police say.
With Remembrance Day on Monday, there will be several events honouring armed forces members who died in the line of duty.
A pair of 105-mm howitzers bark constantly as they turn plywood tank targets into kindling kilometres away on the windswept landscape of one of Canada's largest military bases.
Two semis were among the vehicles involved in a multi-vehicle crash that brought westbound traffic along Stoney Trail Northwest to a standstill on Sunday.
More than 700 people danced, ate, and sang to celebrate Diwali Saturday night at the Genesis Centre in northeast Calgary.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa.
After months of controversy surrounding a dog park in Ottawa's west end, a solution has been reached to divide the park in half.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at what's open and closed in Ottawa on Remembrance Day.
Despite some opposition, a motion was passed at the party鈥檚 convention in Levis, Que. over the weekend to create a Quebec constitution.
The West Island Mission hosted its second food drive Sunday amid increasing demand.
Three people from Laval, Que. are dead after an accident on the Ontario highway.
A woman is dead after a driver crashed a truck through a Boston Pizza in Fort McMurray late Saturday morning.
The Edmonton Oilers may have found the break they were looking for.
A pillar in Canada鈥檚 history was honoured in Winnipeg Sunday afternoon, with thousands showing up to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the late Murray Sinclair.
Here鈥檚 what鈥檚 opened and closed across the Maritimes on Remembrance Day.
Two nephews of the beloved Harry R. Hamilton share stories about his life and legacy.
Police in Newfoundland say a man was electrocuted Saturday by a downed power wire about 10 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L.
A pillar in Canada鈥檚 history was honoured in Winnipeg Sunday afternoon, with thousands showing up to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the late Murray Sinclair.
Winnipeg police have identified two men involved in a stabbing incident earlier this week.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers whipped the Saskatchewan Roughriders 38-22 in Saturday's CFL West Division final to earn their fifth consecutive trip to the Grey Cup.
Regina author Valerie Crowther is celebrating the release of her book 鈥榃ar Letters: Linking Lives in the Second World War.鈥
It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.
Twilight Tech Arcade, an entertainment location specializing in retro gaming, is closing its doors for the foreseeable future.
A man has been charged after a stabbing at an apartment building in Kitchener.
The Guelph Police Service is putting out a warning after two deaths in the downtown area.
Two new tributes to Canada鈥檚 veterans have been unveiled at the Elmira Cenotaph.
Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.
It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.
The Regina Rams claimed the Hardy Cup after a hard fought battle against the Saskatoon Huskies 19-14 on Saturday in the first all Saskatchewan U-Sports western conference final since 2002.
CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca is livestreaming the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the Sudbury Community Arena starting Monday at 10:30 a.m.
Donald Trump has said he wouldn鈥檛 be a dictator 鈥 'except for Day 1.' According to his own statements, he's got a lot to do on that first day in the White House.
Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.
On Friday, the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) received a report of an alleged abduction in the area of Kathleen Avenue and Walnut Avenue.
Three people were taken to hospital after a plane crashed in the Municipality of Southwest Middlesex.
London Knights Logan Hawery and Caleb Mitchell are returning from the U17 World Hockey Challenge with gold medals around their necks.
A group of former NHL players faced off against York Regional Police officers in Newmarket Sunday afternoon to raise funds for Special Olympics programs across the province.
A driver is facing multiple charges after a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 400 early Sunday morning.
The agreed statement of facts was read to the court on Friday in the case of Alex Williams, the 24-year-old jail guard charged last fall with smuggling cannabis and tobacco into Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene.
For Gene Lotz, the spark of curiosity to delve into the history of those who served in war only began when the answers became difficult to find.
One person has been arrested after Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) received multiple complaints about an alleged drunk driver.
An individual is dead following a collision involving a motorcycle in Kingsville.
Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.
Six deer were struck by vehicles in six different locations in a six-hour period on B.C. highways on Saturday, according to the transportation ministry.
The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.
The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.
Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.
More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.
The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year鈥檚 host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes broke open a close game with three goals in the first two minutes of the third period as they defeated the Warriors 7-3 in a game played Friday night in Moose Jaw.
There might not a lot snow just yet, but many southern Albertans are still itching to get outdoors.
Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.
Mayors of the five largest cities in northern Ontario met in North Bay the last two days to discuss a range of critical issues impacting their cities and the region.
Residents in the Sault expressed concerns ranging from vandalism to privacy invasions during recent consultations on the city's plan to install automated speed enforcement cameras.
Police in Newfoundland say a man was electrocuted Saturday by a downed power wire about 10 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L.
On Thursday morning, Dave Penny officially ended a suggested hundred-day isolation period that followed his diagnosis and stem cell treatment for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. On Thursday night, Penny returned to a stage at a downtown St. John's bar, regaling a small crowd with songs and stories with a distinctive Newfoundland flair.
A Memorial University scientist says the mysterious white blobs washing up on Newfoundland beaches are actually gobs of plastic -- and they need to be cleaned up.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.
