'Devastating': Humboldt Broncos parent on suspension of Sask. organ donation program
A father of one of the hockey players who died in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash is calling Saskatchewan's suspension of its organ donation program “devastating.”
On Thursday the province announced it is suspending its organ donation program indefinitely as part of the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s COVID-19 surge plan.
“It's devastating to us because we spent three years, over 250 interviews, and every interview has been hard, hard, hard, but today is just brutal because this was to be solved and I shouldn't have to be talking about this today to people,” said Toby Boulet.
Boulet’s son, Logan Boulet, was one of 16 people killed in the April 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash.
Logan had signed up to be an organ donor when he turned 21, just weeks before the crash. He would go on to inspire over 200,000 Canadians to register as organ donors.
For those hoping to become organ recipient, Boulet said they will just have to keep fighting.
“The potential recipients, they are fighters. They have been fighting for years, take kidney transplant recipients they have been on dialysis for 10, 12, 8 years fighting it everyday. They just know that they have to continue fighting the fight.”
Boulet said the suspension could lead to organs going to waste.
“An angel donor like Logan and many angel donors that are out there, that the families are now angel families you can’t put a heart in a freezer and take it out six months later,” said Boulet. “Those organs are lost, those are lost transplants and you can’t bring those back, so it’s going to create a backlog on the organ transplant program.”
For the time being, the province will only provide immediate tissue donations, particularly for ocular patients.
Boulet said he doesn’t believe this will temper people’s enthusiasm to become an organ donor and encourages people who haven’t registered to do so.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.