'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
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.