Sask. man says late husband's tissue donation was denied after question regarding sexual orientation
A Dalmeny, Sask. man says his dying husband's wish to donate his tissue was denied following an inquiry concerning his sexual orientation.
Merrill Donkin died from liver cancer on Aug. 30 after living with the illness for six months, according to his husband Dwayne Belcourt.
“It went very, very fast. He tried chemo. It didn't do it for him, made him sicker,” Belcourt said
Donkin was a registered tissue donor who wanted to donate his tissues.
“I got a call … saying that Merrill was a good candidate,” said Belcourt.
However, Belcourt later received a call from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).
“(They asked) did Merill have intimate relationships with another man in the last five years,” said Belcourt.
“We have been married since April and been together for 26 years, so yes, he's had sexual relationships with a man.”
After Belcourt answered the question, he was told Donkin’s tissues would be disqualified.
“I think it should be changed as it's discriminatory for one thing,” said Belcourt. “I asked her, do you ask that question to heterosexuals and she said no.”
In an emailed statement, the head of the SHA's organ donation program Dr. Alastair Wall said sexual orientation alone would never be a reason to defer non-ocular organ donation. and says the screening process takes a patient's entire clinical profile into account.
"If a Saskatchewan patient is identified as a potential donor for organs, they will be subject to individual assessments by virtue of the organ they are donating, which may entail more detailed screening," Wall said.
"Risk assessments are then based on the data points within the clinical profile of the donor and the recipient."
The director of the program, Dr. Vikas Sharma, said the SHA follows Health Canada guidelines when it comes to screening, which requires questions regarding whether a donor is a man who has had sex with other men.
"While the SHA is aware that Health Canada is reviewing these guidelines, the transplant program will continue to base its screening protocols on current federal guidelines," Sharma said.
CTV News has reached out to Health Canada but has not yet heard back.
OUTSaskatoon executive director Krystal Nieckar says the policy amounts to discrimination towards gay people.
“They're going to chalk it up to be a safety factor and we need to do all these tests,” said Nieckar.
“It does come down to the fact that this person was with another man."
In April, Health Canada approved Canadian Blood Services’ submission to eliminate the three-month donor deferral period for gay and bisexual men as well as others in the LGBTQ2S+ community.
The situation has left Belcourt turned off from donating his tissues, and his blood.
“They want our blood but we're not at the supermarket where you get to pick and choose what you want to get. Either you take us all or none,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6978852.1722008165!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before Jasper can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes "for several weeks."
'He was just gone': Police ramp up search for vulnerable 3-year-old boy in Mississauga, Ont.
Police in Mississauga are conducting a full-scale search of the city’s biggest park for a non-verbal toddler who went missing Thursday evening. Sgt. Jennifer Trimble told reporters Friday morning that there has been no trace of three-year-old Zaid Abdullah since 6:20 p.m., when he was last seen with his parents in Erindale Park, near Dundas Street West and Mississauga Road.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
BREAKING Celine Dion performs at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Beloved Canadian icon Celine Dion made her much-anticipated appearance during the closing of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony.
Canada's Christine Sinclair: 'We were never shown drone footage'
Canada soccer great Christine Sinclair said on Friday national team players were never shown drone footage during the more than two decades she was on the team, following a spying scandal that cast a shadow over the Canadians at the Paris Games.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn $146,000 for water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six figure water bill.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
At least 4 buildings burned at Jasper Park Lodge, others damaged: Fairmont memo
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge said Thursday afternoon most of its structures are 'standing and intact,' including its iconic main lodge.
She couldn't stop thinking about the guy she met at the Athens Olympics. Then a message from him changed her life
Omaira Gill grew up counting down the days to each Olympic Games. She wasn’t especially sporty, so she ruled out the prospect of competing pretty early on. But she still harboured Olympic dreams – even just spectating would do.