the kidney-link winter 2010

Kidney-LinkVolume 22 • No. 3 • Winter 2010-2011 Quebec Branch Newsletter

The foundation of kidney care

Your Health Living Donor Transplant

Fleurette Bilodeau,An ExtraordinaryVolunteerEighty-year-old FleuretteBilodeau is still a womanof action with a bigheart. She is well knownin Longueuil, where shehas raised over $60,000since 2003 for the Sum-mer Camp for Dialysisand Transplant Children,which is run by the QuebecBranch of the Kidney Foun-

dation of Canada, by canvas-sing her neighbours and friends

in both Longueuil and her nativeLac-Saint-Jean.

Moved by the story of a young manwho made a public appeal on televi-sion for a kidney transplant, Fleurettedecided to volunteer with The KidneyFoundation of Canada and contributein her own way to improving thedaily lives of kidney patients.

But this wasn’t Fleurette’s first volunteer endeavour.Every year for the past 40 years, she has organized aChristmas dinner for the elderly, people with disabilities,shut-ins and people in need. Thanks to her efforts, onDecember 11, 2010, more than 350 people enjoyed awonderful Christmas dinner.

As far as volunteers go, Fleurette is a real dynamo. In ad-dition to working with seniors, people with disabilitiesand The Kidney Foundation of Canada, she lends an openear to young people in difficulty, at all hours of the dayand night.

The high point of Fleurette’s volunteer career came in1985, when Reader’s Digest profiled her in an article thatwould be translated into 17 languages.

When Fleurette turned 73, fellow volunteers began toworry about her health and suggested that she stopfundraising. But for this woman who just can’t sit still,throwing in the towel was out of the question.

At 80 years young, Fleurette Bilodeau still isn’t ready topack it in and plans to keep helping others, something shehas done so well for over four decades now. Thank you,Fleurette, for your tremendous dedication.

Interviews with volunteers continued on page 4.

Important news about Bill no. 125:An Act to facilitate organ andtissue donation ................................................... 8The 2011 Kidney Walk .................................................. 3Interviews with Volunteers ................................. 4 and 5

Organ Donation ........................................................... 6Patient Services ........................................................... 9News from the Chapters ............................................ 10Research .................................................................... 13Bulletin Board ............................................................ 14

Fleurette takingpart in the KidneyWalk in Montrealon May 16, 2010

Spotlight

onVolunteerism

The Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation ofCanada (KFoC) would like to thank all its volunteersfor their generosity and their continuous commit-ment and dedication to people living with kidneydisease. In addition to being volunteers, they arethe Foundation’s cornerstone, as they provide themeans for the Foundation to carry out its mission.

In this special issue of Kidney-Link, we highlightvolunteers’ outstanding contributions to the fightagainst kidney disease.

We will introduce you to some of the volunteers whowork tirelessly, each in their own special way, in theFoundation’s various Quebec chapters to improve thequality of life of people living with kidney disease.

Together we can make a difference

A word from the Executive Director

A kidney transplant can radically improvethe life of someone with kidney failure.About 80% of people on the province’sorgan transplant list are awaiting a kidney.That’s why promoting organ donation isan integral part of The Kidney Foundationof Canada’s mission. The Quebec Branch ofThe Kidney Foundation of Canada createdan Organ and Tissue Donation Committeeyears ago to raise public awareness aboutorgan donation, and to call on governmentsto implement measures that would facili-tate organ donation from living or de-ceased donors.

November 11, 2010, marked a major miles-tone for people awaiting a transplant, forthe Foundation and, more particularly, forthe Organ and Tissue Donation Committee.Dr. Yves Bolduc, Quebec’s Minister of Healthand Social Services, announced a series ofmeasures, two of which were introduced byour organization.

Health Minister agrees to two of TheKidney Foundation of Canada’s requests

The minister announced that, from nowon, the Quebec government would parti-cipate in the Canadian Living DonorPaired Exchange Registry. Participating ina complex, Canada-wide, paired livingdonor and recipient system will increasetransplant opportunities whenno compatible related donorkidney can be located.

The Government of Quebecwill also establish a livingdonor expense reimbursementprogram. Anyone who donatesan organ will be reimbursedfor certain expenses, such as

travel, meals, accommodation and loss ofemployment income, a measure sure tolimit the potential drawbacks of giving soselflessly.

Two other praiseworthy measures:

Minister Bolduc has also announced thatQuebec’s labour laws will be amended inorder to protect the living donor’s employ-ment following the operation. Since the billwas adopted, a leave of absence for organdonation is considered sick leave.

Lastly, with the new Act to facilitate organand tissue donation, the Régie de l’assu-rance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) has amandate to develop a provincial registry fororgan donations at the time of death. As aresult, in addition to signing the back oftheir health insurance card, people whowish to donate their organs upon theirdeath can add their name to the registry.Upon the donor’s death, health professionalswill refer to the registry to ascertain thedeceased donor’s final wishes.

On behalf of the Quebec Branch of TheKidney Foundation of Canada and themore than 900 Quebecers awaiting akidney transplant,* I extend my thanks toMinister Bolduc for all the measures thathave been taken. I would also like to thank

the Foundation’s volunteersand employees who, underthe leadership of Dr. MichelPâquet, introduced some ofthese measures.

Martin Munger

* As of December 31, 2009.Source: Québec-Transplant

2 Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011

Organ donation: The Kidney Foundation of Canada,an important player in the adoption of newgovernment measures

The personal information youhave provided is used only tosend you this newsletter. To stopreceiving it, please e-mail us [email protected] or call usat 514-938-4515.

Readers: You can help enrich ournewsletter by sharing your expe-riences with kidney disease ortransplants. Please send a text ofno more than 300 words, alongwith a high-resolution photo, [email protected].

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PPRROODDUUCCTTIIOONN Ardecom

CCOONNTTAACCTT UUSS:: The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch2300 René-Lévesque Blvd West,Montreal, QC H3H 2R5

TTEELLEEPPHHOONNEE 514-938-4515 or 1-800-565-4515

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The Kidney-Link newsletter andYour Health insert are publishedthree times a year by the QuebecBranch of The Kidney Foundationof Canada. Distributed in Englishand French to all people sufferingfrom kidney failure, these publi-cations provide valuable informa-tion on the Foundation’s servicesand activities, including the latestfindings on kidney disease andorgan donation.

The opinions expressed in Kid-ney-Link and Your Health do notnecessarily reflect those of theQuebec Branch of The KidneyFoundation of Canada, its direc-tors, employees or members.

Moving? Please let us know [email protected] may be reproduced pro-vided that the source is quoted.

Your donation goes a long way at The Kidney Foundation

Kidney-Link • Winter 2010-2011 3

The Kidney Walk

Did you know that in 2009, 14,700 Quebecers wereeither diagnosed with or treated for kidney failure?

Of those people:• 6,400 use the services of a renal protection clinic(pre-dialysis)

• 4,600 are on dialysis• 3,700 have received transplants

First name

Last name

Address

City/Postal code

Telephone Mobile phone

E-mail address

Employer

Relationship to the disease

Team name

Team leader

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY • www.kidney.ca/kidneywalkYou may also mail or fax us the registration form.

Please print.

Tear off and mail your registration form in a sufficiently stamped envelope, or fax it to: The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch2300 René-Lévesque Blvd West, Montreal, QC H3H 2R5Fax: 514-938-4757

In which region would you like to walk?

� Eastern Townships � Mauricie � Montreal � Outaouais � Quebec City � Saguenay/Lac-Saint-JeanFor more information about the Foundation, please call us at 1-800-565-4515.

The 2010 Kidney Walk attracted more than 1,000 peopleand raised $130,000.

Help The Kidney Foundation of Canada set new recordsby joining us on Sunday, May 15, 2011, to promote organdonation and help people suffering from kidney disease.

This year, the Outaouais Chapter will join the five otherchapters participating simultaneously in the Kidney Walk.

The Kidney Walk will take place in the Eastern Townships,the Mauricie, Montreal, the Outaouais, Quebec City, andSaguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean. The fundraiser seeks to help fi-nance research and raise public awareness about kidneydisease and the importance of organ donation.

It’s a perfect opportunity for dialysis patients, transplantrecipients, donors’ families, living donors, the medicalcommunity and the general public to support the ad-vancement of renal health and organ donation.

“Beyond saving lives, organ donation also improves thelives of the friends and family of transplant recipients,”said Louis Charest, President of the Montréal-Métropoli-tain Chapter of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, and fa-ther of 10-year-old Pénélope, who is alive and thrivingtoday thanks to an anonymous donor.

Organ donation needs have risen sharply due to the rapidincrease (about 10% per year) in the number of peopleliving with kidney disease. The shortage of transplantableorgans is a harsh reality for thousands of people inCanada. As of December 31, 2009, 1,200 Quebecers wereon a waiting list for an organ transplant, 941 (78%) ofwhom were waiting for a kidney.

For more information, and to register online, please visit www.kidney.ca/kidneywalk

We're behind you all the way

Profiles of volunteers who promote the Foundation

Dr. Martin Plaisance Eastern Townships Chapter

Dr. Martin Plaisance has servedas a nephrologist at SherbrookeHospital since 1999 and is an as-sociate professor in the faculty ofmedicine at Université de Sher-brooke.

For a number of years now, Dr.Plaisance has played a key role inorganizing the Eastern TownshipsChapter’s annual oyster party to

support the Foundation’s initiatives.

Josée Parenteau, President of the Eastern TownshipsChapter, contacted Dr. Plaisance in early 2010 and askedhim to help organize that year’s event.

“Organizing a fundraiser takes a lot of time and dedica-tion, but in the end, it’s very rewarding. We know that thefruit of our labour goes directly to helping people livingwith kidney failure,” said Dr. Plaisance.

Why is Dr. Plaisance so committed to the Foundation? Be-cause it funds research. A number of his colleagues havereceived grants from The Kidney Foundation of Canada,and even though the benefits of research are often feltonly years later, research provides a real opportunity toimprove the lives of thousands of people living with kid-ney failure.

Nelson Bellavance Abitibi-Témiscamingue Chapter

Kidney Foundation volunteerNelson Bellavance has been work -ing actively for 10 years now and,in 2003, he became presidentof the Abitibi-TémiscamingueChapter.

Born with only one kidney, Nel-son Bellavance has been livingwith kidney failure since he was

17. In 1998, at the age of 50, Nelson was told that his sin-gle impaired kidney would not function properly without

four hours of dialysis, three times a week. After 12 yearson dialysis, not to mention 15 major operations since hewas 17, Nelson is still a powerhouse of energy.

“Some people I’ve met at the dialysis unit can’t getaround without a wheelchair. I’m incredibly lucky to befully independent and to be able to move around freelydespite the inconveniences this disease causes,” he said,always looking on the bright side of life.

With the invaluable support of Lévi Trottier and 230volunteers, Nelson Bellavance organizes the door-to-doorcampaign for the Abitibi-Témiscamingue Chapter of TheKidney Foundation of Canada every March, which raises$50,000 a year.

The Kidney Foundation of Canada is proud to have suchan exceptional volunteer at its side—so exceptional, infact, that in summer 2010, Nelson cycled an unbelievable4,500 kilometres!

Noëlla Gagné Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean ChapterNoëlla Gagné has been a Founda-tion volunteer since early 2007,and in early 2009, she became thepresident of the Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean Chapter.

After five years of dialysis treat-ments, she received a transplantin May 2006. Noëlla Gagné hasalways been a fighter. After retir -ing at age 45, she wanted to getinvolved and give of her time to help improve the lives ofthe dialysis patients she came to know so well and, aboveall, to promote research into kidney disease.

“Volunteering makes me feel useful, and to be honest,it just makes me feel good about myself. So offering myservices to the Foundation just came naturally,” she said.

Teaming up with Nathalie Saulnier and a few other volun-teers, Noëlla Gagné organizes a number of events. Thesecond Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean Chapter Kidney Walk washeld on May 16, 2010, and was attended by Dr. Bélisle,whose role as Foundation spokesman has helped mobilizemany of the region’s nephrologists.




Profiles of volunteers who promote the Foundation

Noëlla also organizes a number of Coffee Club Meetingsfor patients with kidney failure. “During these laid-backgatherings, patients can listen to professionals giving ad-vice on concrete matters, such as tax credits for peoplewith kidney failure. These events really help people leadbetter lives,” she adds.

Nicole Therriault Outaouais Chapter

Nicole Therriault has been anorgan and tissue donation re-source nurse at Hull Hospital(CSSS de Gatineau) since 2003.Her role is to provide the helpspecifically requested by patientsand their families, and to supportthem through the decision-mak -ing process. Once they’ve madean informed decision, she pro-vides them with psychologicaland moral support, as well as aphysical presence.

After being contacted by The Kidney Foundation ofCanada in 2004, she became the Outaouais Chapter’sorgan and tissue donation specialist. Ever since, she hasbeen a member of the committee tasked with raisingpublic awareness about organ and tissue donations.

In addition to educating dialysis nurses at Hull Hospitalabout organ donations, she is also a fully committedvolunteer in the chapter’s various activities.

“Since 2004, we’ve been organizing a golf tournamentthat raises $20,000 each year for people with kidneyfailure,” said Nicole Therriault.

This year, for the very first time, the Outaouais Chapterwill host its own Kidney Walk on May 15. The chapter alsorecently began organizing Coffee Club Meetings designedto inform people living with kidney failure about measuresthey can take to improve their day-to-day lives.

“We’re delighted that new activities are being organizedfor this chapter of the Foundation, because we need toraise public awareness about organ donations andchange people’s attitudes,” notes Therriault, who seesthe recent arrival of a new head for the OutaouaisChapter as a good thing.

Louis Charest Montréal-Métropolitain ChapterJune 28, 2004, will forever beetched in Louis Charest’s mind.That day, after three difficultyears of dialysis, Louis’s four-year-old daughter Pénélope hada kidney transplant, bringinghope that she would finally beable to live a normal life, just likeother kids her age.

Fully aware of the new lease onlife this transplant had given hisdaughter, Louis wanted to devote himself to sensitizingthe public to the realities of kidney disease and the im-portance of organ donation.

In 2006, he took part in his first Kidney Foundation ofCanada event. Thanks to Louis Mousseau, then-presidentof the Montréal-Métropolitain Chapter, Louis Charestjoined the board of directors in 2007.

That May, he was put in charge of organizing the city’sfirst Kidney Walk, which was held at Lafontaine Park andraised $5,000. In 2009, Louis became president of theMontréal-Métropolitain Chapter’s Kidney Walk Commit-tee. The 2010 Kidney Walk in Montreal got 600 peoplemoving and raised over $80,000 for people living withkidney disease and for research.

“The Kidney Walk is a unique occasion for the Founda-tion to focus the spotlight on the crucial role our kidneysplay in our body, and on the importance of keeping themhealthy. It’s also an ideal opportunity to raise publicawareness about the need for organ donation,” said LouisCharest, who will be doing his best to make the 2011Kidney Walk the most successful yet.

Would you like to become a Foundation volunteer and support its work? Contact Joëlle Turck, Director, Volunteer Resources, at 514-938-4515, ext. 233.



Organ Donation

On October 22, 2010, the Canadian Organ Donors Association’s traditionaldonor recognition ceremony took place at Sherbrooke’s Saint-MichelCathedral. The Kidney Foundation of Canada would like to thank the14 living donors honoured that day for having made a generous,life-giving donation to a loved one.

Of course, we cannot fail to mention the 232 donors fromQuebec who received the posthumous honour of HealthAmbassador for hav inghanded down the mostprecious inheritanceof all, life itself.

The HonourablePierre Duchesne,Lieutenant Governorof Quebec, awarding

the Good SamaritanMedal to Lyne Beaulieu,

who gave one of her kidneysto little Raphaëlle Gosselin

(6½ years old).

“Gift of Life” Humanitarian Award2011 “GIFT OF LIFE” HUMANITARIAN AWARD NOMINATION PERIODThe “Gift of Life” Humanitarian Award was created torecognize and express gratitude to businesses that, throughtheir humanitarian work, have in some way facilitatedkidney transplants or donation for one or more of theiremployees. The award seeks to raise awareness amongQuebec businesses about the importance of supportingtheir employees during the kidney donation or transplantprocess.

For instance, did your employer provide support bycontinuing to pay your salary while you were on leave toeither give or receive a kidney, or allow you to take leave

to attend medical exams? If so, and if you would like toexpress your gratitude publicly, nominate your employertoday by sending in a duly completed nomination form.

You can obtain a form:

• From the Foundation’s Web site(www.kidney.ca/quebec) under “Organ Donation”

• From an employee at your nearest transplant centre

• By calling 514-398-4515

According to a 2008Impact Recherche survey,

a huge gap still exists betweenone’s willingness to donate organs(9 out of 10 people) and actuallysigning the organ donation sectionon the back of one’s health insur -ance card (5 out of 10 people),which is why it’s vital to tell lovedones how important organdonation is to you.

CODA Gala

Organ Donation


Respecting their last wishes is aboutrespecting lifeBy Simon Brodeur, member of the board of the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada

Just about every day, themedia reports on tragic acci-dents and events that costpeople their lives. Withoutwarning, people’s preciouslives are taken away. It canhappen to any of us, andthere’s little we can do aboutit. Families are always greatlyaffected by the loss of a lovedone. And one of the hardestparts comes when the familyis told that the doctors can’tdo anything more, and that it’stime to say goodbye.

Last Remembrance Day, Quebec Health MinisterYves Bolduc announced important measures thatwould facilitate organ donation, including thecreation of a donation consent registry. For that, Iwould like to congratulate him. Unfortunately, thiskind of news rarely makes headlines. We mustn’tforget that the list of patients awaiting an organdonation grows longer every year, not because ofthe lack of surgical space in our hospitals, but be-cause of a lack of available organs. The list is now1,200 potential transplant patients long; 78% ofthem are awaiting a kidney, and until they get one,each patient’s dialysis costs the healthcare system$40,000 a year. In this case, the lack of availableorgans can’t be blamed on the health minister orthe healthcare system. It’s our own doing.

Over the past few years, a multitude of publicawareness campaigns have attempted to makepeople realize the importance of organ dona-tion. Thankfully, each year more people are af-fixing a sticker on the back of their healthinsurance card, thereby informing others that,

after thoroughly considering the matter, theywant to donate their organs upon their death inan ultimate act of generosity.

Did you know that a single donor can save a num-ber of lives, the lives of people in need of a heart,a kidney, lungs, a liver, a pancreas, intestines andmore? Did you know that nearly one out of threefamilies refuses to donate a loved one’s organsupon his or her death,1 even when that loved onehad clearly consented to it after giving it seriousthought and affixing a sticker to that affect on theback of his or her health insurance card? Whatmoral right do any of us have to refuse to respectour loved one’s explicitly expressed last wishes?On what arguments do we base our refusal to ac -knowledge that one life lost can mean many livessaved? When the doctor gives you the heartbreak -ing news that there’s no more hope, there’s stillone more difficult but precious step you can take:you need to agree to organ donation. This one actcan save the lives not only of future transplant re-cipients, but also of their immediate families, be-cause they too are desperately awaiting a betterlife. Unless and until the day when explicit consentto organ donation acquires the force of law as ithas in other countries, we must recognize the vitalimportance of organ donation, life’s ultimate gift.

If you have consented to organ donation by af-fixing the appropriate sticker on the back ofyour health insurance card, I highly encourageyou to speak with your family to remind themthat, should the unthinkable ever happen, youwould like them to honour your last wishes. It’sa moral issue that’s really about having deeprespect for life.

Simon Brodeur

1 Source: “Approaching families for organ donation - the Quebec experience,” Québec-Transplant 2006



Organ Donation

An Act to facilitate organ and tissue donation

On December 8, 2010, Quebec’s National Assemblyadopted the Act to facilitate organ and tissue dona-tion. This unprecedented law is extremely importantto The Kidney Foundation of Canada, which has beena fervent proponent of organ donation for manyyears, particularly as kidney transplants account for75% of the transplants carried out in Quebec eachyear. This law covers four measures designed topromote organ donation:

1 - Organ donation consent following death and verification

Consent for organ donation upon death can now begiven in three different ways:

By signing up with the Régie de l’assurance maladiedu Québec (RAMQ) consent registry for post-mor-tem organ and tissue removal (new);

By registering with the Chambre des notaires duQuébec;

By signing and affixing an organ donation sticker onthe back of one’s health insurance card.

As a complement to the other sources of proof thata deceased person, or someone whose death is im-minent, has consented to organ donation—informedfamily members, the sticker on the back of theRAMQ card and the registry held by the Chambredes notaires — the RAMQ registry will allow hospi-tal staff to check quickly, via an accredited inter-mediary organization, whether that person is listedin the registry and has signed an organ and tissuedonation consent form. It will also make it easier forfamilies to carry out their loved one’s last wishes;this is particularly important considering that oneof the leading factors for families’ refusal to consentto organ donation is that they are unaware of theirloved one’s wishes.

The healthcare facility will thus be better able tocarry out its mission of identifying potential donors,which is a key factor in increasing the number oftransplants.

2 – The Canadian Living Donor Paired Exchange (LDPE) Registry

Quebec’s participation in the Canada-wide LivingDonor Paired Exchange (LDPE) Registry will enablepatients and willing but incompatible donors to agreeto an exchange in order to find compatible pairs.

Once listed in the LDPE registry, people awaiting akidney transplant will greatly improve their odds offinding a compatible living donor. Moreover, thelifespan of the transplanted organ is longer (18 yearson average) when it comes from a living donor.

3 - Living Donor Expense Reimbursement Program

Living donors often need to travel to undergomedical exams, miss a few weeks of work andincur other expenses. As a result, their altruistic actcan have a major financial impact. Thanks to thisprogram, donors will be entitled to reimbursementsof up to $5,715 to cover lost revenue and certainexpenses, including travel, accommodation, mealsand parking.

4 – Changes to Quebec’s Labour Standards

The Act to facilitate organ and tissue donation alsomodified the province’s labour standards in orderto protect donors’ employment and to make anyabsence required by the act of donating consideredas sick/accident leave. These legislative changesshould further encourage people to donate organs.

Living Donor TransplantsPeople with severe kidney failure usually suf-fer a slow but progressive deterioration intheir kidney’s ability to filter blood. When pa-tients’ kidney’s filtration capacity hits a criti-cal low—between 10% to 15% of normal—theymust undergo a blood purification procedureto avoid the serious complications that canendanger their lives. Three options exist, eachwith its own advantages and potential compli-cations: hemodialysis (usually three treat-ments a week at the hospital), peritonealdialysis (at home) or a kidney transplant.

A kidney transplant provides the greatestbenefit in comparison to the two other bloodpurification techniques: better quality of life,more freedom to engage in daily activities andtravel, better overall state of health, as well asa longer life. Unfortunately, getting a transplantis not always easy. First of all, the potentialrecipient must undergo a complete medicalworkup to ensure that the transplant can becarried out safely. The required exams andtime involved can vary significantly depending

on the recipient—anywhere from a few weeksto several months. Once the workup is done,the patient is placed on the waiting list for akidney from a deceased donor. AlthoughQuebec has consistently maintained Canada’shighest post-mortem donor rate year afteryear, far from the required number of kidneyscan be found for all those people awaiting atransplant. Currently, over 900 Quebecers arewaiting for a kidney, and only 450 transplantsare performed each year. What’s more, thenumber of new patients on the waiting listeach year outpaces the number of transplantsperformed, leading to more people remainingon the ever-growing list. Moreover, the averagewaiting time for a kidney transplant (in casesof kidneys from deceased donors) is currentlyaround two years, a timeframe that is alsoon the rise. To help offset the increasingorgan shortage, a number of measures arebeing taken to raise awareness about theproblem among the general public and healthprofessionals, with the ultimate goal ofincreasing the number of donors.

YourHealth

Volume 22 • No. 3 • Winter 2010-2011The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Quebec Branch

YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2010-2011 1

This issue of Your Health was made possible through the financial support of

2 YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2010-2011

Comparison between living and post-mortem donation

Kidney transplants can be done through livingdonors, an option that has a number of bene-fits over transplants from deceased donors.For one, this is the only way to provide atransplant quickly while ensuring the safety ofboth donor and recipient. Transplanting a kid-ney from a living donor brings together all thebest conditions possible. Success rates arehigher than those obtained when transplantinga kidney from a deceased donor: better kidneyfunction, fewer post-operative complications,lower rejection rate and a significantly higheraverage lifespan for the transplanted kidney—18 to 20 years, compared with 12 years whenthe kidney comes from a deceased donor. Fasteraccess to a transplant, when a living donor isavailable, is beneficial not only because the timespent on dialysis can be reduced, but also, andmore importantly, because the total durationof dialysis treatments can have a markedinfluence on transplant success, if the transplanttakes place at all. When the total time ondialysis is reduced by as few as six months,rejection rates decline, the lifespan of thetransplanted kidney increases, fewer cardio-vascular complications arise in the yearsfollowing the transplant, and the recipient’slifespan increases. However, it is important tonote that the number of living donor kidneytransplants in Quebec today is too low. In fact,only one in five kidney transplants involves aliving donor, whereas in the other Canadianprovinces, the rate is one in two.

Prerequisites for a living donation

A living donor transplant can take place only if anumber of conditions are met. To begin with,someone interested in donating a kidney to a lovedone must personally and directly contact a trans-plant centre. This person will then be informed ofthe benefits to the recipient, the other optionsavailable to the recipient (dialysis, transplantfrom a deceased donor), and the potential risksof donating a kidney. Next, the transplant teamhas to ensure that the donor is in good physicaland psychological health, and that the decisionto donate a kidney is a well-informed one beingmade of one’s own free will. This typically en-tails a number of meetings with members of thetransplant team, as well as several exams. Thisassessment usually takes under two months, butmay also take considerably longer.

The total time the kidney donor has to spend inhospital is typically less than a week, and thedonor can get back to his or her regular rou-tine, including work, around six weeks after theleave began. Donating a kidney is very safe aslong as all the above criteria are met. The riskof complications is extremely low, and for thedonor, it’s business as usual without restric-tions. Of course, like everyone, the donorshould maintain a healthy lifestyle, whichincludes maintaining an appropriate weight,eating right, exercising regularly and not smoking.The transplant team conducts annual follow-ups on people who have donated a kidney inorder to quickly and effectively deal with any

Your Health

medical problems that could potentially arise asa result of such an operation.

First transplant from a livingdonor

The experience gained from the past 50 yearsor more has shown that people who donate akidney do not have shorter lives than thosewho still have two kidneys, and are at no greaterrisk of developing kidney failure or one dayrequiring dialysis. The very first kidney trans-plant involving a living donor took place inBoston in 1954. In fact, that donor attendedthe 2004 celebration highlighting the 50th an-niversary of this medical milestone.

Living Donor Paired Exchange

To ensure the success of a living donor trans-plant, the donor’s and recipient’s blood typesneed to be compatible. Specific laboratorytests are also carried out prior to the trans-plant procedure to make sure that the reci-pient’s blood does not react negatively to thedonor’s cells. In cases where the donor andrecipient are deemed incompatible, the risk ofrejection becomes too high to attempt thetransplant. However, one recent approach hasmanaged to overcome this particular obstacle.

Let’s look at an example. Donor A wants to do-nate a kidney to recipient B, but the tests showthat their blood types are incompatible. It is pos-sible that another donor-recipient pair (donor Xand recipient Y) are also incompatible for thesame reason. However, it is possible that donor

A is able to donate to recipient Y, and that donorX can donate to recipient B. When the bloodtypes and test results indicate that these two“crossed” transplants are compatible, we referto it as a Living Donor Paired Exchange (LDPE).

The Canadian Living Donor PairedExchange (LDPE) Registry

In order for both transplants to be successful,the surgeries on both donors take place at thesame time, and both transplants immediatelyfollow the removal of the donated kidneys. Tomaximize the odds of finding donor-recipientpairs to take part in such an exchange, a largenumber of incompatible donor-recipient pairsneed to be identified. A Canada-wide registrywas created in April 2009, but it was not untilDecember 2010 that Quebec signed on. Todate, five provinces have registered patients,which has led to a number of transplants thatwould not otherwise have been possible.

Living Donor CompensationProgram

Although all costs involved in evaluating poten-tial donors (many exams and medical appoint-ments) as well as surgical and hospitalizationfees are currently covered by Quebec’s publichealth insurance plan (RAMQ), it was not untilDecember 2010 that the Act to facilitate organand tissue donation was adopted, adding cov -erage of a number of other expenses associatedwith donating: travel, accommodation andmeals, as well as, in some cases, loss of revenueduring the hospitalization and convalescence

YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2010-2011 3

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4 YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2010-2011

periods. Donors can therefore be reimbursedfor expenses up to $5,715.

The implementation of this expense reimburse-ment program for living donors is a way to re-ward acts of altruism by generous people whowish to donate a kidney to help a loved one. Itis important to recognize that this is not a mat-ter of paying someone to donate a kidney; it isa question of reimbursing the donor for ex-penses incurred during the donation process.

In short, living donor kidney transplants arecurrently the best treatment for people livingwith severe kidney disease. In Quebec, thenumber of kidney transplants occurring thanksto living donors is much higher than in otherCanadian provinces. Many measures have

been taken in this respect by The Kidney Foun-dation of Canada, which plays a key role inraising awareness among the general public,patients, health professionals and governmentrepresentatives so that more kidney patientsin Quebec can benefit from this preferredtreatment.

Michel R. Pâquet*Nephrologist, Montreal’s Notre-Dame HospitalChairman of The Kidney Foundation of Canada’sProvincial Organ Donation Committee

* Text written in September 2009 and up-dated in January 2011 following the Que-bec National Assembly’s adoption of theAct to facilitate organ and tissue donation onDecember 8, 2010.

Your Health

Income taxDid you know that people living with kidney failure are en-titled to tax credits? To find out more, refer to the Websites of the Canada Revenue Agency (www.cra-arc.gc.ca)and Revenu Québec (www.revenu.gouv.qc.ca). You mayalso obtain the required forms and get advice from theQuebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s pro-grams director.

PagersGet a free pager! Bell Mobility offers people awaiting a kid-ney transplant a free pager for a renewable one-year period.Ask the Foundation’s programs director for the appropriateforms; her particulars are listed opposite.

Note that in order to renew your subscription, you will needto complete a new registration form at the end of the 12-month period.



PPAATTIIEENNTT

To receive documentation and informationabout the programs offered by the QuebecBranch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada,refer to the “Patient Programs and Support”and “Organ Donation” sections of our Web siteat www.kidney.ca/quebec, or contact:

Hélène Boisvert, Programs DirectorThe Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch2300 René-Lévesque Blvd WestMontreal, Quebec H3H 2R5Tel.: 514-938-4515, ext. 224, or 1-800-565-4515E-mail: [email protected]

Services

PreventionMauricie Chapter hosts symposium on kidney failure prevention

The symposium on kidney failure prevention organized byThe Kidney Foundation of Canada was held on October 22,2010, in Quebec’s Mauricie region and was attended by80 people. Aimed at health professionals (general practi-tioners, nurses, dieticians, pharmacists and hospital admi-nistrators from the Mauricie region), local communityhealth centres (CLSCs), nursing homes (CHSLDs), privateclinics and medical centres, as well as representatives ofthe Agence de santé et de services sociaux de la Mauricie,the symposium’s main objective was to raise awarenessabout the realities of chronic kidney failure.

However, the symposium had many specific objectives,including to:

• Give participants a sense of the realities of chronic kid-ney disease in Quebec.

• Demonstrate the importance of prevention when itcomes to chronic kidney failure.

• Inform participants about kidney failure’s impact on pa-tients, society and the economy.

• Inform participants about the risk factors leading tochronic kidney failure.

• Inform participants about the medical means to preventchronic kidney failure (prevention).

• Inform participants about the means used to recognizeand treat the medical complications of chronic kidneyfailure.

• Inform participants about the right time to direct a pa-tient toward kidney substitution treatments (dialysisand kidney transplant).

This event was made possible thanks to the hard work ofthe following Organizing Committee members:

Chairman:•Dr. Pierre Nantel, Nephrologist, Sorel-Tracy’s Hôtel-DieuHospital

Members:•Dr. Pierre Cartier, Nephrologist, Saint-Jérôme Hospital• Louise Corneille, Nephrologist, Centre hospitalierambulatoire régional de Laval (CHARL), Laval’s Cité-de-la-Santé Hospital

Thanks to our sponsors: Ortho-Biotech, Bristol-MyersSquibb Canada, Sanofi Aventis and Shire.



News from the Chapters

Quebec CityChristmas PartyThe Kidney Foundation of Canada hosted a breakfast forkidney failure patients at Hôtel Québec, where more than200 people enjoyed music and received door prizes.That day, at the same time, a party for dialysis patientswas held at Quebec City's Hôtel-Dieu Hospital.

Left to right: Gaétan Rhéaume, President of theQuebec City Chapter; Marcel Bédard, Outgoing President of the Quebec City Chapter; Pierre deBeaumont, Vice-president of Communications for the Quebec City Chapter.

Saguenay/ Lac-Saint-JeanChristmas dinnerThe traditional Christmas dinner for kidney failure pa-tients took place on December 20 at Chicoutimi Hospi-tal, where some 180 people including patients, staff,doctors, nurses and dietitians shared great holiday foodand warm moments.

Eastern TownshipsOyster party The traditional oyster party in honour of Jean-JacquesBégin took place on October 8 at Sherbrooke’s CentreJulien Ducharme, giving over 100 people an opportunityto enjoy succulent oysters! Thanks to attendees’ gene-rosity, the event raised nearly $10,000.

From the left: Martin Munger, Executive Director of the Quebec Branch; Josée Parenteau, EasternTownships Chapter President and Oyster PartyCoordinator; Dr. Martin Plaisance, Nephrologistand Organizing Committee member.



Montréal-MétropolitainFOUNDER’S AWARD CAMPAIGN

Seventeen kidney transplant athletes receive the 2010 Founder’s Award

Held on November 24, 2010, The KidneyFoundation of Canada’s 20th annual Foun-der’s Award Gala was a tremendous suc-cess. At the event, 17 kidney transplantathletes who participated in the 2010Canadian Transplant Games were given theFounder’s Award.

The Gala brought to a close the 2010Founder’s Award Campaign, which hadbeen chaired by Luciano D’Ignazio, CA,of Schwartz Levitsky Feldman LLP, andHonorary Chairman Tony Loffreda, CPA,Regional Vice-president, Western Quebec& Place Ville-Marie, RBC Royal Bank.Thanks to their invaluable participation anddedication, as well as that of Founder’sAward Campaign Committee members, theevent raised over $800,000, bringing thecampaign’s 20-year fundraising total toover $14 million.

“Organ donation is the ultimate act ofgenerosity, a true gift of life. We thought itwas important to honour these 17 remark -able people during our 20th annual Gala.They are living proof of what this gift of lifecan truly accomplish,” said Mr. Loffreda,Honorary Chairman of the Founder’s AwardCampaign.

This year’s Gala is proof that life really can be prolongedthrough organ donation, and in this particular case,through kidney donation. Every year, hundreds of Quebecerswatch their health deteriorate due to kidney disease.Because they don’t have the opportunity to receive atransplant, they need medical care to stay alive. Initia-tives like the Gala are essential, because they support

research that will one day find a cure for kidney diseaseand help everyone living with it today,” said Mr. D’Igna-zio, Founder’s Award Campaign Chairman. As proudcontributors to the measures included in the Act to fa-cilitate organ and tissue donation, which was recentlydefended by Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc andsubsequently adopted into law, the Foundation took theopportunity to honour these 17 kidney transplantathletes and celebrate the new act.

Front (left to right): Tony Loffreda, Honorary Founder’s Award Campaign Chairman, Nadine Ogonowski, Lloyd Mangahas, RosaShields, Carmen Boudreau, Luciano D’Ignazio, Founder’s Award Campaign Chairman. Middle (left to right): Jean-Christophe Nicolas,Lise Plamondon Guay, Riitta Kaarre, Elizabeth Ingram, Laureen Bureau. Back (left to right): Sarah Ferron, Sébastien Larochelle, Jonathan Émond, Gordon Denison, Guy Peterson.

News from the Chapters



Founder’s Award Campaign Golf Tournament

The 12th annual Founder’s Award Campaign Golf Tournament tookplace under sunny skies at the Royal Montreal Golf Club on Île-Bizardon September 20, 2010. The event, which could only be described asa hole in one, raised $120,000 for the Foundation. We salute and ex-tend our most heartfelt thanks to all the golfers and sponsors for theirimmense generosity. Their ongoing support will help the Foundationimprove quality of life for people living with kidney disease.

Luciano D’Ignazio, Founder’s Award Campaign Chairman, and TonyLoffreda, Founder’s Award Campaign Honorary Chairman.

Headliners’ Happy Hour

The Headliners’ Happy Hour (5@8 Têtes d’affiches) took place at theCorona Theatre on November 17, 2010. This new concept, which waslaunched by the Montréal-Métropolitain Chapter of The Kidney Foun-dation of Canada, seeks to shine the spotlight on young Montreal en-trepreneurs who stand out in their respective fields. Over 90 peopletook advantage of the warm and laid-back atmosphere of this all-newevent to mix, mingle and network with the evening’s five headliners.By the end of the evening, the Foundation had raised over $4,000,which will be used to improve the day-to-day lives of people suffer -ing from kidney disease.

On the left, one of the headliners, Michael Charest, Human Resources Partner at ADP Canada, and Michel Lamoureux,Partner at Raymond Executive Search.

Soul of Hope Concert

On October 23, 2010, at St-Hyacinthe’s Hôtel des Seigneurs,Pierre Lucien, a singer well known in the region, performeda benefit soul music concert for The Kidney Foundation ofCanada before an audience of over 100 people.

“All proceeds from the event went to The Kidney Foundationof Canada to help people with kidney disease. In fact, I’mone of those people, and I have to undergo dialysis severaltimes a week, so it just made sense for me to try to make adifference,” said Mr. Lucien.



The Kidney Foundation of Canadaawards its 2010 Medal of Excellenceto Dr. Kevin D. Burns

The Kidney Foundation of Canadawas founded by a group of devotedpeople who mobilized in 1964 afterrealizing how little kidney researchwas being done.

For the year extending from July 1,2009, to June 30, 2010, the Founda-tion funded 61 projects in 27 cen-tres, for a total of some $3 million.

Since it was created, The KidneyFoundation of Canada has awardedgrants totalling nearly $100 millionto support a variety of research pro-jects nationwide, and the financialsupport it provides each year con -tinues to increase.

DID YOU KNOW?

RESEARCH

Dr. Kevin D. Burns stands out as a pioneer dedicated toputting the fruits of his research to work for patients,and as a clinical researcher who is committed to trainingfuture scientists. For that reason, The Kidney Foundationof Canada awarded him the 2010 Medal of Excellence inResearch.

Dr. Burns is the former president of the Canadian Societyof Nephrology and is currently directing the managementcommittee of the Kidney Research Scientist Core Educa-tion and National Training Program (KRESCENT), a nation -al basic sciences and clinical research program that hehad a lead role in launching. “After playing an active partin creating the KRESCENT Program, Dr. Burns continues toshow incredible leadership and devotion in providingyoung scientists with the best possible training so thatthey’ll be in a position to develop innovative multidisci-plinary research programs themselves,” said Dr. Marie-Josée Hébert, who holds the Shire Chair in Nephrologyand Renal Transplantation and Regeneration at Universitéde Montréal.

Dr. Burns’s work deals mainly with the function of the hor-monal system in the kidneys that regulates blood pres-sure and fluid levels (renin-angiotensin system or RAS).His laboratory recently made some discoveries about theactivity of an RAS enzyme called ACE2, which could pro-vide protection against kidney disease. Dr. Burns is alwaysseeking to find practical applications for his research,which could serve to help patients with kidney disease.

About Dr. Kevin D. Burns

After graduating from McGill University, Dr. Burns wenton to perform a research fellowship in the Division ofNephrology at Tennessee’s Vanderbilt University beforereturning to Canada, where he currently holds a largenumber of high-profile positions. Dr. Burns is Professorand Head of the Division of Nephrology at the Universityof Ottawa and at the Ottawa Hospital, Director of the KidneyResearch Centre at the Ottawa Health Research Instituteof the Ottawa Hospital, not to mention Vice-presidentof Research at the Department of Medicine at OttawaHospital. Dr. Burns has 80 original publications to hisname, has had countless articles published in presti-gious journals, and has either authored or co-authoredseven book chapters.



Chapter Volunteer Award

Martin Munger, Executive Director of the QuebecBranch, handing out the Chapter Volunteer Award to Esther Girard (centre), Vice-president of Patient Services for the Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean Chapter,along with Noëlla Gagné, President of the Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean Chapter.

Bulletin Board

Christmas party for young dia

lysis

and transplant patients at Sain

te-Jus-

tine Hospital

On December 12, 2010, over 60

people took part in the tra-

ditional Christmas brunch for ch

ildren in Saint-Justine Hos-

pital’s kidney dialysis and tran

splant unit, after which the

gifts under the tree were handed

out. The activities that fol-

lowed in the afternoon included

games, crafts and dancing

for young dialysis patients.

The Kidney Foundation of Cana

da would like to extend its

most heartfelt thanks to Maryse

Pineault for organizing the

Christmas party, and to Normand

Pineault for supporting his

wife in her efforts.

Thank-yous also go out to Bom

bardier’s Employee Charity

Fund and in particular to Claud

ia Côté, who not only pur-

chased all the gifts for the child

ren, but also put together

the scrumptious brunch.

Martin Munger, Executive Direc

tor of the Quebec

Branch of The Kidney Foundatio

n of Canada (right),

accompanied by Bombardier em

ployees.

Mark

your calendars

Coffee Club Meeting in Sherbr

ooke

March 30, 2011, at Bibliothèque E

va-Sénécal

Door-to-door campaign – March

2011

World Kidney Day – March 10, 2

011

National Organ Donation Week

from April 17 to 24, 2011

The Kidney Walk – May 15, 2011

Annual General Meeting

May 28 and 29, 2011,

in Val-d’Or



PROVINCIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS handed out at the AGM

1. PRESIDENT’S AWARDThis award is given to an exceptional volunteer who has actively contributed to the Foundation’s mission in an out-of-the-ordinary way.

2. MORTY TARDER AWARDYoung Montreal architect Morty Tarder died of complications brought on by kidney failure. His family got together to create an organization to raise funds for research that would lead to a better understanding of this disease. The award is given to the chapter that has provided the Foundation with exceptional support in all its activities.

3. COMMUNICATIONS AWARDThis award is given to a journalist, media representative or media organization in recognition of efforts made to raise the public’s awareness of the Foundation.

4. FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT AWARDThis award is given to an individual, group or chapter whose efforts to help the Foundation reach or surpass its non-corporate fundraising goals is deemed extraordinary.

5. MICHEL PERRON AWARD In April 1993, a week after receiving a kidney transplant, Michel Perron decided to become a Foundation volunteer in order to help promote organ donation. Hiscommitment to the Foundation’s work, his contribution and his accomplishmentshave made their mark on the Foundation. This award is given to a company thatmakes a major financial contribution, by either donating directly or organizing acampaign to benefit the Foundation.

6. JEAN-JACQUES BÉGIN AWARD Jean-Jacques Bégin supported the Foundation and all its activities. He chaired a number of patient services committees, and served as President of the EasternTownships Chapter and of the Quebec Branch from 1980 to 1982. His unremittingwork led to considerable improvements in patient services. This award is given to an individual, group or chapter whose commitment to providing patients withprograms and services is deemed extraordinary.

7. ORGAN DONATION AWARDThis award is given to an individual or group whose outstanding commitment to the Foundation’s programs and activities has helped promote organ and tissue donation.

8. CHAPTER VOLUNTEER AWARDThis award is given to a volunteer whose efforts have constituted a remarkablecontribution to the growth and development of the chapter’s activities.

9. GIFT OF LIFE HUMANITARIAN AWARD This award seeks to recognize an employer whose efforts facilitated the kidney donation or transplant process for one or more of its employees.

Annual General

Meeting

The Quebec Branch

of The Kidney Foundation

of Canada will hold its annual

general meeting (AGM)

on May 28 and 29, 2011,

at L’Escale Hôtel Suite

in Val-d’Or.

Kindly register no later than

May 2, 2011, by contacting

Jocelyne Renaud

at 514-938-4515, ext. 230,

or at 1-800-565-4515.

BBEECCOOMMEE AA MMEEMMBBEERR OOFF TTHHEE

FFOOUUNNDDAATTIIOONN Complete the formon the back of this

newsletter.

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT


The mission of The Kidney Foundation of CanadaThe Kidney Foundation of Canada is the national volunteer organization committed to lesseningthe burden of kidney disease through:

• funding and stimulating innovative research;• providing education and support;• promoting access to high quality healthcare; and• increasing public awareness and commitment to advancingkidney health and organ donation.Quebec Branch

2300 René-Lévesque Blvd WestMontreal, Quebec H3H 2R5

Tel.: 514-938-45151-800-565-4515Fax: 514-938-4757

[email protected]

Become a member of The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch• Receive the Kidney-Link and Your Health insert • Receive information on our activities

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2011

www.kidney.ca/quebec

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