MONTREAL – A 73-year-old Montrealer became one of Quebec’s first patients to participate in Canada’s living donor paired exchange program this August.
The complex kidney exchange was also a first for the doctor, Dr. Gabriel Chan, a surgeon at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital.
“Participating in such a national program provides our patients a service that wasn’t available a few years ago,” Dr. Chan told Global News.
The way it works is that a patient in need of a kidney transplant finds a loved that’s not compatible, but willing to give up a kidney.
Then the national registry finds the perfect match and pairs people up across the country pairing up a maximum of six people per transplant chain.
“Instead of giving directly to your loved one you can give a kidney to somebody else,” says Dr. Chan, “and as the chain progresses your loved one will receive a kidney from someone else in this exchange program.”
Cosmo Fazioli got his much needed new kidney from a patient in Vancouver.
In exchange, four days earlier, his son – who happens to be Global News’ reporter Domenic Fazioli – gave one of his kidneys to a patient in Ottawa.
“I was so worried the last two months of my life,” Fazioli admitted.
“I’ve been through incredible emotions, ups and downs, sadness, scared. For the first time in my life, I was worried about dying and for the first time in my life, I was worried about one of my parents dying.”
Cosmo Fazioli had spent the past five years of his life on dialysis.
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He was on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, but he had little hope until his son offered to help.
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“Waiting for somebody to die or to find someone to just give it to you it’s very hard,” Cosmo Fazioli said.
“You can wait maybe five years, and some people wait more than seven years.”
Leave it to a crime reporter to get to scoop.
When Domenic found out that Quebec was about to start buying into the National Kidney Exchange Program in 2010, he did his research and then approached his dad’s doctor.
“I couldn’t live the rest of my life knowing that I didn’t do anything,” Domenic revealed.
“I had to do it – I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if I didn’t try.”
Despite having to go back for a second surgery after the transplant, Cosmo Fazioli is now on the road to recovery.
“I feel very well now everything is over apparently,” he smiled.
“I went out of the hospital yesterday so I hope all goes well, I don’t have to go back.”
His doctor is proud to have participated in the life-saving exchange and hopes to facilitate more in the future.
He also has a lot of admiration for Domenic’s decision to donate.
“It’s a big move and they are understaking the risks – even the risk of dying, albeit small – but it’s a risk that you wouldn’t have if you didn’t undergo the procedure,” he said.
But for Domenic – putting his life on the line for his father was more than worth it.
“I think it’s the first time I’ve seen my dad smile in five years.”
Domenic’s dad, Cosmo feels he has a new-found freedom.
“It changed my life alright,” he admits.
“He’s a very good person to me, Domenic gave me the best gift he could give his father – not that many kids give that kind of gift . . . you know I’m very happy about this.”
The moral of the story? Sign your donor card!
“If everybody signed their donor card, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” Domenic acknowledges.
“I hope people listen to my dad, listen to our story, and tonight just sign their card.”
In part two of this exclusive story, Anne Leclair investigates why Quebec performs fewer living organ donations than any other province. Tune in at 6 on Friday.
Related links:
Quebec’s organ donation website: www.signforlife.ca
Canadian Blood Services (oversees the program): www.blood.ca
Transplant Quebec: www.transplantquebec.ca
Kidney Foundation of Canada: www.kidney.ca
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