Family of woman denied liver transplant watching to see if condition improves

Relatives of a young Inuk activist suffering from acute liver failure are watching to see if her condition continues to improve.

They say Delilah Saunders was sent to a Toronto hospital in critical condition after having been denied a spot on a transplant waiting list because she hadn’t remained sober for the previous six months.

READ: Inuk woman refused liver transplant due to alcohol use showing signs of recovery

Her lawyer says the 26-year-old woman’s condition improved slightly yesterday and her family was awaiting further test results to find out if she will recover or still needs a liver transplant.

Saunders says several supporters have volunteered to be her organ donor, but the process was stalled by an Ontario transplant program’s sobriety requirement.

READ MORE: Inuk advocate for women rejected for liver transplant due to alcoholism: friends

The Trillium Gift of Life Network provides organs for transplants in Ontario and says its abstinence policy is used across Canada and the U-S.

Amnesty International is supporting a campaign for Saunders’ inclusion on the waiting list.

Saunders began advocating for the rights of missing and murdered indigenous women following the murder of her sister Loretta in 2014 in Halifax.