It was two years ago when we started down this road. At the time, we didn’t have any idea how bumpy the road ahead was going to be. It was early on in this 
mess when a friend who had donated a kidney suggested that whatever was to come we were best to remember that some folks were pretty much in this alone.
She was meaning that people who are immunocompromised were going to have to put themselves first and foremost because no one else was going to do it.
And, well, here we are.
On Wednesday, B.C. reported 14 more deaths related to COVID-19, and there were four more revealed on Thursday.
Also on Thursday, Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix, the province’s minister of health, announced an end to the mask mandate in most indoor public places, while leaving the vaccination passport system in place until April 8.
It didn’t matter that Thursday was World Kidney Day, something that didn’t even get a mention during the Dr. Henry/Dix news conference. It was just time to loosen the reins.
So, well, here we are.
On Friday, the first day when masks no longer were mandated in many B.C. locations, John Horgan, B.C.’s NDP premier, held a news conference in Victoria. The announcement of that gathering included this: “Media attending must wear a mask and practice physical distancing.”
Hey, good for Horgan to be looking after himself — he completed a series of cancer treatments in January so is immunocompromised.
However, there are a whole lot of such people who aren’t in a position to get on a transit bus and announce that everyone there must wear a mask. Or to walk into a grocery store and make the same statement.
There are a whole lot of immunocompromised people, including parents of immunocompromised children, out there who are feeling confused and disappointed and frustrated.
Look, I know that the indicators, including hospitalizations and deaths, are looking more positive. But, gee, check out what’s going on in Changchun, a city of nine million in China that has been locked down. Do some reading on what happened in Denmark after restrictions were lifted. It’s quite apparent that this pandemic isn’t anywhere close to being over.
How did we get to this place where part of society sees so many people’s lives as being as disposable as a bunch of Bic lighters? How did we get to this place where wearing a mask in certain situations is just too much of a sacrifice for some people to make, even if it means protecting others with whom they may come in contact?
In B.C., John Horgan, the premier, says he will continue to wear a mask. So, too, does Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer. If that’s the case, why did those two choose to dump the mask mandate at this particular point in time?
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One other thing . . .
Numerous experts have recommended a fourth vaccination for those who are immunocompromised. In fact, Alberta has been providing a fourth shot for well over a month now. In B.C., there hasn’t been even a mention of it.
Does anyone know why not?
Amanda Selvaratnam, the head of corporate training at the U of York in the UK, has given a kidney to her son, Phillip. She also has worked with Kidney Research UK to provide a video diary of their experience. . . . Here are Parts 1 and 2:
If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:
Living Kidney Donor Program
St. Paul’s Hospital
6A Providence Building
1081 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6
Tel: 604-806-9027
Toll free: 1-877-922-9822
Fax: 604-806-9873
Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca
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Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney
Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre
Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street
Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9
604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182
kidneydonornurse@vch.ca
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Or, for more information, visit right here.
Do good, feel good! Register to be an organ donor and get that warm fuzzy feeling. 1 organ donor can save up to 8 lives. Taketwominutes.ca #TakeTwoMinutes
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