Welcome to a site where we sometimes provide food for thought, and often provide information about the Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation.
Medical teams in British Columbia completed 217 organ transplants in the first six months of 2022, with 130 of those involving kidneys.
According to statistics kept by BC Transplant, 38 of those transplants involved living kidney donors, with 96 transplanted kidneys coming from deceased donors. There also were two pancreas-kidney transplants.
As of June 30, there were 460 people in B.C. awaiting kidney transplants, while 3,733 recipients were being followed post-transplant.
Some other numbers of interest:
There were 46 liver transplants in the first half of 2022, all of them involving cadavers. At the same time, there were 18 people on the waiting list, with 1,028 recipients being followed post-transplant.
Medical teams also performed nine heart transplants prior to June 30, with nine more people on the waiting list, and 376 recipients being followed.
My wife, Dorothy, underwent a kidney transplant almost nine years ago. But I doubt that I will ever forget when she was told to go ahead and try to find a
Vic Morin of Kamloops continues his search for a kidney.
donor. At that time, I don’t think potential recipients felt that they should be too aggressive in their search. I do know that in the beginning Dorothy (a) was in denial, and (b) was especially concerned about not wanting her problem to also be someone else’s problem. . . . Times have changed, though, and now we even have people like Vic Morin of Kamloops, who has a decal in the rear window of his car asking folks to consider donating a kidney to him and including a phone number.
And now Transplant Ambassador Program (TAP) has taken things a step further. As Avis Favaro of CTV reports: “Canadians in dire need of a kidney now have a chance to directly appeal to potential living donors thanks to a new service that lets them share their photos and life stories in hopes of finding a transplant match.
“The novel service is offered by Transplant Ambassador Program (TAP), a Canadian support group for people with kidney disease. The site’s Patients Seeking Donors section takes inspiration from dating apps, where people post photos and share insights into their lives in their callout to potential donors.”
This sounds like a terrific idea and given time here’s hoping it produces results.
Most people don’t think about live organ donation until it hits close to home. That’s exactly what happened to CBC’s Ioanna Roumeliotis when her brother suddenly needed a kidney transplant. WATCH: https://t.co/d4miIdWu99
This story is from early in May, but it’s well worth a read and a watch.
Known to her nearly 5 million TikTok followers as Bella Brave, the 8-year-old from Saskatchewan received a standing ovation at the David Foster Foundation gala on Saturday night all thanks to Broadway star Jessica Vosk. #GreenShirtDay#LoganBouletEffecthttps://t.co/ocPjiD5CCV
Qualicum First Nation Chief Michael Recalma underwent a kidney transplant in February and made his first public appearance early in May, telling Michael Briones of the Parksville Qualicum Beach News that he feels “amazing.” . . . “It’s just been amazing,” Recalma said. “The transformation, the change from a sluggish guy. I called myself a turtle. To change into . . . I have energy. I have the right colour back on my face and I have gained some weight. There’s nothing wrong with that at all.” . . . The complete story is right here.
IN THE NEWS! 📰📣 Qualicum First Nation chief makes first official appearance after kidney transplant. Qualicum First Nation Chief Michael Recalma says he feels “amazing.”https://t.co/HCfNuIJPtj
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
The number 6 means a lot to Toby Boulet, a leading advocate for organ donation. (Photo: Toby Boulet/Facebook)
Toby Boulet, perhaps Canada’s best-known advocate for organ donation, is asking people who aren’t yet vaccinated to take one for the team.
Boulet’s son, Logan, was one of 16 people killed in the crash involving the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos on April 6, 2018. Logan, who was 20, had registered as an organ donor a short time before the accident and his organs ended up helping six different people.
Now, with transplantation surgery having been halted in Saskatchewan —only living-donor kidney transplants are performed there — Boulet told Global News that he really wants people to pull together to help us get through this.
“If you can think of what happened with the Humboldt Broncos tragedy and what you did and how you responded,” he said in an interview with Global News, “how your love went out to the families of the Broncos and the families and the community of Humboldt . . . we need you now to help other families, other people.”
Boulet, who lives in Lethbridge, also pointed out that “organ transplants are a critical service and the fact that they’re being shut down is devastating and there will be loss of life because of the decisions of some,”
At the same time, he didn’t pull any punches when looking at the overall situation.
“I firmly believe it’s the selfishness of people that don’t see the community as being first,” he said. “It’s not about me, it’s not about you, it’s about the team. And the team needs you right now.”
Earlier in the day, in an interview with Saskatoon radio station CKOM, Boulet asked those who are waiting for transplants not to give up the fight.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) shut down transplantation surgery on Thursday, a move that Boulet told me made him “feel physically ill.”
Lori Garchinski, SHA’s executive director, said that with COVID-19 hospitalizations surging in her province, staff normally involved in transplants has had to be transferred to intensive care units.
Boulet told CKOM the shut down is “an absolute tragedy.”
The COVID-19 Pandemic has a devastating effect on organ donation across Canada. In 2020, organ donations were down 40%, but the need for organ donors had not shrunk.
The Kidney Foundation, SK Branch feels the deep disappointment of patients on the transplant waitlist, those who have a living donor ready to donate, & the families of deceased donors who will now be unable to fulfill the last wishes of their loved one.https://t.co/bmDFu6Htcq
Dr. Hassan Masri of the U of Saskatchewan’s College of Medicine was mentioned here yesterday because of his tweet about that province having to halt organ transplantation.
Later, he posted this on Facebook and his words say everything:
“Most patients that come to the ICU come in a very critical condition and without any immediate and aggressive intervention most would die in a few short minutes to hours.
“Luckily most patients do make it out of the ICU and go on to their homes eventually and it brings all of us in the ICU a lot of joy to see that recovery.
“A small number of patients unfortunately don’t survive their disease and illness and they pass away. Many of those who pass away go on to become organ donors and in turn they save the lives of other people.
“Organ donation is a critical part of my job and it’s a role that brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction. More importantly, organ donors saves people’s lives because of the generosity of those who have died and their families. Being a small part of this process and facilitating this process is mind-blowing and it’s a feeling that I can’t describe to you in words.
“Effective (Thursday), Saskatchewan’s organ donation programs are shut down until further notice because of the pressure that COVID-19 has put on our ICUs. This means that no one can donate their organs and that is a shame, but it also means that no one will receive any organs and that is an equally big shame.
“Reading the email (Thursday) morning about the donation program being shut down was extremely painful and sad to me as I am sure it is sad and devastating to so many other colleagues who fought hard to have this program and to the families of those who have been waiting for an organ.
“The medical community and the SHA will continue to do their best to care for our citizens but the delay in taking any actions for weeks has a very tragic price.
“The impact of the COVID-19 fourth wave will be painful and this is just the beginning.
“I have said this and I will say this again. Fighting COVID-19 effectively cannot happen by adding more beds. It can happen by having our Saskatchewan government mandating vaccines for all who are eligible to receive it and by enforcing masks on everyone.”
Meanwhile . . .
The SJHL’s regular season was to have opened on Friday night with six games. But, said COVID-19, “not so fast, my friends.” . . . Even before the league got to opening night it had to shut down the Melville Millionaires until further notice due to a positive test somewhere within the organization. . . . “The decision for postponement did not come easy, but we all feel that this is the best decision to make at this time to mitigate the potential risks,” read an SJHL news release signed by Bill Chow, the commissioner. “The SJHL will work with the Melville Millionaires and teams affected by the postponement in rescheduling and will announce when that information is available. Any health matter is private in nature, the SJHL and the Melville Millionaires will have no further comments at this time.” . . . The Millionaires had played eight exhibition games in 14 days through Sept. 19. They were to have opened the regular season in Weyburn against the Red Wings on Friday night and then played in Weyburn on Saturday. . . . The SJHL’s original schedule had Melville playing three games through Sept. 29 and six more from Oct. 1 through Oct. 9. That included four games in five days from Oct. 1 through Oct. 5.
The WHL is pleased to congratulate Alex Clarke, who is set to become the first female linesperson in WHL history.
When the Regina Pats met the Warriors in Moose Jaw in an exhibition game on Friday night, Alex Clarke of Weyburn was to be one of the on-ice officials, becoming the first female to work the lines in a WHL game. This comes after Clarke, 28, worked the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Calgary in August. . . . From a WHL news release: “Clarke boasts extensive international experience, having been assigned to the 2020 IIHF Women’s World Championship, 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship (Division 1, Group B), 2018 4 Nations Cup, and 2018 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship (Division II, Group B).” She also has worked various leagues on the Prairies, including the SJHL and U Sports women’s games. . . . BTW, the WHL news release announcing that Clarke has joined the league’s officiating team referred to her as a linesperson. Does that move linesman/linesmen out of the vernacular? . . . The Pats won the game, 4-1. Unfortunately, the online scoresheet doesn’t list Clarke as one of the on-ice officials — there isn’t a Linesman 1 shown. Hopefully the league is able to get her name in there so that this moment in WHL history is right there on the website.
JUST NOTES: The Vancouver Giants will wear a patch on their sweaters this season in memory of Elizabeth Toigo, the mother of majority owner Ron Toigo, after she died on Friday morning. . . . The Ontario government and health officials announced some adjustments to restrictions on Friday, so OHL games played in Ontario arenas now can be opened up to 50 per cent capacity. . . . The CHL has cancelled the Canada-Russia series because of the pandemic. The six-game series last was held in 2019. . . . F Connor Zary, who played 203 regular-season games over four seasons with the Kamloops Blazers, will be out for a while — the NHL’s Calgary Flames show him as week-to-week — with a fractured ankle. Fortunately, the injury won’t require surgery. Zary, who turns 20 today (Saturday), was injured when he blocked a shot in a rookie game against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. He has signed with the Flames and likely is ticketed for their AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat.
Organizers of the 2022 Manitoba Games announced Friday that they won’t be held. The Games were scheduled for Niverville, from Feb. 27 through March 5, and would have involved around 1,500 participants and about 1,000 volunteers. . . . From a Sport Manitoba news release: “Over the last 18 months, inconsistencies in competition and training opportunities had an effect on athlete development. Without regular training, conditioning, and recovery routines in this crucial stage, the risk of injury, mental fatigue, and overtraining were also factors in making this decision. Along with continued uncertainty about the pandemic, and public health restrictions, it became clear it would not be possible to host an event of this magnitude and execute a safe and successful multi-sport Games experience.”
Andrew Wiggins, who is from Thornhill, Ont., was the first overall selection in the NBA’s 2014 draft. However, he really hadn’t had much of a career until last season when he joined the Golden State Warriors. But now it turns out he’s an anti-vaxxer and, well, here’s Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle . . .
“If Wiggins carries through with his rejection of the COVID-19 vaccine, leaving the Warriors with a part-time player who had been counted upon to start, his career is essentially over. Remember Draymond Green’s unbridled fury at Kevin Durant because he might not be fully committed to the franchise? Imagine how Green, and the rest of the Warriors, will react if Wiggins joins the list of selfish, isolated professional athletes who choose principle — even if it’s something they can’t adequately explain — over the team dynamic and the health of others.”
Jenkins also reported that Wiggins, if he isn’t vaccinated, won’t “be able to play in any home games at Chase Center, due to San Francisco’s updated policy for large indoor gatherings.”
On Friday, the NBA announced that it had denied Wiggins’ request for a religious exemption from the San Francisco Department of Health’s order requiring vaccination for anyone 12 and older at large indoor events.
Wiggins is scheduled to make something like US$29.54 million for 2021-22.
The Chicago Blackhawks were missing two players from Friday’s on-ice sessions because of COVID-19 protocols. G Kevin Lankinen and F Mike Hardman. That doesn’t mean either player tested positive; perhaps they were in contact with someone who did. No further details were released. . . . The Blackhawks are 100 per cent vaccinated, according to GM Stan Bowman.
If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:
Before returning to Kamloops and the comforts of home, Marlene and John Casey stopped off to pay their respects at a large wreath in support of healthcare workers near Vancouver General Hospital.
A warm welcome home to two of our favourite people — Marlene and John Casey.
They arrived back home in Kamloops late last week after an event-filled three months in Vancouver.
John underwent a kidney transplant at Vancouver General Hospital on May 31. As he went through recovery, he ran into a few issues, but was in good hands. And he came out the other end in good shape.
As he wrote on Facebook before heading for home: “We really feel we owe a lot of gratitude to all the nurses and doctors who got us through this. A number of the nurses gathered round this morning to say goodbye. We wished we could hug them.”
Upon their return, Marlene and John couldn’t wait to get back to McArthur Island, an area on Kamloops’ North Shore where they love to walk. John knows his way around a camera and has an eye for wildlife, as the photo below of a fishing heron proves — check out the shadow, too.
Here’s to happy trails to you two!
What better way to start organ donation week, So proud to have been involved in this the largest Organ Donation trial ever….#OrganDonation#ODT_Research#CTU https://t.co/cUs6IJtj34
There is important news from the UK where, as part of a groundbreaking trial, potential organ donors are being given a dose of simvastatin before their organs are removed. This is expected to result in more and better-quality organs being available for transplant. . . . Andrew Gregory has more right here.
A man born with four kidneys is meeting with Manchester-based paediatric nephrologist and Professor @RLWczyk during his 1000-mile challenge to raise money for @Kidney_Researchhttps://t.co/UNL9AAzeWC
IN THE NEWS! 📰📣 A long wait for a kidney for Langley woman gets even longer. A retired registered nurse who needs a kidney transplant has twice had the frustrating experience of having a willing donor who had to be ruled out after medical tests.https://t.co/QneUCevjSe
For those who need a little sunshine today – thanks to 11 year old liver recipient, Ian for his beautiful artistic skills. Thank you to all of our organ donors. #taketwominutespic.twitter.com/WCmYo2JrAP
Susan Ellis and Tia Wimbush both work in the IT department of Atlanta’s Children’s Healthcare. But they have more than that in common — both of their husbands have been battling kidney disease. . . . But guess what? It turns out that Susan was a match for Tia’s husband, Rodney. And, yes, Tia was a match for Susan’s husband, Lance. . . . The transplants occurred on March 19, 2021. . . . Their remarkable stories are right here.
He was supposed to get his kidney transplant this week but when he arrived at the Alberta hospital, his surgery was cancelled — and he’s not alone. | Reporting by Erin Collins pic.twitter.com/jLI9pRAEuo
Did you know the oldest organ donor in Canada was 92? The oldest tissue donor was 104? Almost anyone can be a donor, regardless of age! Every potential donor is considered on a case-by-case basis.
Want an easy win to feel great? Register to be an organ donor today. It will only #TakeTwoMinutes and you could save a life. Great deed and fuzzy feels without any hassle. #Register2Give taketwominutes.ca
Is this photo taken by John Casey a National Geographic-calibre shot, or what? The owlet on the right looking at John upside down really is something.
John Casey, a friend from the Kamloops Kidney Support Group, continues to recover in Vancouver after having had a kidney transplant at Vancouver General Hospital on May 31.
John, who had been on dialysis for more than two years, had surgery three days after he and Marlene celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
There were a few complications but nothing seems to have impacted the new kidney, which is just motoring right along.
Marlene and John, who live on Kamloops’ North Shore, like nothing more than to go for a walk at McArthur Island. Yes, John always takes his camera, as he has an unerring eye for wildlife photos. Just like the shot of the owlets that accompanies this piece.
Dorothy was speaking with John the other night and I had her send along a message, saying that I was disappointed that I hadn’t seen any photos of Vancouver wildlife from their temporary home.
Gotta love John’s sense of humour, because it wasn’t long before he posted the other photo that I put up here, the one with the crows in it.
The photo was accompanied by this bit of prose:
“Every night at about sundown a ‘murder’ of crows fly past our place heading east to somewhere I assume where they will roost for the night. There are about 50-60 of them and sometimes they are all close together and often spread out over five minutes. This is for Gregg — it’s the closest I can get to wildlife down here — except when we spend the night in VGH Emergency.”
Oh, how we miss the KKSG gatherings and John’s sense of humour. Hurry home!
Vic Morin has been driving around Kamloops trying to find a kidney donor.
If you happen to live in Kamloops, you may have seen Vic Morin driving around in his black Mazda CX-5 that carries a message in the rear window.
“I need a kidney . . . Blood Type B+,” the sign reads, adding two phone numbers: “250.573.3765 and 250.574.2547.”
If you’re wondering, Vic and his wife, Colleen Bruce, have heard from two Kamloops women, both of whom have volunteered to give up a kidney and both of whom have begun the testing process.
That doesn’t mean that it’s too late for anyone else to volunteer or to register as an organ donor. The testing process is thorough and takes time, and one or both of these women may not make it to the end. In other words, there’s always room for more potential donors for Vic.
And please remember that your blood type doesn’t have to be B+ in order to help Vic or anyone else you may know who is in need of a kidney. That is where the Living Kidney Donor Program comes in: if you aren’t B+ you could offer up a kidney, but only if Vic or any other specific recipient with whom you are familiar gets one.
That is how hospitals in which transplants are done, and the medical teams that do them, put together chains involving two, four, six or more donors and recipients.
As I have mentioned here previously, that is how my wife, Dorothy, received a kidney almost eight years ago. Her best friend, Darlene, donated a kidney but she wasn’t the same blood type as Dorothy. So Darlene’s kidney went to an anonymous recipient, but that happened only because Dorothy got a kidney from an anonymous donor. Because of privacy concerns, we don’t have any idea how many recipients and donors were involved in this chain, but it had to be at least four — Darlene, Dorothy and two others.
If you are interested in the Living Kidney Donor Program, there is more information further down on this post.
A little fun in the sun! David and Coen, a kidney transplant recipient, looking sharp and cool in their shades.
Somerset County moms Stacey (left) and Tammy (right) share much more than a friendship. Three months ago, Stacey received one of Tammy's kidneys in a living-donor transplant operation at @AHNtoday Allegheny General Hospital. #DonateLife
IN THE NEWS! 📰📣 Documentary explores relationship between father and daughter as she donates a kidney. Transplant gave Kenneth Tait a chance to spend a few more months at home with family.https://t.co/NZL7OhGv4b
Want an easy win to feel great? Register to be an organ donor today. It will only #TakeTwoMinutes and you could save a life. Great deed and fuzzy feels without any hassle. #Register2Give taketwominutes.ca
The Backmeyer family of Kamloops is about to begin a search for a living kidney donor for their daughter, Ferris, 4.
You will recall that Ferris underwent a transplant in Vancouver on March 6, but there were complications and the kidney was removed mere hours after it had been put in place.
Ferris and Lindsey Backmeyer: The search for a living donor is about to begin. (Photo: Lindsey Backmeyer/Facebook)
After meeting with the medical team in Vancouver earlier this month, Ferris’s mother, Lindsey, wrote on Facebook that “there were a lot of factors that likely played a part in the failed transplant. The big one is that the kidney had two arteries — one that was apparently hidden and not identified when retrieved. . . . One of the requirements the surgeons had along with it needing to be small was that it be a single-artery, single-vein organ.”
One thing led to another, and clotting led to other issues creating “back pressure and bleeding.” Thus, the transplanted kidney had to be removed.
All of that, though, is in the past.
“For now,” Lindsey said, “the plan is to try and find her a living donor kidney.”
At the meeting in Vancouver, various options were discussed and Lindsey said the plan now is to “have her ready to be transplanted again by September.” That would be six months after the previous attempt.
Going into the Vancouver meeting, Lindsey didn’t think that a living donor would be an option. However, the medical team “expressed a strong desire for a living donor for Ferris . . . there are way too many benefits for a live-donation transplant.”
And so the search for a donor is about to begin.
“They will be incredibly selective in who they will test, but live-donor testing will resume right away!” Lindsey wrote.
Having been down this road with my wife, Dorothy, I can tell you that it isn’t easy asking someone for a kidney. It’s not like asking for a $20 loan, I can tell you that. And that is what the Backmeyers are going through.
As Lindsey put it, “I really don’t like canvassing for a kidney. It feels so weird to me, but her life depends on this . . . so be ready for all the Ferris poster spam!!”
Bring it on, Lindsey, bring it on!
Zach Tremblay and his date, long-time friend Taylor Martens, got ready to graduate from Stanley Humphries Secondary School in Castlegar last Friday. (Photo: Jana Tremblay/Facebook)
Meanwhile, Zach Tremblay, a young man who has been mentioned in this space on a few previous occasions, is just off a big weekend. Zach, who lives in Robson, B.C., has graduated from high school.
That is quite an accomplishment, when you consider that he has been making three trips a week down the highway to Trail where he undergoes hemodialysis for about four hours at a time.
Yes, Zach is waiting and hoping for a kidney transplant. Graduating from high school doesn’t put an end to any of that. He will continue to make the trek to Trail, and he still needs a kidney.
If you’re able to help, the contact info is further down on this post.
Marlene and John Casey, swinging in the pre-transplant days. (Photo: Kathryn Van Kommer/Facebook)
That brings us to John Casey, a happy part of the Kamloops Kidney Support Group.
He was released from St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver on Sunday after having undergone a kidney transplant on May 31, three days after he and his wife, Marlene, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
“I’m finally out of the hospital and the new kidney seems to be doing well,” he wrote on Facebook. “We will have a long period of recovery and I hope to continue to gain strength. We will be forever grateful to our medical system for pulling me through all this and the amazing personal care I got in the hospital.”
John had been doing peritoneal dialysis — hooking up to a cycler every night at home and letting it run its course while he slept — for more than two years prior to the transplant.
As things turned out, John encountered some cardiac-related issues while his medical team was doing the kidney transplant. This meant that he spent time in the cardiac ward before being transferred to the renal ward.
Things have since stabilized and John now has started his trip along the road to recovery. We eagerly look forward to having him and Marlene back with us in Kamloops.
The Kamloops Kidney Support Group also is feeling sadness after the death of Norm Naylor on Sunday morning at the Marjorie Willoughby Snowden Memorial Hospice Home in Kamloops. . . . Norm had kidney issues, but also was fighting cancer, and it was the cancer that finally took him after a long, hard battle. . . . Whenever the pandemic recedes and allows the KKSG to resume its monthly gatherings, Norm’s smile and dry sense of humour really will be missed. . . . Condolences to his dear wife, Evelyn, and their family.
#FeelGoodFriday A chance encounter in a bathroom at work turned into a lifesaving kidney #transplant chain for two coworkers at an Atlanta hospital. After their evaluation period and battling #COVID19, the couples recovered on the same hospital floor. https://t.co/NORKK41RgF
Paisley was born with a congenital condition where the healthy tissue of both kidneys were replaced by cysts. Doctors strongly suggested a transplant. Four years later, her dad gave his kidney to save her life. https://t.co/JCbBA73IlZ
After years of feeling helpless while watching his son live with a chronic illness, Shannon was able to help his son by being the perfect match for a needed #kidneytransplant. Happy #FathersDay weekend to all the kidney dads! #FeelGoodFridayhttps://t.co/fDTiUsekMY
Want an easy win to feel great? Register to be an organ donor today. It will only #TakeTwoMinutes and you could save a life. Great deed and fuzzy feels without any hassle. #Register2Give taketwominutes.ca
Hey, if you’re going to be in New York City on June 26, you may be interested in knowing that Springsteen on Broadway will be playing at the St. James Theater. It is scheduled to run through Sept. 4. Yes, you will need a ticket. You also will be required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination. Enjoy!
So in the eyes of the NHL, the rather innocuous comments Boston Bruins' coach Bruce Cassidy made about the officiating were five times as bad as what Tom Wilson did to Pavel Buchnevich and Artemi Panarin. Think about that for a minute.
So many people criticize athletes for providing stock answers in any kind of news conference situations. . . . Then, earlier this week, Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets offered comment on the four-game suspension he had received after a nasty hit in a playoff game against the Montreal Canadiens. . . . “I thought I was going to be tried to be shut down by Phillip Danault,” Scheifele said, referring to a Montreal forward. ”Instead, it was department of player safety that shut me down.” . . . For that, the social media mavens were all over him. Yes, it’s a hard world out there.
By now you will be aware that the MLB spotlight has shifted from inept hitters who are incapable to going the other way against the shift to pitchers who are gooping up in order to increase their spin rates, which makes the ball to previously unseen things. Apparently, one of the products at least some of the pitchers are using is Spider Tack, which is what serious weightlifters use in order to make sure they have a solid grip on the bar.
Anyway, it turns out that there is another theory out there. Here’s slugger Pete Alonso of the New York Mets in conversation with media during the week: “The biggest concern is MLB manipulates the baseballs year in and year out depending on the free agency class. . . . Oh, no, that’s a fact. Yes, guys have talked about it. It’s not a coincidence. It definitely is something that they did.”
That brought this response from R.J. Anderson, who covers MLB for CBS Sports: “Whether or not one finds merit in Alonso’s conspiracy theory — and it’s reasonable to doubt that MLB is a competent enough organization from top to bottom to pull off such maneuvers — his willingness to publicize it, and to suggest other players hold the same belief, points to the distrust that exists within clubhouses toward commissioner Rob Manfred and the owners.”
And therein is the rub . . . the distrust between players and owners in MLB is off the charts.
Brazil, which has been something of a hotbed for COVID-19, is preparing to play host to Copa America, but first, well, a couple of teams have this problem. . . . Venezuela had eight players and three coaches test positive after arriving in Brazil, while three of Bolivia’s players and one coach also came up positive. . . . Venezuela, which also had two players test positive before departing for Brazil, responded by bring in 15 new players for its opening game today (Sunday) against Brazil. . . . The Bolivians are to play Monday against Paraguay. . . . The tournament will be played without spectators.
After 10 seasons in the KHL, former Kootenay Ice star Nigel Dawes has chosen to move to the DEL, having signed a two-year deal with Adler Mannheim. . . . Dawes, 36, played this season with Ak Bars Kazan, scoring 23 goals and adding 20 assists in 47 games. . . . Dawes, a Winnipeg native, left North America to play in the KHL with Barys Astana for the 2011-12 season. He spent seven seasons with the team in Kazakhstan and has a Kazakh passport. In fact, he has played internationally for Kazakhstan. . . . Dawes then played two seasons with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg before moving to Ak Bars Kazan. . . . According to Addler Mannheim’s news release, Dawes played in 608 KHL regular-season and playoff games, putting up 293 goals and 257 assists. He is No. 1 among non-Russian goal scorers and No. 2 overall. Dawes also is the fifth-leading point-getter in KHL history. . . . He played four seasons with the Ice in Cranbrook. . . . The New York Rangers selected him in the fifth round of the NHL’s 2003 draft. In 212 NHL games, split among the Rangers, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Atlanta Thrashers and Montreal Canadiens, he had 39 goals and 45 assists.
— PrairieHockeyAcademy (@prairie_hockey) June 11, 2021
If/when the Okanagan Lakers get final approval, they will begin play in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League in time for the start of the 2021-22 season. . . . The Lakers, who will play out of UBC-Okanagan in Kelowna, announced Friday that Kevin Bathurst will be their first head coach. He has been with the Pursuit of Excellence midget varsity team since 2018. . . . The Lakers also announced that Gage Colpron has signed on to the “coaching and operations staff.” He played four seasons at this level, splitting time between the BCIHL’s VIU Mariners and ACAC’s Augustana Vikings.
JUST NOTES: The Victoria Royals and Medicine Hat Tigers cut a deal on Friday. The Victoria Royals added D Damon Agyeman (2002) and a ninth-round selection in the 2023 WHL prospects draft with the Tigers getting a conditional sixth-round pick in that same draft. . . . Agyeman, from Cochrane, Alta., has one goal and one assist in 21 games over three seasons with the Tigers.
A study published Thursday in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology reports that American transplant centres are using three times more hepatitis C-infected kidneys for transplant rather than dispose of them.
There has long been a fear that a transplant receiving a kidney with hepatitis C would become ill. According to this report, medical advancements in treating hepatitis C mean that those recipients won’t become ill.
Jen Christensen of CNN writes:
“Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes liver inflammation, sometimes leading to serious damage. Prior to 2018, most of the infected organs went to patients who already had hepatitis C. Since 2018, most of these infected kidneys, about 75 per cent, went to patients who did not have the virus.
“Patients who received infected kidneys had nearly the same function as those who received uninfected kidneys, the study said.”
Dr. Vishnu Potluri, the study’s lead author and a nephrology fellow at the U of Pennsylvania, told Christensen:
“The key thing about hepatitis C is that millions of Americans have this infection and most don’t know that they have it, it’s mild and takes many years for it to progress.”
Christensen continued: “Until a few years ago, there weren’t really good options to treat hepatitis C. Now, there are drugs with high cure rates, Potluri said. The transplant community realized that you could transplant a kidney from someone with hepatitis C and start treating them right away, Potluri said, and the early trials found the infection could be cured after the transplant.”
Hopefully, this study will signal a change for the system in the U.S., where nearly 40 per cent of hepatitis C-infected kidneys donated between January 2018 and March 2019 were discarded.
It is necessary for you to document your consent and share your wishes with your loved ones to donate. That quick but meaningful decision could one day save up to 8 lives and improve many more. #FosterFactFriday
Don’t forget that Kamloops’ 2019 Kidney Walk is set for Sunday, Sept. 22, at McDonald Park. You are able to register starting at 10 a.m., with the walk to begin at 11.
The Brock Central Lions Club will be on hand to provide breakfast — pancakes, sausages and coffee — by donation.
A few numbers for you: Kidney Walkers in B.C. and Yukon have walked 26 million kilometres over the past 12 years. That is more than 67 return trips to the moon. . . . They have raised more than $2.5 million in support of kidney patients. . . . The Kidney Walk helps the Kidney Foundation raise awareness about kidney disease and raises funds for important programs and services to help kidney patients in this community and others across BC and the Yukon. . . .
As of mid-August, in the region served by Kamloops’ Royal Inland Hospital, there were 1,378 patients with chronic kidney disease being monitored by nephrologists. Of those, 140 had undergone transplants, and 114 were on dialysis. . . . As of Aug. 27, there were 68 people in our area on the pre-transplant list. . . . In 2018, there were 339 kidney transplants performed in B.C., a one-year record.
My wife, Dorothy, will be celebrating the sixth anniversary of her kidney transplant by taking part in her sixth straight Kidney Walk. In her six walks, she has raised more than $15,000. If you would like to support her, you may do so right here.
But, said COVID-19, “not so fast, my friends.” . . . Even before the league got to opening night it had to shut down the Melville Millionaires until further notice due to a positive test somewhere within the organization. . . . “The decision for postponement did not come easy, but we all feel that this is the best decision to make at this time to mitigate the potential risks,” read an SJHL news release signed by Bill Chow, the commissioner. “The SJHL will work with the Melville Millionaires and teams affected by the postponement in rescheduling and will announce when that information is available. Any health matter is private in nature, the SJHL and the Melville Millionaires will have no further comments at this time.” . . . The Millionaires had played eight exhibition games in 14 days through Sept. 19. They were to have opened the regular season in Weyburn against the Red Wings on Friday night and then played in Weyburn on Saturday. . . . The SJHL’s original schedule had Melville playing three games through Sept. 29 and six more from Oct. 1 through Oct. 9. That included four games in five days from Oct. 1 through Oct. 5.
Gotta love John’s sense of humour, because it wasn’t long before he posted the other photo that I put up here, the one with the crows in it.
TAKING NOTE 