THURSDAY September 11, 2014 Vol. 29• No. 73 ••• $1.25 inc. G.S.T.
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Friend, can you spare a kidney? Erin Haluschak Record Staff
From a friendship which developed more than 25 years ago working together in a Vancouver law firm, Jean Bell and Sue McKeeman never imagined years later they would share more than life’s milestones together — they would share the gift of a kidney. The friends, now both Comox Valley residents, went through a truly lifesaving experience when McKeeman and Bell entered the paired-exchange program through the B.C. Kidney Foundation. “If you’ve got a healthy pair, why not?” said McKeeman about her participation and kidney donation to the program. The program, created in 2006, is designed to help reduce the waiting time for patients on the kidney transplant list. It offers another option to patients with living donors who have been tested and found to be blood type incompatible. The program makes it possible for
Living donor program allowed Sue McKeeman to help her best friend one incompatible couple to ‘swap’ donor with another couple in the same situation, therefore enabling two kidney patients to receive a transplant completely anonymously.
Diagnosed as a child Bell said she first learned of kidney disease when she was eight years old, when her mother was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). Her brother was diagnosed with PKD when he was 19, and she was diagnosed with the disease when she was 28. “Kidney dialysis was a last resolve. I stood a much better chance with a transplant. Living through such an artificial means it’s not a great way to live,” she explained. In 2009, Bell said her brother received a kidney transplant from his wife at Vancouver General Hospital, and three years later, she began discussions of
transplant as her kidney function began to decrease. In 2012, McKeeman made the decision to enter the paired-exchange program, and entered a battery of tests both at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Comox and St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. “I knew it wasn’t going to have much of an impact on my life. You go through an incredible round of testing and get the most amazing medical look-up. They really do check everything,” she noted. Bell added watching her friend go through the series of tests, “it reflects how healthy you really are.” Going through the testing, McKeeman found out she was not a match for Bell. Despite the incompatibility, she knew the pairedexchange program could increase her friend’s chance of finding a potential donor.
... see KIDNEY ■ A9
Jean Bell (left) and her close friend Sue McKeeman recently participated in the paired-exchange kidney program. They hope sharing their story will help raise awareness of the living donor program and kidney disease. PHOTO SUBMITTED
Frustrations with city process results in postponement of subdivision development Scott Stanfield Record Staff
Silverado Group of Companies has decided to postpone its application to construct a subdivision north of Ryan Road because it cannot obtain approval from the City of Courtenay’s engineering department. CEO Ron Coulson had hoped to
BRIAN
start constructing the 31-lot Rise subdivision by April of this year, in time for the spring real estate market. In a letter to city CAO David Allen, Coulson claims engineering staff have “continually found reasons why approvals could not happen in a timely and professional manner.” He believes the city’s process is
M LEAN c
not working due to unnecessary expenses and unrealistic requirements. Crown Isle is a subsidiary of Silverado. Along with builders, the companies were planning $15 million worth of investment over the next year. They were also in discussion with a $25-million big box store. “Virtually every developer,
including VIHA, has felt frustration with the engineering department within the City of Courtenay,” Coulson said. “For 26 years all mayors and councils have generally been in full support of our development.” Lately, however, he says a “quagmire” of bureaucracy has “brought the process to a near standstill.”
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At committee of the whole Sept. 29, staff will provide an update on internal improvements to the development process. The meeting will include details about a Development Application Review Team (DART) where various departments collectively review applications, troubleshoot, exchange ideas and identify issues.
... see SILVERADO ■ A6
See dealer for details.