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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | Volume 34 No. 1
COVID-19
#YKASTRONG
SEPARATING FACT FROM THE FICTION
JANUARY IS STAY AT HOME MONTH
THE TOP 10 SPORTS STORIES OF 2020
First in a series as three city doctors answer queries about COVID-19
Dig It column notes Pellkwetmin is on the Secwépmec calendar
Marty Hastings has the list, with which you can agree or disagree
Q&A Still fighting for Ferris A12-A13
A21
FAMILY OF KAMLOOPS GIRL CONTINUES SEARCH FOR KIDNEY MICHAEL POTESTIO
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE
michael@kamloopsthisweek.com
A Kamloops toddler remains in need of a life-changing kidney — having been on the verge of receiving a transplant twice in the last week. Three-year-old Ferris Backmeyer has been at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver since Dec. 29 after her parents received a 1 a.m. phone call that a kidney had been lined up. Within hours, Ferris and her mom and dad were en route to the hospital, with the transplant scheduled for early the next morning. But by 11:30 p.m., the surgeon and a renal team delivered bad news — the donor’s kidney wouldn’t be suitable due to a last minute issue. Ferris’ mother, Lindsey Backmeyer, described the news as an “epic disappointment.” She felt excited that her daughter may receive a new kidney and a new life, buying
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her more than a decade of not having to endure nightly dialysis at home to treat kidney failure, which has been the case for twoand-a-half years. “The high to the low was something I’ve never felt before in my life. It hurt — it hurt a lot,” Backmeyer said. This week, another donor came to light and Ferris was second in line to receive that kidney, but the organ ended up going to an adult whose odds of finding a match were 1:7,000. With two opportunities in a week, she remains hopeful a kidney will soon come through. “Two in one week is crazy,” she said, noting her daughter has been on the donor list since August. Unfortunately, neither of Ferris’ parents were suitable matches and, while other volunteers have come forward, none have checked off all the requirements. See PRECARIOUS, A6
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A23
Three-year-old Ferris Backmeyer has been at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver since Dec. 29. Ferris has Mainzer-Saldino syndrome — a rare disorder involving kidney failure, vision loss and misshapen bones, which she was diagnosed with just days following her birth.