LAURIE WEIR
Grant Deme, a young journalist with myFM (Lake 88.1) in Perth, is urgently seeking a living liver donor as he battles a rare and life-threatening disease. At 28 years of age, Deme has been diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a condition that scars and destroys the bile ducts. After three years of fighting the disease, his liver is now failing.
Deme, who has been a champion for others in need of organ transplants, now finds himself in desperate need of help. In a Facebook post, he explained his situation, saying: “My doctors have told me that my best chance of receiving the life-saving operation is by finding a living donor, so here I am, asking for help.”
He also explained the gravity of waiting for a deceased donor: “If I hold off for a deceased donor, there’s a chance I’ll die waiting.”
A Facebook group titled Find Grant A Living Donor has been created to help spread his story, which has already been shared more than 300 times. He is searching for a living liver donor with blood type O+ or O- to donate at Toronto General Hospital.
“My journey with PSC began three years ago. It’s a very rare disease of the bile ducts where they become so scarred and inflamed, they prevent the liver from filtering out toxins properly, leading to liver failure,” Deme wrote in his Facebook post. “Researchers have no idea what causes PSC. It’s not from substance abuse or anything of the sort. Quite honestly, it’s just bad luck. I woke up sick one day and I haven’t been healthy since.”
Living liver donation involves a living person donating a portion of their liver, which regenerates within approximately six weeks. If Deme finds a living donor, he will be removed from the deceased donor list, which means others awaiting a liver will move up the list.
Since 1990, more than 1,000 living liver transplants have been performed at Toronto General Hospital, and all donors have returned to their regular lifestyle without restrictions.
“A number of our family and friends have applied to be donors, but none are a match,” the Facebook post reads. “As his mother, it is incredibly hard to see our son so sick.”
Deme, an avid sports fan, calls local Junior B hockey games on Friday nights and continues to work at the radio station despite his illness. He also participated in Ottawa Race Weekend last year with his sister and has been working through his bucket list by travelling, although his participation in physical activities has since diminished due to the progression of his liver disease.
“Sadly, his participation has decreased significantly due to the side effects of his liver disease,” his mother wrote.
Anyone with blood type O+ or O- between the ages of 16 and 60 and in good health may apply to be a living donor. The donor does not need to be related or of the same ethnicity. Criteria for living organ donors are different from those for blood donors, so those who may not qualify to donate blood could still be eligible as an organ donor.
To learn more about becoming a living donor, visit uhn.ca/Transplant/Living_Donor_Program/Pages/living_liver_donor.aspx.
“Please spread the word that I need a living donor,” Deme wrote. “My life depends on it.”
