The Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-04-16, Page 19•
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To give the
gift of life
Organ transplants are saving
lives
ofwhofaced death
many
BY DAVE SYKES
A brilliant, sunny Easter Sunday turns to
a day of horror for a Calgary family as their
21/2 year-old child falls off a hayrack on the
family farm and, suffers severe head
injuries.
The child is brain dead.
Through the shock of the tragedy; through
the agony and sadness of losing a child bare-
ly into life, the parents are courageous
enough to turn their thoughts to others. To
transcend the tragedy.
They agree to donate the child's liver and
turn their own sorrow into a positive and
life-saving unselfish act.
Within hours a surgical team arrives from
London, removes the child's liver and races
against time to save the life a child in Lon-
don waiting for the organ.
They win the race. Barely.
The waiting recipient is a 51 year-old
native Indian girl from Manitoba, who, suf-
fering from rickets and tuberculosis, was
abandoned by her parents early in life.
Foster parents lovingly nurture her back to
health and while her disease laden body was
recovering, she developed liver disease.
Her condition was critical as the Easter
weekend approached. By Easter Sunday,
she faced certain death without a liver
transplant.
On Tuesday of last week, she sat up in her
bed and ate a banana and a bowl of Cheerios
much to the delight of foster parents and the
staff of the University Hospital who were in-
volved in the hosital's first pediatric liver
transplant. ..
It was a major victory for life.
The story speaks of the miracles of
modern day medicine. It speaks of the
fragility of life and the unselflessness of a
grieving family who could see through the
tears of despair, who could see hope in the
senseless death of their own child.
It is a touching story of man reaching out
to. help his fellow man.
�1'he scenario, a true story related by Bill
Brady, the Founding President of
Transplant International Canada and a
director I of University Hospital, London,
regaled the audience at the annual meeting
of the Town and Country Homemaker's
Agency in Holmesville Tuesday. '
A native of Windsor, and general manager
of CFPL RAdio in .London where he has
worked for over 20 years, Brady encouraged
and almost admonished his audience to
think about the prospect of agreeing to
organ donations. That commitment could
ultimately save a life he said.
Many lives came together at University
Hospital, London that one afternoon and a
life was saved in a critical race against
time. Many others, unlike the little native
girl, die because organs are not available.
But people are responding to the plea and
Brady said the story of University
Hospital's first pediatric transplant serves
to illustrate the feats that medicine that
accomplish.
"If that's not magic. If that's not the way
the Almighty had wanted us to use our
talents.." Brady said. "We live in a time and
place where, it wasn't possible a feiv years
ago, but it's now possible."
The problems are twofold in that there is a
critical shortage.." of donors and many
medical professionals are simply reluctant
to bring up the subject of donation during a
family's grief.
"We know the miracle exists at the hands
of man but there are too few donors," Brady
explained. We are only asking for your in-
terest and some level of commitment. Peo-
ple don't sign the donor portions of their
licences and don't even think about it. But
most of us will die under circimstances in
which our organs can't be used anyway."
Organ transplantation has become one of
the most dramatic advancements in health
care and the success rate has had a positive
effect on public attitude.
"Organ donation is the gift of life and
many are now family initiated," Brady
said. "If the hospital doens't ask then an
organ is wasted and a life is lost. Only when
the grief and hurt is gone do people rational-
ly consider a donation."
Hospitals and physicians that neglect to
*roach families about organ. donations,
for whatever reason, are denying families
an opportunity.
The hospital will have been involved In 50
heart 'transplants this year with the oldest
recipient being 63 years old. "I see people
returned to the quality of life and I know
what it mustmean to the family who made
the decision," Brady said.
"The miracle is there if we agree to
donate. Young people are asked to sign
donor cards or the donor portion of a
drivers' licence," Brady encouraged. "It's
about giving and serving- the . greatest
achievements of the human spirit."
POSTSCRIPT
Bill Brady, general manager of
CFPL radio and founder of
TranQpi.nt, interna ti nal ea a
seekers are needed more than
donors.
Town and County Homemakers
will expand services this year
When the Town and Country Homemakers Agency was founded in 1978 out of a need to
provide a measure of home care to county residents, the board of directors had little idea
it would grow into an organizations with a $'/4.: million dollar budget, more than 200 clients
per month and more than 80 dedicated homemakers.
But that was exactly the state of affairs as reported to the group's4annual meeting in
Holmesville Tuesday by Board Chairman Lauretta Siegner.
And the agency will have to respond to increases in demand, administration and case
management as' It embarks on a new challenge, the provision of an integrated
homemaker program. One of five agencies to act as a testing ground for the service, the
program, administered by the Huron County Health Unit and the Board of Health, will
provide homemaking service to the frail elderly and handicap adults. .
The program will be implemented May 1 and will prow uch as 60 hours of
homemaking care to frail elderly people' and disabled • ' ' in the county. The
Ministry of Community and Social Services will spend $14 million to help these people
live at home rather than being forced into nursing homes or institutions.
Both the role and the scoiSe of the agency's activities will change but Siegner said the
backbone of the group remians the 80 homemakers who provided 61,502 hours of service
the past year.
Exectuive director, Jean Young, reiterated the chairman's remarks about the
dedicated service provided by the agency's homemakers adding that it has led to an in-
crease in clientelle.
"Private clients (661/2 per cent) are the largest purchasers of our service while
homecare accounts for the remaining 32'/2 per cent," she explained. "This agency was
founded in 1978 and its continues to respond to the health and social needs of residents."
Betty Cardno of Seaforth explained that the new program will provide needed
homemaking services to those over 65 not able to perform daily functions in the home.
"There doesn't have to be a referral from a doctor, anyone can phone," she said. "And
anyone over 18 with a physical disability can get.help which will supplement what friends
and relatives are doing."
Susan Hundertmark
Regan doesn't
promote peace
Call me naive but 1 really thought
global peace was on the agenda at the
super cozy summit meeting between U.S.
President Ronald Reagan and Soviet
leader Mikhail Gorbachev last
November. And, I'm disappointed to see
that no peaceful steps have been taken so
far.
To be fair, Gorbachev has tried. He's
announced that he'd like to see global
disarmament by the year 2000. He's put a
self-imposed moratorium on nuclear
tests for the past eight months in the
Soviet Union in hopes that the United
States would follow suit. And, he con-
tinues to push for a second summit
meetin , despite Reagan's waffling over
the date.
Of course, Reagan has paid hp service
to peace. But, almost every one of his ac-
tions since the first summit have con-
tradicted his words.
First, there was his battle for millions
of dollars in aid for the "freedom -
fighters" -in Nicaragua. when he
marketed a continuing war by wearing
his Contra t -shirt singing, "I'm a Contra,
you're a Contra, he's a Contra, she's .a
Contra, wouldn't you like to be a Contra
too?"
The American fight against com-
munism" in Central America goes on
whether it's popularly supported by the
Nicaraguan people and surrounding
countries or not and all talk of peace is
shown to be just that—talk.
Next, comes Reagan's fight against
terrorism and more particularly, Libya
and its 'leader Moammar "Mad Dog"
Khadafy. With the mounting tension, 1
tend to agree with.a Toronto Star car
Gtoonist who illustrates that the case of
terrorist rabies has been caught by
Reagan who's shown foaming at the
mouth.
At the time of this writing, the United
States had just launched a military strike
against Libya after deciding that there
was enough evidence to link Libya with
the terrorist bombing of a disco in West
Berlin.
White House spokesman Larry
Speakes said the government did so in
hopes of dissuading Libya from further
terrorist action despite the fact that
Libya has vowed to retaliate forcefully
against any aggression carried out
against it. With the operative "eye for an
eye" philosophy used by both sides, how
could the Americans expect any other
response?
And, because the U.S. has named itself
Libya's disciplinarian, it will continue to
"punish" the Misbehaving country with
continuing violence.
To my ;nind itis b. eeome confusing to
figure out just who is the -terrorist and
who is the retaliator. Both sides are using
terror to make their points.
Once again, it may be extremely
"knee-jerk liberal" of me, but has
anyone thought to ask Khadafy why he
and his countrymen are bombing
buildings and hijacking planes, around
the world? What does he want? Accusing
the man of madness and/or rages is too
simplistic. .
Of course, there's no excuse for ter-
rorism. But, isn't there any other way to
prevent It than becoming terrorists
ourselves?
Recently members of the Common
Market including European countries
such as ' Belgium, France, Italy, the
Netherlands, Britain, Ireland and
Greece met to discuss such a solution.
Looking for something Jother than a
military solution, the countries tossed
around the idea of economic sanctions.
Since the Common Market did about
412 billion worth of trade with Libya, I'd
think such a measure might be just as ef-
fective as Reagan's "Rambo" tactics. If
the United;States really waited to live up
to the name "superpowers , it could lead
the world in such non-violent problem -
solving rather than playing with its ex-
pensive and destructive war toys and
escalating world tensions.
You'd think Reagan would think twice
about using a military solution especially
because Khadafy has threatened the
United States with his friendship with the
Soviet Union. To their credit, the Soviets
have not yet become involved with this
madness but the Soviet Union is the only
country with a military large enough to
do some punishing of its own if it decides
that U.S. terrorism needs some retalia-
tion. And, that's an even, more frighten-
ing thought.
Besides, relations between .the two
superpowers have been decaying recent-
ly rather than improving. Because of
continued testing of nuclear weapons by
the U.S., the Soviets have cancelled their
nuclear testing moratorium thereby re-
joining the nuclear arms race.
I'm disgusted by the U.S.'s ,justifica-
tion that national security requires con-
tinued nuclear testing. More than
anything, both national and global
security requires an end to nuclear
testing. and an end to the threat of
• nuclear annihilation.
Bttt, I admire the patience of Gor-
bachev who's still willing to meet with
Reagan even though all recent -evidence
points to the conclusion that Reagan has
no interest In global peace or the coir
tinned existence of mankind,
-.And, I pray that such patience
continues.
Brian. Costeiio
�A� money.V1
Financial expert sp-eaks to 700 at seminar here Thursday
BY DAVE SYKES
A time -worn addage submits that if you
want to hit somebody where it hurts, you
hit them in the pocketbook.
Well, whether it's the wallet, pocketbook
or change purse, financial consultant ex-
trodinaire, Brian Costello, is relieving the
pain from that proverbial "hit" by the tax-
man and saving Canadians millions of
dollars with his 'expertise.
And they turned out by the' hundreds
Thursday evening to hear Costello as he
generously dispensed with his healing
financial salve in a seminar at Goderich
and District Collegiate Institute (GDCI)
sponsored by ABC Investments of
Goderich. Earlier in the day, Costello
assisted in the ribbon -cutting ceremony of-
ficially opening the Financial Centre op
The Square owned and operated by,presi-
dent, Frank Little of Goderich along with
financial planners Dennis, his nephewand
son John Little.
Costello, a renowned author and radio
and television personality, is the
`Moneyman' on more than 180 radio sta-
tions across the cduntry including
Toronto's CKFM and Montreal's CJFM
with chis "taking care of Your Money"
report , he , appears weekly on Global's
New at Noon with tax -saving advice; he is
one of four principals in Moneysworth a
half-hour weekly program dealing with
money management; is a daily newspaper
columnist and the author of several best-
selling books, including Your Money and
How to Keep It and Brian Costello's Step
by Step Tax Guide.
But more than just a financial consul-
tant, Costello is the 'little man's' watchdog
on government taxation. Ostensibly, he
acts as the translator of taxation laws,
flaws and loopholes and converts it into
simple, money -saving language for
everyone.
He makes sure people get their money's
worth at the expense of the government.
The son of a bank manager, his grand-
. father was a multi -millionaire who later
lost every penny of a sizable fortune. The
experience served as a valuable lesson but
Costello credits his father with fostering a
practical sense of values in the family;
"Out of it, my father extracted the
theory that it was better tuown something
than to give money to financial institu-
tions," he explained. "My lather was a
very practical person and I oWe him for in-
stilling that in me,"
Admonishing Canadians that "the com-
bination of taxation is kinin► us," CO tell°,
the necessary tax deduction and turn it in-
to tax-free money.
"A banker is really just a merchant of
money who buys it wholesale and then
sells It retail," Costello explained. "A
financial planner is ,totally independent
and works for the investor, collecting aPo.
finder's fee. Still, some people are reluc-
tant to deal with a planner or accountant
and they're losing out."
Costello has been successful because he
simply helps people to .maintain money
that rightfully belongs to them. And
despite the fact he costs Revenue Canada
millions of dollars, they are on good terms.
"They are not pleased, of course, that 1
save people tax Money,"
he explained.
"But in the ways I save taxes, people in-
vest that money and It helps create more
oppoortunities and jobs."
While Canadians. are learning to im-
plicitly trust Costello as the taxation inter-
' preter, he suggests the worst problem Yvith
our tax laws is the "wealth of grey areas."
Timing delaYed Costello's emergence as
a financial expert and while he tried to sell
the concept of a money management pro-
- gram to radio and . television stations 15
years age, noboby would listen. ,
"Fifteen years ago nio one " was in-
terested. It wasn't necessary then because
interest rates were low and everything
was moving along fine," he said. "Sudden-
ly interest rates shoot up to 20 per cent,
people are concerned about getting the
most for their money and they
remembered me."
His tax guide has sold more than 100,000
copies and on May 16, he launches his new
television, Buck Stoppers, on TV Ontario.
The show asks viewers to write in with
their financial problems which will be
solved on the alr by experts.,
Delighting the audience with his ir-
reverence, Costello attacked the budget of
Finance Minister Michael Wilson and took
Financial
consultant, ,television and radio personality, newspaper columnist and author,
Brian Costello was in Goderich Thursday speaking to more than 700 people at a seminar
sponsored by ABC Investments at GDCI. The country's leading financial expert offered
some irreverent views on the federal bh getof Michael
l (Wilson and ways to turn money into
tax deductions and tax-free money. (p by Sykes)
one•
ythen
course on what provisions could be used to
their advantage immediately and several
yearsin;the„future• Much of his advice was
contained in a brochure distributed at the
seminar.
The country's most, recognizable finan-
cial consultant finds his speaking tour
"gruelling" but adds that it is the contact
with people at seminars and financial Cen-
tre openings that -are the "most
gratifying."
And contact has been plentiful in the two
sethiltars he conducted in the area, in Clin-
ton in October, and the one here Thursday.
10'
1