When Susannah McKenzie-Sutter listened to his cousin in Ontario needed a kidney transplant, Saint John’s wife, 28, did not hesitate to offer one of his own.
He has not remained in close contact with McKenzie Smith in recent years, but he has good memories of childhood to spend summers with his “older and older cousin.”
Preliminary blood tests showed that she is a good combination.
But McKenzie-Sutter quickly learned that his plans could be frustrated because it is one of the thousands of new brunnswickers without a family doctor.
The hospital in London, Ontario, where the transplant would take place, told him that he cannot donate, or even take the test to confirm that she is a good candidate, without having a family doctor or a practicing nurse.
Susannah McKenzie-Sutter, 28, of Saint John, wants to donate one of his kidneys to his cousin in Ontario, but first he had to fight to find a family doctor.
“That was a great, great shock and I definitely felt quite frustrated,” said McKenzie-Sutter.
His 40 -year cousin in Kitchener is in renal insufficiency in the terminal stage.
Smith has a genetic form of chronic renal disease, which progresses slowly, often without symptoms, until dangerous levels of liquid, electrolytes and waste, such as urea and acids, in the body accumulate.
Its renal function has fallen to approximately eight percent. It is easily fatigued and requires several medications to control its symptoms, such as high anemia and blood pressure.
“To be forced to face my own mortality is scary,” Smith published on the website of the Transplant ambassadors program and on social networks in mid -January, looking for a live donor.
His doctors predict that he will have complete renal failure in two or three months, Smith said in an interview.
2,450 Canadians on the waiting list for kidneys
The average waiting for a kidney donor who died in Canada is more than three years, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
At the end of 2023, the most recent data available, some 2,450 Canadians were on a waiting list. Eighty -five people died waiting for that year.
Without a transplant, Smith will soon have to follow dialysis, be it hemodialysis, usually made in a medical center three days a week, four hours every day or peritoneal, which can be done at home during the night, but must be done daily.
“That was definitely sad listening,” said McKenzie-Sutter. “I didn’t realize how bad he had become. And so I wanted to help if I could.”
He approached Smith that day.
Genetic renal disease extends in the family, and McKenzie-Sutter knows firsthand how changing life can be a transplant, he said.
His maternal grandfather had a transplant of a victim of car accident in the 1970s, one of the first transplants in Canada. His aunt, Smith’s mother, and Smith’s sister have had transplants of living donors.
He returned their lives, said McKenzie-Sutter, describing the life of dialysis as restricted and difficult.
Smith was overwhelmed by her cousin’s generous offer. “It’s such an incredible thing and a gift for someone,” he said.
MONITORING AFTER THE TRANSPLANT IS REQUIRED
None of the cousins imagined that the lack of a primary care supplier of McKenzie-Sutter could become an obstacle.
But possible living donors must have a complete medical check -up to confirm that they are healthy enough to donate.
In addition, they require annual check-up after the donation to ensure that its remaining kidney works correctly, since it has to work more to compensate the kidney eliminated, McKenzie-Sutter learned of the London Health Sciences Center.
The practicing nurse left a year ago
The need for continuous attention “makes sense to me,” he said. “But I was very surprised because I know there is so much shortage [of family doctors and nurse practitioners]especially here in the Atlantic of Canada. “
His partner recently lost his family doctor for retirement, and has not had one since he moved to Saint John from Newfoundland and Labrador in 2020 after completing a mastery in music. A practicing nurse who found the province in April 2024.
Since then, McKenzie-Sutter has been recorded in NB Health Link, which replaced the Connect NB patient, the waiting list for patients without a doctor and aims to provide patients access to primary care suppliers that offer appointments in person, telephone and online.
She has never received an email or a phone call, she said.
41,000 registered with NB Health Link in Limbo
According to the Department of Health, more than 65,000 new brunnswickers are registered in NB Health Link and are eligible to receive primary care through the Department of Health.
41,000 additional are recorded, but they hope that more clinics are opened or for existing clinics to expand.
“This is undoubtedly a stressful situation for this individual,” said David Kelly in an email in the name of the department.
“The department is examining the types of primary care options that could be available to it.
Improving access to primary care is a priority, Kelly said, pointing out the Promise Susan Holt pre -election promise to open 30 collaborative medical care clinics, including 10 in 2025, Saint John among them.
‘Moving reminder’
McKenzie-Sutter said it has been difficult and “a little scary” to try to navigate the medical care system without a primary care provider, but wanting to donate its kidney has made the problem even more pressing.
And she is not alone, she said. They told him that at least another new Brunswicker was before donating in London, but was rejected because they did not have a primary care provider.
“The challenges faced by patients trying to navigate the process of living organ donors without a family doctor are a moving reminder of the generalized impacts of the primary care crisis,” said Dr. Lise Babin, president of the medical society again Brunswick and a family doctor in Dieppe.
“This is another reason why it is so important that all those interested in health care prioritize the improvement of access to primary care, through equipment -based clinics, improved retention and recruitment strategies, and all other means at our disposal.”
The promotion urged to enable the ‘gift of life’
Rosanna Mitchell, executive director of the Atlantic branch of the Kidney Foundation in Canada, described the “worrying situation, especially for those who need kidney transplant and have someone willing to take a step forward and make that donation live, essentially giving the gift of life.”
People should contact local politicians to “advocate for the family doctor’s crisis to be seriously considered,” Mitchell said.
“We just have to continue playing the bell with our government members to remind you how important that piece is.”
The delay is added to deterioration
McKenzie-Sutter hated to give the news to his cousin.
“I definitely felt that I was disappointed.”
He called at least 14 clinics, desperately trying to find a doctor, but many of them did not even let her finish her plea.
“They are like, ‘I’m sorry, we are not taking new patients. We are absolutely reserved.'”
Smith admits that it is “absolutely disappointing” that McKenzie-Sutter faced such challenges trying to do something good.
“And with something like kidney disease, as you can imagine, it is very sensitive to time,” he said. “My function deteriorates a little every day and every day that passes, where there is a delay or there is something that we must expect, that affects me negatively, and I feel sad and worried the more time it takes.”
Doctor found
Fortunately, said McKenzie-Sutter, finally, through a friend, has found a doctor willing to take it after weeks of fighting. She has an appointment on April 2 and will begin the detection process shortly after.
Recently completed blood and urine tests, indicating that its renal function is good.
And in mid -May he will travel to London for two days of testing, including a renal exploration, electrocardiogram or EKG and a chest x -ray.
Only concern is to be selected
“I’m not really worried about that because it’s a pretty complete test,” he said. “Then, if there is anything to worry about, I would discover it in the test process,” said McKenzie-Sutter, who described his family as a solidarity.
And the surgery itself is “low risk,” he said, comparable to an elimination of the gallbladder. Now it is laparoscopically, with three small incisions and a thin and illuminated tube with a video camera.
McKenzie-Sutter, who works on his own as a violinist and music teacher, will face some travel expenses and will not be able to work for four or six weeks during recovery, but believes that the Ontario Refund program for living organ donors will cover most of that.
“To be honest, I’m just worried that they submit me out,” he said.
“That is what is more stressful because I know that would simply prolong McKenzie’s health situation for longer. And I would feel bad that we had spent all this time investigating me when I could have spent investigating another person.”
It seems to me the right thing.– Susannah McKenzie-Sutter, potential donor
Smith said he can never pay it and that he will always be grateful.
McKenzie-Sutter said Smith owes nothing. “If I can help, I would like, and I hope someone will help me if I were in a similar situation.
“It seems right to me.”
