To live and let live
As human beings, we’re always challenged to do things to improve the quality of our lives; to eat right, exercise more, manage stress and to avoid unnecessary risks.
But, sometimes, our well-being is very dependent upon the generosity and support of others. Such is the case for a West Prince man who is in desperate need of a liver transplant. In Kevin Clements’s case, the transplant surgery is very risky, but he and his wife see it as his only hope of his survival, so they are taking that risk.
Until very recently, they were placing all of their hope on receiving a liver from someone who had given consent to having organs removed for transplant upon their death.
With his condition worsening and no viable liver coming available yet they have widened their search and are now looking for someone with Type A or O blood who would be willing to be tested to see if it would be viable for them to donate part of their liver.
The wonderful thing about the liver is that it can regenerate itself.
Kevin Clements’s health challenge not only reenforces the importance of people signing consent forms to be organ donors at the time of their death, but also demonstrates that, in some cases, one can be a living donor. What a powerful gift that would be.
PC PARTY MEMBERSHIP HAS ALL THE POWER TODAY
For one of those five people, Allan, Dennis, Kevin, Sarah or Shawn, life is going to change dramatically later today. One of them will step out of Charlottetown’s Eastlink Centre as the new leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island.
Allan Dale, Dennis King, Kevin J. Arsenault, Sarah Stewart-Clark and Shawn Driscoll have been on that roller-coaster ride known as a leadership race since late fall. They’ve met the party faithful and laid out their positions on everything from the environment and electoral reform to health care and jobs, all with the goal of being the one chosen to succeed James Aylward as leader of their party.
The roller-coaster of a ride they’ve had so far, though, has only served to prepare them for what’s ahead, when they are in debate with candidates and supporters of all political stripes, so tighten the safety straps.
This party has been struggling in the polls recently, pummelled by the surging Greens. And, for a party that is in the midst of its fourth leadership in less than nine years, a lot is riding on the long-time party-faithful and the recently converted to get it right.
A provincial election is surely right around the corner and the Liberals, Greens and New Democrats really won’t care that the PC leader is new. Leadership convention voters need to mark their ranked ballot in such a way that they elect a leader who is primed for the big race.
For today, though, all the power rests with the party’s membership – as it should be.