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A Grimsby man who desperately needs a liver transplant talked about it on social media and his story went viral. Peter Brouwer was overwhelmed by the dozens of potential living donors offering him a liver. Brouwer says he’s been told it will take weeks to assess each potential donor and he doesn’t have weeks to wait. He is so weak he can no longer play with his children the way he used to. He says his health is deteriorating rapidly, he has a liver disease that has scarred his bile ducts. “And that’s where I’m at today, is my liver does not function. It’s not going to recover and my only hope to sustain life is a liver transplant.”
Doctors have told Brouwer his best chance for survival is with a living donor. Two months ago Peter Brouwer was convinced he’d found his living donor a woman who’s blood type and veins matched up. Surgery was scheduled for November 18th but weeks before Peter’s hopes were dashed. The donor was rejected because of a minor and benign cyst. Now desperate, Peter and his wife Melissa turned to facebook. They appealed for liver donors, more than two dozen people stepped up and filled out applications. But the Brouwer’s say Toronto General Hospital will only assess one potential donor at a time. “They assess one person at a time. It takes a month and Iv’e been told it’s because of cost savings.” Peter says he doesn’t have months or even weeks to wait. “Can you not assess more people at once to expedite this because I’ve been told by the doctors I’m living on borrowed time.”
Melissa is asking why millionaire and Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk got a liver donor approved within days. “So I’m wondering, is someone’s life more important than my husband’s life. It feels like there’s a two tiered health system right now between the haves and have nots.”
The Brouwer’s are overwhelmed by these offers from people some are long time friends others they’ve never met. Peter wonders if he will get his liver transplant before it’s too late.
“Because of the way the system operates assessing one person at a time, I may run out of time before they find the right candidate.”
