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RCOS eBulletin – January 24, 2018
Lunch meeting was held at KS on the Keys Scribe: Scott Vetter
Guests
- Emile Therien – Guest Speaker
- Christopher Roche and Thomas McIntosh from Rotaract Club of Ottawa South
- Dan Vallillee son Zack
Announcements
- Ian reminded us that:
- Jan 31 - Our own Moe Elmi will talking about the Somali Hope Foundation he founded and continues to run
- Feb 7 – No meeting
- Feb 8 – Club Dinner social at Big Easy
- Feb 9 – Friday Games Night at KS
- Friday, February 23 is the annual Trivia Night hosted by Stittsville club. We need (intelligent) volunteers (might have to go outside the club)
- Carlos took a vote and our next social dinner will be at the Big Easy on Feb 8.
- Thomas and Christopher from the Rotaract Club invited us to coffeehouse Jan 26 at 8:30 at Roosters in the University Centre at Carleton.
- Bernie announced that this year’s golf tournament will be on June 4. Start sourcing your network for auction items and Tee signs!
- Monique announced that we already have our polo team sponsors (Ottawa Business Journal and 3 Wild Women).
- Check our website homepage for upcoming meetings and events.
Happy Bucks
ian was in charge of everything loonie today, collecting our dollars and expressions of gratitude.
50/50
Scott handled the 50/50 draw. Rosemary had the winning ticket, but the Joker eluder her. The number of cards left is few, and Sam assures us that the pot is growing.
Induction of Carlo Barrile
Allan Cayer officially welcomed Carlo as a member of Rotary Club of Ottawa South. Sam Monsour sponsored Carlo, and Allan will be his mentor.
Guest Speaker – Emile Therien
Emile Therien spoke about an important topic — organ donation. He had several stats showing that Ottawa is a leader in organ donations in Ontario; and urged people to officially register their desire to donate organs (). He spoke of his own family’s emotional experience with their daughter Sara Beth. Below is an article he published last year in the Orleans Star.
Tomorrow marks 10 years since one of the worst days of our life. It also marks 10 years since our daughter, Sarah Beth Therien, changed organ and tissue donation in Canada.
Sarah Beth was only 32 when she collapsed suddenly, following a cardiac arrest. It was a terrible shock to everyone who had known our healthy and happy girl, and within a few days we found ourselves facing the decision to withdraw life support. Our family wouldn’t wish this circumstance on anyone, it was heart wrenching and devastating.
During that dark time however, there was one light that shone through. Our Sarah Beth was a giving and generous soul, she lived to help others. We knew she believed strongly in organ donation. We wanted to help her give that final gift.
It may come as a surprise to most to learn that the opportunity for organ donation is quite rare. Ten years ago in Ontario, donation was only an option when someone had been declared brain dead, which happens in only 1 to 2 per cent of hospital deaths. Although Sarah Beth was no longer with us she didn’t technically meet the criteria for brain death, so it seemed to all that donation was not an option. Of course we had always known never to underestimate our Sarah Beth, so we should have guessed that something remarkable was in the works.
At the time, Ontario was close to adding a second form of donation. Referred to as donation after cardiocirculatory death (DCD), the protocol allowed for donation after life support was removed, rather than a patient having to have died while on a ventilator. We knew something about this and we took a chance, asking the hospital if we could make this happen for Sarah Beth.
Sarah Beth was not brain dead, but she was not coming back to us. With the support of Trillium Gift of Life Network and the Ottawa Hospital, our daughter became Canada’s first DCD donor. Two people received her kidneys and have been able to lead productive lives since that time, and dozens benefitted from the gift of her tissue.
Sarah Beth’s legacy continues. In the 10 years since her death, 1,067 transplants have been performed in Ontario with organs from DCD donors — that’s more than 1,000 lives saved because of something that started with our daughter. More than 1,000 families who have had their loved one returned to them.
Written by Emile Therien
President Joan ended the meeting promptly at 1:30pm.
