MONTROSE, P.E.I. — A Montrose, P.E.I. couple is extending their stay in Ontario in the hopes that Kevin Clements will be scheduled for a liver transplant there soon.
Kevin and Josephine Clements arrived in Toronto on April 12, where Kevin has undergone a series of tests in anticipation of receiving part of a liver from a live donor. A liver transplant is seen as Kevin’s only hope of survival from the worsening effects of liver disease.
In an interview recently from Toronto General Hospital, Josephine said the team leader is optimistic about a transplant.
“He says he wants us to stay here for the next few weeks because he’s really hoping that we can get a donor match very, very quickly,” she said.
“He says he wants us to stay here for the next few weeks because he’s really hoping that we can get a donor match very, very quickly.”
-Josephine Clements
Kevin’s older brother, Carl, lives in Ontario and has been tested to see if he would be a viable donor.
“They’re pushing now,” she said. “It used to be they’d test one person, but now they’re going to start testing others right away. Like, ‘slam it into overdrive, he said,’ ” referring to a member of the transplant team.
There are about 13 doctors on the transplant team.
In the meantime, Carl is undergoing more testing, Josephine said, adding he is seen as a good match. He’s already scheduled for a pre-op on May 13.
“I think they are just ‘dotting their Is and crossing their Ts’ to make sure that everything goes good for both.”
The team is also running a series of tests on Kevin, including a nuclear imaging test to determine how much oxygen his lungs are delivering to his body. They are also trying out specific drugs to determine the best ones to administer during the transplant operation, when it occurs.
The likelihood of surgery, she said, remains very good, although a date for the surgery still has not been confirmed.
