Indigenous Rights Activist Denied Life-Saving Liver Transplant Over Alcohol Use

An Inuk activist in Canada is at the center of a controversy regarding a medical policy some consider discriminatory. Delilah Saunders, 26, was diagnosed with acute liver failure and told she needed a liver transplant, but because she has dealt with alcohol abuse in the previous six months, she was denied a life-saving transplant at an Ottawa hospital, CBC reported.

Saunders’ struggles with obtaining a new liver and the outpouring of support from those sympathetic to her cause were also documented by a Twitter moment Wednesday. According to the CBC report, her liver failure may have been caused by Saunders using acetaminophen to deal with jaw pain. When combined with alcohol, acetaminophen can cause liver damage. According to the Trillium Gift of Life Network, which organizes organ donations in Ottawa, “alcohol and/or illicit drug misuse” within six months of an individual’s transplant candidacy disqualifies them from a transplant.

Though the policy is common on this continent, Saunders’ friend Rebecca Moore called it discriminatory.

"We asked them if there was any way around it, and they said no. But that's not good enough. We're not taking no for an answer,” Moore told CBC.

According to Moore, the family is seeking legal action to force proper treatment for Saunders. An accomplished activist, Saunders has spoken at length about the problems indigenous women face in Canada. The Canadian government has faced considerable criticism for its treatment of indigenous issues, including the murder of Saunders’ sister Loretta in 2014. Most notably, there has been a trend of indigenous women going missing or being killed with what indigenous rights advocates consider unsatisfactory investigations into the matter.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged his country’s failure to address indigenous problems in a United Nations speech in September. Regarding the Saunders case, supporters and prominent organizations in Canada have offered to help in a variety of ways. The Ontario Native Women’s Association wrote a letter of support for Saunders, while the Canadian wing of the Green party tweeted the hashtag #HelpDelilahSaunders. Additionally, supporters have offered to donate their liver tissue to Saunders, who cannot take of advantage of due to the aforementioned policy.