Donor wasn't brainwashed by 'kidney cult,' patient says

By MATT HARTLEY
Toronto Globe and Mail
Wednesday, June 06, 2007

The Canadian woman who was to receive a kidney donated by an Australian man disputes characterizations of the young man as a religious "cult" member who was coerced into making the offer.

"There's no way in the world this guy was being coerced," said Sandi Sabloff, who lives in north Toronto and met the potential kidney donor on the Internet. "And anybody who met him knew that. He came here and went through all the psychiatric tests, social workers, everybody. And they all approved him. He's not a crazy guy."

Sabloff, who suffers from chronic kidney failure, said Toronto General Hospital denied her a kidney transplant from Ashwyn Falkingham, 22, after the hospital became concerned about his involvement with a controversial religious group.

According to Sabloff, who only has one kidney that works, and not very well, she was supposed to receive a transplant at Toronto General Hospital on April 30, but less than two weeks before the procedure, the hospital pulled the plug. She thinks it's because the hospital felt performing the operation would bring it negative publicity.

Falkingham is a member of the Jesus Christians, a controversial religious group that observers in Australia and the U.S. have dubbed a "kidney cult" because more than half their members have donated the organs. It's considered to be an expression of spiritual devotion by the group.

Robert Bell, CEO of the University Health Network, which governs Toronto General Hospital, would not comment on Sabloff's case, saying it is against hospital policy to discuss specific patients. "We need to make sure the (donor) has informed consent for what this is all about without any evidence of coercion and without any evidence of value consideration being given to the donation of the tissue," he said.

Kate and Nick Croft, Falkingham's mother and stepfather, allege that the leader of the Jesus Christians, David McKay, coerces his followers into donating kidneys in an effort to garner media attention. The couple said they sent several e-mails to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Toronto General, pleading with them not to go through with the transplant, arguing that their son was not acting under his own free will. A spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of Health declined to comment, citing privacy concerns.

Sabloff summarily dismisses the Crofts' brainwashing allegations. She said Falkingham was acting under his own free will and was only following his heart.

In an e-mail to the Toronto Globe and Mail, McKay wrote that the hospital was "pretending" to protect Falkingham by not publicly stating its official reasons for calling off the operation.

"By implication, they are definitely hurting Ash, and the Jesus Christians, because they refuse to also list the REAL reason," he wrote. "Which is they also call off operations if they think adverse publicity will bring criticism on them (in this case, from religious bigots)."

Even after issuing their final decision regarding her case, Sabloff said the hospital said it still considered Falkingham a "perfect candidate" for the transplant, and that if the opportunity to do the transplant still existed in five years, that they would be willing to consider it.

Sabloff said her insurance company helped pay for the plane ticket that brought Falkingham from Sydney to Toronto; however, she paid the balance of the hotel costs and other expenses that he and McKay incurred during their 11-week stay. Now she's out thousands of dollars, and is still without a kidney transplant.

"I never counted on spending that much," she said. Falkingham said he still hopes to find a hospital in Australia willing to perform the transplant, but Sabloff was less optimistic.

"It's an iffy proposition," she said.