Pa~e 4, Whhby Free Prose, Wednesday1 Januay 31, 1996 FATHER CRITICAL 0.F GOVERIMENT ATTITUDE TO soN'S DEATH Safety features wanted in latch designi By Miko Kowalskl The father of a Whitby boy killed after falling from a Chrysler minivan is critical of the federal government's response te the tragedy. im Herriott accuses T7ransport Canada of not being sufficiently concerned about probloma assoclated with the rear door latch of minivans buit during the past decado. Herriott and other Ontario residents will meet with ministry officiaIs next month te press their demand that the* government require Chrysler te implement more safety features into the design of the latch. Those taldng part in the meeting aIl had experiences with the rear doors flying open as the resuit of accidents involving a minivan. Although not admitting, that defects exist, incidents of doors coming open in collisions in the U. S., ha. prompted Chrysler te voluntarily notify the owners of almost five million of the vebicles that the. latches will be replaced at no cost. While lookcing forward te the meeting, Herriott does not have high expectations basod on hi. doalinge with the ministry silice hi. son', doath almost two years ago. 'Tve got an on-going battle with Transport Canada over their lack ofinterest in it (saféty issue)," said Herriott. "Their attitude hast been a joko," ho said. Herriott's , 25-rnonth-old son Stuart died of head ..injuries suffered in an April 1994 mishap which occurred on the drivoway of hi. aunt'. home. Les. than one month afrer Stuarts death, Herriott read about an investigation by the US. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into incidents of the rear hatch of Chrysler minivans coming open during accidents that illed eight people. Although the circumatances were not the same, Herriott feît the incident invoîving bis son warranted further attention. Ho said the police officer who investigfated the accident discovered that the latch did net always lock shut, even when closing the door with considorable force. 'The writor found that the latch door had te be slammed shut and thon double checked by pulling on the door te make sure that it was secure," states the report filed by Durham Regional Police constable c. Lateur. 'With the rear hatch »door insecure, the writer found that when reversing, thon coming te an abrupt stop, then reversing again, the hatch door would begin to lift open as It apparently did at the Urne of thls Incident," Latour adds. Herriott subsequently wrote both the car company and Transport. Canada and was not pleased with the responses h received. In a Nov. 5, 1994 letter, Chrysler Canada customer service manager Paul Hager states that the company's safety engineering department was flot aware of any similar incidents which would require it to recail any vans for corrective action. Goverment won' t investgate inci'kn "Every aspect of these versatile models is intensively researched, tested, and retested to ensure the utmost in occupant safety and comfort," sald Hager. A March 13, 1995, letter from Paul Marriner, chief of defect investigations for Transport Canada's road safety and motor vehicle regulation directorate, stated that the government would flot look into the matter. "The loss of a child is a terrible personal tragedy, but I must indicat to you that the foeusof Our investigation is the potential failure of the subject latches to retain itgi in some rear or side col lisions,', says Marriner.- @'TMe circumetances you describe do not involve a collision," he adds. Chrysior (Janacla puDIIc relations officer Walt McCall told the Free Press that while Chryslor i. aware of the "tragic circumetances of this case," ho could not comment specifically sinoe the company had roceived 'legal notice" from Herriott's attorney. (Henriott said the letter was sent to Chryslor in an attempt to prompt a response to bis initial inquiries. Herriott denied that he was planning te take legal action against tho firrn.) However, McCall did acknowledge that due te continuing "negative publicity" in the U.S., ChrysIor voluntarily, notiflod the ownors of about -five million minivans produced sinoe 1984. "tWo are willing te replace tho rear latch, but if's not a recall or a government order, we did it on our own" stressed McCall. "Wo'ro doing it for the peace of rhid of Our customers. There have been no defecta found." Harvey Layden, director of motor vehicle standards and A CLOSE-UP view of the latch which falled to hold the rear door of ULnda Rumbl's minivan closed. WHIUBY MP Dan McTeague's private members bill to declare a national organ donor day stems from the traguc circumstances of Stuart HerrlotVs death. Parents of the -two-year-old Whitby boy consented to the use of their sons organs for transplant. Photo by Jew remDsar, WNhy Fr.. Prou 'research for Transport Canada, confirmed that Chrysler is acting on its own. Layden sald that whil the mlnlstry le monitoring tho situation, it would only stop in if tho cempanyfails te comply wlth the. provisions of the Moter Vehicle Safety Act. Should a company' be in violation of tho act, tho ministry prefers te work with tho cempany to, correct the problem, rathor than irnxediately talng legal stops, Laydon said.i "If we do corne te the peint where w. disagree, the department has the authority te get it resolved if need ho," hoe said. Although hoe did not comment directly on the Stuart Herriott Incident, Laydon sald- hi. mninstry i. interested in ail matters relating te safoty and tiiat ho looks forward te niext month's meeting. "The prlmary. purpose of the meeting is for them'te convey te Transport Canada any additional, information thoy have teimprovo the inivan's safety," hoe said. "Wo- are aiways lnterested in hearing ideas and suggestions that peoplo have." ... .............' - . -..----. .... ... Urgent demand for organs BY rMffke Kowalski More- than a thousand Ontario rosidonts neod human organe te replace ones that no longer' function propierly within their own bodies. But due te, a critical lack of usablo organs, It may ho too lato boforo a suitablo match is found for many of thoso now waiting for a transplant of some kind. Tho extra years that a new heart, lung or kidney could add te their liv. will just ho a dream for these people. Althougn they wiIl likely nover be able te provide organs for everyono in need, officiaIs of a Toronto-based organization are working te increase the odds of survival for as many of them as possible. Founded in 1988, the Multiple Organ Retrieval and -Exchange Program of Ontario (MORE) is a non-profit agency which attempts te link up donated organs with potential recipients. Located i the heart of Canada's financial district on Bay Street, MORE has medical information on hundreds of Ontario rosidonts in need of new organs. 'TEverybody in the province who needs a transplant is listed on our central computer," explained MORE communications manager Pat Sherbin. "We don't decide who goes in. Once docters in Ontario decide who needs a transplant, their names and information go inte, the computer," said Sherbin. 'Thon when a suitable donor is found, the computer looks for the best possible match." MORE's confidential system links the central office te transplant hospitals in Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, Hamilton and London, as well as regionai centres across thé province. The condition of people waiting for kidneys, lungs, livers or hearta i. constantly updated so that' when the famlly of a person who lias suffered brain death consente te organ donation, the best possible match is made. Modicai data, on: the donated orffianm 4s, fidi nti 4AIR emng, It- who are the host candidates for transplant i. printed out. 'The computer looks for the sickest porson first, thon blood type and physical charactoristics," said Sherbin. "If you're six foot, five inches, lungs from a porson five foot, two friheswoLn't ho compatible and vice-versa." Once a match i. made, docters in care of tho previously selected patients are notifiod that an organ 1s available. If, for somo reason, the physician or patient docides the transplant cannot tako place, tho donor co-ordinaters contact the next narno on the computer list until the transplant can ho arranged. The co-ordinaters make arrangements te retrieve tho donor or donated organs and organize operating rooms for the transplant procedure. "fW. may gzet people waiting a year and a haîf who are quite anious and thon someone who has net been waiting as long gets it sooner becauso of a hotter match," said Sherbin. I know of one case whero a wornan was :ready for the operation but couldn't get it because someone else had a greater need. 'W. do this te ensuro that organ availabil ity i. fair and accessible across the province." In 1994, 610 people in Ontario received an organ transplant, but thero were stl 841 waiting for on. by theoyear's end. According te Sherbin, sevoral factors contribute te the shortage. For instance, organs can only hoý talcen from a person who te in a hospital on a respirator and lias beon decîared brain dead by two physicians net involved, in the transplant. "That's only ono te two per cent of people who die," Sherbin noted. Lack of education on the publi'. part and the medicai profession'. as well, i. aiseo a facter, said Sherbin. "As technology improves for transplants, it ' also improves for detecting strokes, and anouriase" she sald. #Wé want tu get the medical a candidate for donation. Our oldest donor was 92." Aithougli society le becoming more aware of the constant noed for organ donation, "thore.are still familles' who refuse or don't undorstand the proces.," Sherbin said. "Wo've don. survoys and the peoplo who say thoy will donato i. 90 per cent, but when the trne cornes te sign the donor oerd, it drops te 40,50 per cent" Sherbin attribute. this tosnome people 'belng "Intellectually hesitant" worried that not everything wil ho don. te keep them alive. But this fear la groundless, sho stresses. "Ne on. from donor retrioval knows you are ln the hospitai and the doctors who are trying te savo your hife, don't car. about it. Thoy are thore te save your life." Thon there la aise the fact Uta famillos aro grlevlng, are ofton i a state of shock and cannot accept that the person ls gene. This tla perfoctly understandable, said Sherbin, given that the pationt shows ail signa of life. 'Theè person may ho bai >n dead, but the body i. stilI warm, the cheeks are pink and the chest i. going up and down," she said. Itelious be letk are also clted as. a reason. However, ail major denominations support organ donation, Sherbin said. "W. recennnend they talk te their religious leaders fer assurance," she said. Whilo net as important ras saving somoone's life of course, organ donation aise helpe reduce health car. Costa. MORE estimates that $12 million can ho saved if organ doinations Increase by 10 per cent For oxaniple, a person on kldney dialysis wii save the system $145,618 'o-ver 1 0 yoa.rs if hoeh. receives hoalth idneys. "VWre finding that-people are more aware of the need, but wo stili have a long way te go,"- said Sherbin. For further.Information on organ donation, Intero.ted perso ne can caIl, MORPE. office -'at