Latest news with #donor
CBC
16-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Equipment failure at Winnipeg clinic caused blood plasma donor's kidney injury, lawsuit alleges
A Winnipeg man who donated blood plasma at a plasma clinic has filed a lawsuit claiming he suffered a serious kidney injury after something went wrong with the machine used in the procedure to withdraw blood. The plaintiff alleges the issue happened at the Grifols plasma collection facility, operated by the Ontario-based Canadian Plasma Resources, on Taylor Avenue in Winnipeg. It gives members of the public an honorarium payment for donating blood plasma, according to his lawsuit, filed July 9 with Manitoba Court of King's Bench. On July 15, 2023, the now 43-year-old donor went to the clinic for what the lawsuit describes as a routine plasma donation through a procedure called plasmapheresis, which involves blood passing through medical equipment to separate the plasma from the red blood cells. The red blood cells are then returned to the donor, along with replacement fluids. The procedure took about 90 minutes, and the donor left the Grifols facility around 10:45 a.m., the lawsuit says. Around noon, he began to feel ill and experienced symptoms such as blood in his urine and flu-like symptoms, it says. He called Canadian Plasma Resources to ask if the symptoms were anything he should be concerned about, but was told they were unaware of any issue that would cause them, his lawsuit says. He was advised to drink fluids and seek medical attention if the symptoms worsened. By shortly after 1 p.m., the donor began having significant abdominal pain, which continued to intensify, his lawsuit says. He was taken by ambulance to St. Boniface Hospital, where medical tests were done, including blood work, an ultrasound, a CT scan and urinalysis, to determine the source of his symptoms, the court document says. At the hospital, the donor got an email from Canadian Plasma Resources informing him that a "machine error" caused some red blood cells removed during the procedure to be "broken" and erroneously returned into his body along with the plasma, the claim says. It says he was advised the error may cause him to experience symptoms such as "blood in the urine, lower flank pain, shortness of breath, fever, weakness, confusion, or yellowing of the skin." Acute kidney injury: lawsuit The medical testing determined the donor had suffered an acute kidney injury as a result of the error, the claim alleges. He is suing Canadian Plasma Resources, which operates as Grifols, as well as three Grifols employees identified as health-care professionals. The allegations have not been tested in court, and the defendants have not filed statements of defence. The lawsuit says the man continued to experience fatigue and low energy that made him unable to return to work for about a month, after which he went back to work gradually. He continued suffering fatigue and low energy for about six months, the claim says. It also alleges he has suffered "non-reversible and permanent injuries" from the acute kidney injury, which may result in chronic kidney disease in his lifetime. The lawsuit seeks damages for pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and lost income, among other damages. It alleges the employees at Grifols working at the time of the machine error failed to ensure the medical equipment was working safely and properly, and failed to recognize the equipment was malfunctioning. The employees also failed to advise the donor in a timely way that there was an error during his procedure and that he might experience complications, the claim alleges. CBC reached out to the plaintiff and his lawyer, as well as the defendants Grifols and Canadian Plasma Resources, but did not receive comment on the lawsuit before deadline. Grifols' website says plasma, the straw-coloured liquid portion of blood in which blood cells are suspended, is "used to manufacture life-saving and life-changing therapies." It says tens of thousands of Canadians benefit from plasma therapies used to treat a range of medical issues, such as immune deficiencies, respiratory disorders, and surgical bleeding, among others.
CNN
01-07-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Former UFC fighter Ben Askren recovering from double lung transplant after ‘sudden' bout of pneumonia
Former UFC fighter Ben Askren is recovering from a double lung transplant, his wife said on Monday. Askren had been in hospital with severe lung damage caused by a sudden bout of pneumonia during which he spent time on life support, Amy Askren wrote. After weeks of waiting for a donor, Amy wrote on Facebook that the 40-year-old had finally undergone a lung transplant. 'We are forever thankful to the donor and his family. This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for Ben, but every new day he has is a gift,' Amy wrote. 'It still doesn't feel real that he was walking around completely healthy just 5 weeks ago. So much can change so quickly. 'Please keep Ben in your prayers that his body welcomes the new lungs as if they were his own.' Earlier this month, Askren had been admitted to hospital with severe pneumonia, Amy wrote, and a donation page was organized to help fund his medical treatment. Nine days later, Amy wrote that Askren was still on a ventilator but that the doctors had 'been able to wean his sedation enough for him to open his eyes and squeeze hands.' Askren was later placed on the transplant list, Amy said on June 24. There were positive signs though, with his wife saying she saw him mouthing the word 'coffee' despite not being able to have it. Then, Askren finally had his operation. 'I am constantly in awe of all the people carrying us through right now,' Amy wrote. 'I can't wait to tell Ben all about It. I'm hopeful that in coming weeks Ben will be able to give the next update, but hopefully he will wait until the drugs wear off.' Askren retired from mixed martial arts in 2019 with a 19-2 record and one fought three times in the UFC, winning once and losing twice. He also was an accomplished wrestler, with two NCAA titles to his name and an appearance at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for the United States. After his MMA career came to an end, Askren fought Jake Paul in a boxing match in 2021, losing by technical knockout in the first round. Paul said after his most recent fight against Julio César Chávez Jr. on June 29 that he is planning to donate to help pay for Askren's medical bills.
CNN
01-07-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Former UFC fighter Ben Askren recovering from double lung transplant after ‘sudden' bout of pneumonia
Former UFC fighter Ben Askren is recovering from a double lung transplant, his wife said on Monday. Askren had been in hospital with severe lung damage caused by a sudden bout of pneumonia during which he spent time on life support, Amy Askren wrote. After weeks of waiting for a donor, Amy wrote on Facebook that the 40-year-old had finally undergone a lung transplant. 'We are forever thankful to the donor and his family. This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for Ben, but every new day he has is a gift,' Amy wrote. 'It still doesn't feel real that he was walking around completely healthy just 5 weeks ago. So much can change so quickly. 'Please keep Ben in your prayers that his body welcomes the new lungs as if they were his own.' Earlier this month, Askren had been admitted to hospital with severe pneumonia, Amy wrote, and a donation page was organized to help fund his medical treatment. Nine days later, Amy wrote that Askren was still on a ventilator but that the doctors had 'been able to wean his sedation enough for him to open his eyes and squeeze hands.' Askren was later placed on the transplant list, Amy said on June 24. There were positive signs though, with his wife saying she saw him mouthing the word 'coffee' despite not being able to have it. Then, Askren finally had his operation. 'I am constantly in awe of all the people carrying us through right now,' Amy wrote. 'I can't wait to tell Ben all about It. I'm hopeful that in coming weeks Ben will be able to give the next update, but hopefully he will wait until the drugs wear off.' Askren retired from mixed martial arts in 2019 with a 19-2 record and one fought three times in the UFC, winning once and losing twice. He also was an accomplished wrestler, with two NCAA titles to his name and an appearance at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for the United States. After his MMA career came to an end, Askren fought Jake Paul in a boxing match in 2021, losing by technical knockout in the first round. Paul said after his most recent fight against Julio César Chávez Jr. on June 29 that he is planning to donate to help pay for Askren's medical bills.
CNET
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
I Tried Using AI to See My Future Baby's Face. It Got Weird
Bringing a new life into this world is one of the most cosmic, transcendent experiences. I have yet to experience it, but the women in my life tell me so and pass down their wisdom. We wait nine laborious months to see who that little soul is and what they look like. But with the birth of artificial intelligence, there are apps that can show you what your baby's face will look like. Or so they say. These apps are more entertaining than scientific, more likely offering comic relief during pregnancy than accuracy, because no one can ever predict what their baby will look like. The moment that parents and baby meet will continue to remain a beautiful surprise, no matter how good AI gets. Zooey Liao/CNET I'm extra curious about what AI will generate, given I'm in a same-sex relationship and we have options when choosing our genetic "other half." But for the sake of this example, I'm going to use a friend, who might be a potential donor. My goal, as with my AI-crafted headshots, is to generate future baby pictures that don't look like cartoons. AI baby pictures: AI Baby Generator app I decided to test out the AI Baby Generator: FaceMaker app, as it came up a few times in my research. The features beyond the baby generator also sounded interesting -- you can transform ultrasound images into visual predictions, swap genders, create a family photo and generate baby names. AI Baby Generator is free to download, with upgrade options for unlimited Pro features. It was developed by Wowoo AI and launched in November 2022. To test its full capabilities, I signed up for the free trial of Pro. It's $7 per week but I'll delete it after I use it so I'm not charged. I went through my camera roll and picked seven photos of myself that I liked, where you could see my face. I cropped the photos to focus in on my face. I did the same for the three male photos. When I started uploading photos, I received a notification that they would be uploaded to the servers for analysis but deleted immediately after processing. You can pick the gender but I selected "surprise me," because we need a little mystery in our journey. You can also "customize your baby," which was an odd feature, so I stuck with the automatic preset -- which promised 91% accuracy. The first result? Screenshot by Amanda Smith/CNET The app told me that the probability of a boy is 64%. I pressed Regenerate and Customize Your Baby to tweak the settings but the features were similar. I kept getting boys so I just selected "boy" for all of them, so I could easily compare. AI did get my age wrong. Some of these photos were from a few years ago, so I uploaded one from last year when I was 35. It listed my age as 29. At least it's not telling me I'm of geriatric pregnancy age. Phew! I wanted to see if I'd get similar photos with another AI baby app or if it was just random. For reference, this was me as a child. Courtesy of Amanda Smith/CNET AI baby pictures: Cosplay app I picked Cosplay for the second tool because it was a top option in the App Store. I used the free trial but if you're using it be sure to delete it before it expires, otherwise it's $13 per week. When I input my first image, the app said it would take 24 minutes to generate the baby pics but it took only five minutes. The results were wildly different. I didn't see myself in these images at all. Screenshot by Amanda Smith/CNET I tried with the next two images of me but it didn't get better. It was a whole lot of the same. AI baby pictures: Make a Baby app Disappointed by this second round, I wanted to try one more app to see if the third time's a charm. I went with the Make a Baby app. It's $5 per week, with no free trial. And things got even worse. The app displayed the two genetic parents' faces in a way that cropped out everything below the nose, and it wouldn't let me adjust them -- and then it simply mashed up those adult faces onto an image of a baby. I have no words besides "Give me my $5 back." Screenshot by Amanda Smith/CNET Let's go back to the beginning, to AI Baby Generator, and test one more photo to see if I can get consistency with two different photos in the same model. But I got an error message this time. Was it a sign from the universe? Should you bother with AI-generated baby pictures? I was excited to try out these tools, especially to support our unique journey where we get to pick the genetic other half for our future child. It's an odd and overwhelming experience and these AI apps didn't necessarily make it easier. The results either felt too similar or -- when the apps actually worked -- fake. Do I think our baby will look like any of these photos? No, and I'm happy about it. I want to keep some semblance of surprise.
Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
I have power of attorney, now what?
Taking on the role of power of attorney for a loved one can be tough – if you need to act on their behalf it will mean that person no longer has the capacity to make decisions for themselves. But by understanding your role and responsibilities, you can at least make things a little easier for all parties. Helen Strong, lead solicitor in the private client department at law firm BTTJ, said: 'A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a legal document that allows a person to appoint someone, an 'attorney', to make decisions on their behalf if they become unable to do so.' One or more trusted persons, such as family members or friends, can be nominated. An LPA must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) before it can be used. This can be done at any time. Here, Telegraph Money explains what you need to do after taking on the responsibility of power of attorney. Responsibilities as an attorney Should you need to act on behalf of the donor – that is, the person who appointed you as their attorney – there are a number of responsibilities you'll be taking on. These include: Being able to demonstrate that the donor consents to you acting on their behalf. Making choices about the donor's healthcare arrangements, or staying on top of their day-to-day finances. Stepping in if the donor is at risk of being a victim of scammers. Taking action if you need to use the donor's assets to help pay for their care. The most important thing you must keep in mind as an attorney is your duty to protect the wishes of the donor throughout their lifetime. Heledd Wyn, a TEP (trust and estate practitioner) and partner at Rothley Law, said: 'You have to act in the best interests of the person who has appointed you. You must also have regard for the Mental Capacity Act 2005.' You can read more about what's involved in being an attorney at Ms Wyn added: 'It is important people understand their responsibilities as attorneys, and that they keep records of transactions, such as everything they have spent money on – and why.' Your responsibilities may vary depending on which type of LPA you have been granted – there are two, and you may have been appointed to cover both. Health and welfare power of attorney This type of LPA enables an attorney to make decisions about health, personal and medical matters. It can be very wide-ranging: It covers aspects of day-to-day life, such as where a patient lives, what they eat, how they dress and who can visit them. It can cover decisions about their medical treatment, dental and optical care. It can even include matters of life and death, such as issuing 'do not resuscitate' orders. Ms Strong said: 'Anyone taking out a health and welfare LPA can decide to give their attorneys the power to consent or refuse 'life-sustaining' medical treatment.' Note that this LPA only takes effect once the donor has lost mental capacity or cannot express their own wishes and feelings. It must be correctly registered with the OPG before an attorney can use it. Property and financial affairs power of attorney This type of LPA allows an attorney to make a range of decisions about the donor's finances. This might include: Managing bank accounts. Paying bills. Collecting their pension. Buying and selling property, or renting it. Making investment decisions. Unlike a health and welfare LPA, this type can be used, or 'triggered', as soon as it's registered, provided the donor has given their permission. This is the case even if the donor still has capacity. Ms Strong said: 'A property and financial affairs LPA can either be used immediately – or when the donor no longer has the ability to make financial decisions.' It is down to the donor to specify this. Who to notify that you are an attorney If the LPA is being used to make decisions about the donor's finances or property, you may want to notify certain relevant parties, such as: The donor's bank. Their mortgage provider. Their landlord. If you're using the LPA when making choices about the donor's health and welfare, you may need to notify: The individual's friends and family. Their doctor and other health-care staff. Their care workers, social workers or other social-care staff. How long power of attorney lasts Once an LPA has been registered with the OPG, it then lasts indefinitely, unless one of the following happens: The donor dies. The donor chooses to revoke it (they must still have mental capacity at this time). The attorney becomes incapable (if they lose mental capacity, pass away or choose to no longer act on behalf of the donor). Assuming none of these things happen, a person's LPA will continue to operate, with you, as the appointed attorney, making decisions as required. Ms Wyn said: 'An LPA usually lasts until the donor passes away or revokes it. If the attorney dies before them – and there are no replacements named – the donor must inform the OPG.' The donor must then choose someone else to be an attorney, providing they have the capacity to do so. This will mean setting up a new LPA. Ms Wyn added: 'The donor can also decide to revoke their LPA if they change their mind for any reason. Further, the OPG may cancel an LPA if someone has mis-used it.' This last point highlights just how important it is to choose the right attorney who can be trusted to make good decisions.
