<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Dear listmates, especially Canadian listmates, Here's an update to my questioning the Canadian Blood Service about our no longer being welcome as blood donors. I first wrote Lynda Cranston, the CEO of Canadian Blood Services, in the middle of last December re Canadian celiacs being deleted from being acceptable blood donors. I explained to her that I didn't understand the basis for the ruling, and was concerned because it meant that I also couldn't be a bone marrow donor and was totally unsure of my status as an organ donor. I subsequently found out that there was no screening going on in the Vancouver donor clinics to find out if someone was celiac, thereby meaning that celiacs were probably still donating blood if they hadn't read or heard about the new guideline deleting us a blood donors. Ms. Cranston referred my question to Dr. Graham Sher, who is the Vice President of clinical at CBS. Here is the reply I received from him today: From: [log in to unmask] Date: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 15:23:07 -0500 Dear Ms Aqua Thank you for your requests regarding celiacs being blood donors. As you correctly point out, currently CBS does not accept these individuals as donors. The reasons for this deferral unfortunately are not very clear. As you know, CBS took over operation of the blood system in Sep. 98, and I am unable to find on record any reason that gave rise to this deferral in the first place. I have also had my staff research this issue with other blood centres in the USA to determine if they have this deferral criteria - my hunch is they do not. Having said that, the issue is that once we have a deferral criteria on our books, it is very difficult to have our regulator (Health Canada) remove it. If indeed there is no medical reason for this deferral (and there is currently none that I am aware of) I will commit to you and your organization that CBS will work with our regulator to begin the process of having this criteria removed - but this will take some months I will keep you posted in this regards, and thank you for raising this issue Sincerely Dr Graham Sher" I'm grateful that I now have received a reply that confirms my suspicion that perhaps we have been unfairly targetted. Obviously, we now have to find out how to lobby Health Canada to reinstate our ability to donate blood and how to do it so the wheels turn quickly. I will keep you all posted. Helen in Vancouver, BC