Politician 'performs' heart transplant

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

News Winnipeg

Politician 'performs' heart transplant

By JASON HALSTEAD, SUN MEDIA

Last Updated: 22nd April 2009, 7:14am

Education Minister Peter Bjornson performs virtual heart surgery to help launch a new interactive resource for science students.Click here to watch the video http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/winnipeg/2009/04/22/9198576-sun.html#/news/winnipeg/2009/04/21/pf-9194696.html

It's not every day the education minister performs open heart surgery.

As part of National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week, Education Minister Peter Bjornson performed a heart transplant -- albeit a virtual one -- to help launch a new biology resource kit for Manitoba high schools.

"That's quite the program. It beats the Operation game we had when we were kids," said Bjornson after wielding a virtual scalpel, bone saw, retractor and defibrillator to work through a transplant on the computer program called "Life Is A Gift" at John Taylor Collegiate.

The resource kit was developed by John Taylor science and biology teacher Tara Shepherd in conjunction with the Transplant Manitoba-Gift of Life Program and Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth. It will be put to use in schools this fall.

The interactive program was named by John Taylor Grade 10 student Garrett Armstrong.

"The collaboration we've had with Transplant Manitoba has produced an incredible resource for students to learn from in terms of the science, but also in terms of giving the gift of life, so I think it's an excellent resource," said Bjornson.

National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week runs until Sunday.

There are more than 4,000 people waiting for a potentially lifesaving or life-enhancing transplant operation. In Manitoba, there are approximately 150 people ready and waiting for a kidney transplant at any given time and about 300 others in the process of being evaluated for transplants.

Last year, there were 47 kidney transplants and six lung transplants performed in Manitoba.

jason.halstead@sunmedia.ca

http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/winnipeg/2009/04/22/9198576-sun.html