Amanda Huska, a 36-year-old woman in Canada, has been denied a life-saving liver transplant despite having a willing donor – her husband, Nathan Allen. This heartbreaking decision comes after Amanda, who has been on life support for three months, relapsed in her struggle with alcoholism while waiting for a transplant.

Despite her commitment to entering an addiction program, the hospital refused Amanda’s request for a liver transplant due to her relapse. Now, her family has been told that she has just weeks to live. Nathan, desperate to save his wife’s life, is considering flying her to Europe for the transplant, but time is running out.

Amanda’s situation raises questions about the strict criteria for liver transplants in Canada. The University Health Network in Ontario claimed that Amanda displayed “minimal abstinence outside of the hospital” and relapsed into alcohol consumption, resulting in their denial of her request.

Liver transplants are a limited resource, and the decision to approve or deny a transplant can create significant moral distress for medical teams. Dr. Saumya Jayakumar, a liver transplant surgeon in Edmonton, expressed the complex nature of these decisions, highlighting the need to address the underlying circumstances that contribute to liver failure.