Sonya was a bright 13-year-old when, early in 1989, she learned that she had a cancerous tumor under one eye. A surgeon outlined to Sonya and her parents the seriousness of the needed operation. Since the tumor was growing rapidly, surgery ought not be put off. Chemotherapy would likely be needed next, and the doctor said that her parents would have to give permission for blood transfusions. But the family could not consent to that because of their religious convictions. The competent surgeon caring for Sonya was willing to remove the cancerous tumor, confident that she could do so without a blood transfusion. However, because of hospital policy, the surgeon could not get an anesthesiologist to assist.

Liaison committees provided vital help in both of these cases in Canada. One assured Sonya’s family that if it became necessary, they could help to make arrangements for her to be moved to a medical center in another country. But could something be done so that the female surgeon already familiar with her case could proceed? Actually, this surgeon had become so attached to Sonya that she offered to be part of the surgical team wherever the operation was performed. A transfer was not necessary, though. Members of the committee were able to persuade local medical personnel to cooperate with the surgeon. According to that doctor, after the eight-and-a-half-hour operation, Sonya’s first words were an anxious inquiry as to whether blood had been forced on her. What a joy for Sonya to know that the answer was no!