The Gazette from Montreal, Quebec, Canada • 6

A6 THE GAZETTE, MONTREAL, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1994 the Nation Mourners say goodbye to mar) who 'made Canada face AIDS' Oh baby! What a showstopper Stratford Festival 's Comedy of Errors certainly lives up to its name fusion room of the Victoria General Hospital in Halifax. "It was something totally unheard of in Nova Scotia, a gay man with AIDS and a hemophiliac with AIDS actually speaking to each other," Balser said. "So, when Randy introduced himself to me I was so shocked I almost fell through the floor." CANADIAN PRESS HALIFAX Randy and Janet Conners were an extraordinarily close couple who changed the way Canadians look at AIDS, friends said yesterday at Randy's funeral. "Randy and Janet in the last two years have moved mountains," said their lawyer and friend, Dawna Ring. "Some people say they have changed the face of AIDS in Canada, but what they also did was made Canada face AIDS." About 600 mourners gathered in the cavernous Anglican Cathedral of All Saints, including a smattering of provincial politicians from all three parties.

Randy, 38, died Tuesday of AIDS caused by Red Cross blood products hemophiliacs must take in large quantities to restore their clotting ability. He unknowingly transmitted the AIDS-causing virus to Janet, 38, who announced after Randy's death that she now has full-blown AIDS. Their son Gus, 14, isn't infected. The couple successfully campaigned for government compensation for AIDS-infected hemophiliacs. Their fight also helped lead to creation of the Krever inquiry into Canada's blood-donation system.

John Balser, who worked with the Conners on the Nova Scotia Persons With AIDS Coalition, said Randy and Janet were the first to bring together two types of AIDS sufferers: hemophiliacs and gay men. Balser first met them in the trans CANADIAN PRESS STRATFORD, Ont. The early arrival of a baby boy has made the Stratford Festival's Comedy of Errors live up to its name, forcing the cancellation of the last two performances and sending box-office employees scrambling. The seven-pound, 1 0-ounce baby was born early Thursday two weeks ahead of schedule to Kristi-na Nicoll, the actress who plays the major role of Adriana in the Shakespearean comedy. Because The Young Company, which is putting on the play, rarely uses understudies, there isn't anyone to replace her.

Box-office employees have had their ears glued to the phones trying to get in touch with ticket-holders to offer tickets to other performances yesterday and today. Meanwhile, at Stratford General Hospital, Nicoll has been busy assuming her latest and perhaps most demanding role that of mother. "I feel fine, but a little exhausted," she said. "The whole Young Company was up here to see me yesterday, which was really nice." The baby is still awaiting his first name, but had managed to acquire the names Alexander MacDonald Stead, including the surname of his father John Stead, the Festival's fight director. In order to allow Nicoll to play the part of Adriana, director Richard Rose worked her pregnancy into the script.

In a planted double irony, he had Adriana on the verge of birth throughout the play, then as a finale, had her giving birth offstage, followed by the cry of one newborn baby then another. Since the play is about two sets of identical twin brothers separated and then reunited by chance -wreaking havoc before their identities is realized the introduction of a third set of twins at the ending added an amusing twist. ipBIIISllillBlliB 1 en CP 2 shot dead in Toronto club 'Horrendous homicide detective says Stratford Festival actress Kristina Nicoll gave birth to a boy Thursday. The birth forced cancellation of Comedy of Errors. Nicoll was cast in the role of a pregnant lady.

There is no understudy to take her place on stage. MDs split on value of organs from older donors Kayaker completes odyssey CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO A spurned boyfriend walked into a club and shot people at random early yesterday, killing two patrons and injuring five others. "This was a horrendous incident," police Detective Rolf Prisor said after an arrest warrant was issued for a 32-year-old suspect. Police said the suspect was already being sought for the attempted murder of his former girlfriend, who was stabbed 13 times in an attack last year. Witnesses told police a man looking for the former girlfriend came to the front doors of Whip Burger Menu restaurant, an after-hours club, at about 3 a.m.

"He tried to pull her out, made a grab for her when some guys intervened," one witness said. He left and returned through the glass front door shooting a high-powered semi-automatic handgun. Then he walked into the adjoining Windsor girl seriously CANADIAN PRESS WINDSOR, Ont. A high-school student had to have a hip-to-calf skin graft after her leg was set on fire in an apparent prank. The 17-year-old student at Riverdale High School, identified only as Jennifer, said she was at her locker when she heard two clicks of "Excellent results can be obtained from livers and kidneys from donors beyond 55 and 60 years of age," he said.

"Our challenge for the future is to increase the recovery of organs from donors beyond the age of 50 and to study and learn how we can improve function." Ludwin also raised the ethics of using organs from older donors, saying patients should have a say in the quality of the transplants. For example, a 70-year-old patient may not mind getting an organ from an older donor that may last only five years, but a 30-year-old might want to wait for a younger organ. When an organ becomes available for transplant, it is matched with the most appropriate person an a waiting list, based on the recipient's medical condition, blood group, location and time on the list. Last year, 894 people in Canada received kidney transplants, while 1,904 were on waiting lists, according to the Ontario Multiple Organ Retrieval and Exchange Program. CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO A critical shortage of transplant organs has created a split in the medical community as doctors turn to older and older donors.

Dr. David Ludwin, a kidney specialist at St. Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton, warned doctors at a medical conference Friday that they should be very cautious about transplanting organs from donors over age 55. "The older donor represents very significant risks in the long term," he said. "Despite the organ shortage, you have to ask yourself: 'Is it worth subjecting your patient to the risks of transplantation when you're not going to get any long-term While the number of people waiting for transplants has risen steadily over the last decade, the number of suitable organs isn't growing.

As a result, doctors desperate for transplants have begun using organs from older donors to meet demand. He said knowing the couple brought a new awareness that AIDS wasn't ft I m4 disease. Doug Elliott, lawyer for the Canadian AIDS Society at the Krever inquiry, credited the couple with helping create the inquiry. Conners 600 attend funeral "One of the things I admired most about Randy was that he didn't think he was better then somebody else who was suffering from AIDS," he said. A universal theme was how close Randy and Janet were.

Elliott recalled a photograph of the two in Maclean's magazine. "They're intertwined and you can't really tell where Randy stops and Janet begins. "And truly, the magic of Janet and Randy Conners is that they have turned Canada's greatest tragedy into Canada's greatest love story." dance-hall unit and opened fire on a crowd of 75 to 80 patrons. "He walked through the crowd like a madman shooting at people," said a teenage witness. As the gunman fled for his car, "he turned around and shot at people at the door" trying to flee.

"It appears that they were random victims," said Bob Clarke, who called it the worst mass shooting he could remember in 22 years on the force. He said it's obvious the gunman was seeking revenge on strangers who helped the terrified woman. Two of the victims died in hospital. Injuries to the five others are not life-threatening, police said. Police are withholding the names of the victims until their families are notified.

Police are looking for Dudley Vincent Forbes. He is armed and dangerous, and should not be approached. He is known to police. Forbes is black, 1 80 pounds, 6 feet tall, and has short hair and a receding hairline. burned in school prank a lighter.

She noticed the cuff on her right pant leg was on fire and brushed it out, but as she walked away the left pant leg flared up. Windsor police have charged a 1 7-year-old youth with assault causing bodily harm. He has been suspended, but Jennifer said she's not sure she wants to finish her last year at Riverdale. xr of HONORARY CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN Atwatcr Ave, Mtl. Qc.

H3Z 1X4 WILL BE ISSUED Ft if f.V. ATWAT6R. LI Lyf SK i.iay CCS apologizes to breast-cancer survivor Offices Parties tf0gj I I Meetings i 4 1 Luncheons i SUCCULENT Cocktails rfotifgr 1 Plump Crispy I All Occasions CHICKEN CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO A kayaker ended a odyssey as he paddled ashore yesterday to a cheering crowd waving white balloons. Michael Herman took four months paddling around the Great Lakes to raise money for cancer research. "I feel great," Herman said as he was hugged by friends and family, including his grandparents, both of whom are recovering after being treated for cancer.

Herman, who turns 30 tomorrow, battled storms and loneliness since May 14 when he plunged into the icy waters of Lake Superior at Thunder Bay, camping out each night on shore and often going days without seeing or talking to anyone. "Each day I'd think about how I was out there in good health, with enough to eat and a dry place to sleep at night, and great family and friends to go home to," he said. PUBLIC AUCTION Partial Contents of: Canadian Tulip Festival Turkish Cultural Pavilion Approved In part for export by the GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY for exhibition sale at the 1994 Canadian Tulip Festival In Ottawa, Ontario. Handmade Turkish Persian Carpets All pavilion-consigned goods must be sold to satisfy TURKISH GOVERNMENT esport REGULATIONS Turkish aucUon goods GUARANTEED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY as to country of origin, an additional selection of good quality perslan other oriental carpets will be Included in the sale. Terms: cash, credit card, or bank cheque.

GOODS TRANS-SHIPPED AND TO BE OPENED FOR AUCTION AT HOLIDAY INN CROWN PLAZA 420 8HERBROOKE WEST. Less than a decade ago, only eyes and kidneys were accepted from donors Over age 55 because most organs deteriorate with age and were seen as unsuitable for transplant. Now, doctors also routinely use the liver, heart, lungs, pancreas and bones from such donors. Ludwin said that while the use of older livers appears to be working fine, studies show that kidneys transplanted from donors over 55 show a 10 per cent decrease in function after three to five years and a lower overall success rate. Studies beyond five years are not available.

However, Dr. Norman Knete-man, a liver specialist at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, said transplants from older donors can work well when organs are matched closely with the right recipients. He cited studies that show transplants of livers and kidneys from older donors are almost as successful as those of younger donors in the first five years, and said the use of such organs should be encouraged. breast-cancer activists and survivors broke into applause. Betteley, whose story captured national headlines in 1990 when she was banned from counselling other breast-cancer patients, smiled.

"It just seemed to be the right thing to do," said Eleanor Nielsen, the society's director of patient services. "Whenever someone has had a bad experience, I feel compelled to do whatever I can to set it right." Nielsen, herself a breast-cancer survivor, said she was moved by Betteley's battle with the society. Betteley was dropped from the society's Reach to Recovery pro "All our tools to fix them are gone." Most of what was lost in the fire belonged to the Salem and Hillsborough, but other equipment belonged to the Canadian Railroad Historical Association and private owners. Richardson refused to speculate about possible links between the fire and a break-in at the railway offices two weeks ago. The historic railway was created after CN Rail abandoned 16 kilometres of track between Hillsborough and Salisbury and sold it for $1 to the Canadian historical association.

Since 1984, the group has offered tourist and dining excursions on the old line. The excursion trains and dining cars were parked several hundred metres away from the fire and weren't damaged in the outbreak, police said. CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO A breast-cancer survivor kicked out of a volunteer program for refusing to wear artificial breasts finally got the apology she wanted from the Canadian Cancer Society yesterday. "It's just great," Darlene Betteley, 58, said breaking into a grin. Betteley had just finished telling a forum on breast cancer how she was dumped four years ago as a society volunteer when she heard the words she'd been waiting for.

A spokesman for the society stood up from the audience and apologized. The room full of 150 ATWATER LIBRARY AND COMPUTER CENTRE CHARITABLE TAX NUMBER 0246116-20 Historic equipment worth millions Police suspect arson in New Brunswick railway fire gram after two years for refusing to wear a prosthesis. She said it felt like wearing a bra full of bird seed. "There was a concern my appearance would add psychological stress to patients and their families," Betteley said. She demanded a public apology.

It never came. Instead, she was sent a "registered letter or regret, not apologetic and not public." Officials eventually dubbed it a "misunderstanding," she said. Breast-cancer activists at the four-day conference called the society's gesture a tremendous move forward for breast-cancer patients. NOTICE TO OUR CLIENTELE The following jtem featured in our current flyer which runs until October 2nd, 1994, will not be released by the Manufacturer until early October. The item, Illusion of Gala is a SNES cartridge (catalogue 790-063) and is featured on page 22 of the flyer.

We will gladly take a reservation for this item (details in store). We regret any inconvenience this may have caused. 0 Distribution Cohsommateurs" Let The Gazette's Saturday Travel pages help you chart out your vacation plans. Read all about it in Please Help Support une oi Montreal Oldest Independent Libraries. A Donation Of Any Amount Would Be Greatly Appreciated.

The Cost Of m.T A mew ouuit is Approximately $30. Mad to: Atwater Library, 1200 I ENCLOSE: NAME: ADDRESS: TAX RECEIPTS CANADIAN PRESS HILLSBOROUGH, N.B. -RCMP say a fire that destroyed millions of dollars worth of historic railway equipment in southeastern New Brunswick may have been deliberately set. "We have our suspicions" about the blaze, said Gerry Lebel of the Hillsborough Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment. The fire broke out Friday in a building which housed 12 railway cars including two diesel engines and all of the Salem and Hillsborough Railroad's spare parts.

The railway's offices and historical records were also destroyed, officials said. Dave Richardson, chairman of the board of directors in charge of the railway, said much of what was lost can never be replaced. "All our parts are gone," Richardson said..