Body banter comes back around to bite you

It was the baby’s picture that got to me. Featured in an ad seeking plasma donors, I looked at the infant and the accompanying message that I could help save lives. A few days later I was at the donation centre on the University of Manitoba campus.

That was 15 years ago. Almost weekly since then, I have returned to sit for an hour or so while blood is pumped out of me, plasma is extracted, and then the blood is pumped back in.

Grifols, the Spanish company that operates the U of M clinic as well as donation centres across Canada, paused collections on Aug. 14 as it deals with questions surrounding the deaths of two people following donations at Winnipeg locations.

Health Canada said the deaths were not linked to plasma donations, but raised concerns about alarm monitoring and other procedures and issued a non-compliance order for a clinic on Taylor Avenue.

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: My teenage mother abandoned me as a baby boy. She left town after dropping me off to live with my teenage father, who still lived with his parents and their large Franco-Manitoban family. I had a good life and was spoiled by him, mémère and all the other kids.

My birth mother moved in with some of her family in another province, and didn’t figure in my life at all. I never saw her or heard from her, but I wasn’t really bitter about that. She just didn’t exist for me, except for a photo or two.

My grandmother, who told me to call her Mom if I wanted, was a great mother figure to me. She and my grandfather really loved all the kids, including me — the surprise new baby.

But now my birth mother is coming back to Manitoba for a holiday and has told people in the family she wants to see me. Why now? To see how I turned out without her? My stomach churns when I think about it. I’ve had a good life and I don’t want her coming back to claim me as her son now.

The planned closure of the U.S. Consulate in Winnipeg has sparked an important discussion about the value of local diplomatic representation, not only in relation to the United States, but also about Manitoba’s and Canada’s place in the world.

For more than six decades, the Consular Corps of Manitoba has been part of that international presence. Today it brings together representatives of 34 countries, forming a network that continues to grow as nations recognize the value of being connected to Manitoba, its people and its institutions.

That’s why the decision to close the U.S. office stands out. Since reopening in 2001, the Winnipeg consulate has provided meaningful local connections among governments, businesses, institutions and communities. At a time when more countries are choosing to establish representation here, its departure will be significant for Manitoba.

When people think of consuls, they may think first of national-day celebrations, cultural events and official visits. These are important occasions. They recognize the many communities that have helped build Manitoba and Canada and they help us better understand one another.