A Whitehorse man has died after rejecting out-of-territory hemodialysis treatment.

Terry Coventry, 74, died in his sleep early Friday morning after four weeks in care at Whitehorse General Hospital.

He had previously spent several months receiving hemodialysis in Vancouver after having suffered kidney failure in July 2019. The treatment is not offered in the Yukon.

Rather than enter continuing care in Vancouver, which would be expensive and isolating, Coventry returned home to spend his final days with friends and family.

His sister, Kelly Coventry, told the Star his last month was well-spent.

“It was wonderful; we got to spend some time with him, visiting with all of his friends: catching up, saying goodbye and reminiscing about old times,” Kelly said.

“It was really nice to be able to spend that time together.”

Terry invited media to his bedside at Whitehorse General Hospital on Dec. 10 to advocate for hemodialysis in the Yukon.

Kelly said Terry was pleased with the community’s response to his story.

“He was excited… as excited as you can be,” Kelly said. “He wasn’t a hero, he wasn’t giving up his life to prove a point. He was giving up his life to come home and be with his friends.

“But, he desperately wants hemodialysis to come to the Yukon so others don’t have to go through what he went through.”

Kelly said the fight to bring the kidney treatment to the territory will continue after Terry’s passing.

“I’m happy he came home and got to experience a wonderful last month of his life,” Kelly said.

“Am I happy he’s gone? Absolutely not, and I will continue to do his bidding and try to get a hemodialysis machine here in the Yukon.”

When Terry left Vancouver at the beginning of December, medical professionals told him he would likely have a maximum of 10 days to live after his last hemodialysis treatment.

Beating the odds, Terry lived 28 days full of cribbage and conversation.

Kelly said she had been instructed to watch for various signs that would signify end of life was near, but Terry didn’t exhibit any of them.

“In true Terry style, he said, ‘To hell with you, I’m doing it my way,’” Kelly said.

Kelly said Terry was visited by several people he hadn’t seen in several years, including a girlfriend he’d had 40 years previous.

He was also contacted by strangers who were affected by his story, she said.

Hemodialysis is a blood-cleansing treatment that mimics the function of the kidneys in the case of kidney failure.

The fight for hemodialysis in the Yukon has been a long-standing issue.

There have been reports across the Yukon and Nunavut (the only other Canadian jurisdiction without hemodialysis) of patients either choosing to die in their home territory or facing isolation and other challenges while receiving treatment Outside.

On Dec. 11, Pat Living, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Services told the Star there are not enough patients in need of the treatment to make its availability possible.

A recommendation from the B.C. Provincial Renal Agency advised at least 65 patients to support in-hospital hemodialysis, where the Yukon has seen declining numbers totalling fewer than 10 in the past few years.

“We can sympathize with anyone who has to leave the territory for treatment, but the reality is that we are too small jurisdiction to be able to provide every service here at home,” Living told the Star Dec. 11.

See letter.