Sunday, December 09, 2007

Transplant Headlines

Selected headlines

Donor organs offer a new lease of life

Heart and lung recipients


Transplant patients Andrew Needham (double lung), Pat Caughley (lung), and Murray Hosking (heart)

The Dominion Post in New Zealand has an inspiring story about three of nine heart and lung transplant recipients who raised $10,000 for a heart and lung recuperation center by walking for 19 hours along a 150 km (93 mi) route. Most patients spend about three months living at the center post-transplant and they often compete to see who can walk to the top of One Tree Hill the soonest after surgery.

For almost a decade now, Pat Caughley has had a lung that once belonged to someone else. Murray Hosking has had his heart for seven years. Andrea Needham is the newest recipient – her double lung transplant was carried out in March. Read the complete story.

Heart and lung transplant services hits 200 mark
From Stuff.co.nz:
Peter Ruygrok, clinical director of cardiology and a transplant cardiologist based at Auckland City Hospital, said the milestone meant that 200 people had been able to have their lives extended because of the generosity of others.

He said there were 10 heart transplants a year, on average.

Dr Ruygrok said the unit had the ability and need to perform more each year, but was limited by the number of heart donors.

In the past two decades, the service had grown and expanded and was now doing new and more difficult types of operations and dealing with a wider range of patients.

Dr Ruygrok said many of the people he saw were extremely ill, but within six months of receiving a transplant had returned to normal living. Read the full article.

Boy's double heart transplant joy
A 14-year-old schoolboy has beaten the odds by surviving two heart transplants within days of each other.

Adam Allbutt
BBC News reports that Adam Allbutt underwent the first operation in October at the Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle, after suffering congenital heart problems.

But he suffered a heart attack and another heart had to be found.
Adam is now making excellent progress and is ready to go home to Stoke-on-Trent. He said he was happy to be alive and thanked hospital staff. Read the full story.

Red Sox fan who got heart transplant meets donor's husband
From The Dallas Morning News:
Andrew Madden and Alfonso Solis acknowledged their mixed emotions Sunday, as heart transplant recipient and donor's husband met for the first time.

"I'm very happy he's doing well," Mr. Solis said. "At the same time, I miss my wife."

And 13-year-old Andrew, who's planning to return to Odessa later this month after recovery from his Sept. 30 surgery, said he recognized the grief that Mr. Solis and his family are experiencing.

"I just feel so much better, and I can do so much more," he said, tears welling in his eyes. "When one person is feeling so sad, another person can feel so happy. She saved my life."

Andrew was Children's Medical Center Dallas' 100th heart transplant recipient, and his close relationship with his doctor quickly made headlines. They forged a bond over baseball and their mutual love of the Boston Red Sox, and Andrew got to throw out the first pitch at Fenway Park before Game 2 of the World Series. Read the full story.


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