Saved by the same donor – two women bonded by gift of life
Susie Wood and Gill Hollis (photo by Phil Wilkinson)
JUST four years ago these two women had never met and had little in common except having only a few months left to live.
But thanks to the generosity of a grief-stricken family, they met and began to forge a unique bond that is set to last the rest of their lives.
Susie Wood and Gill Hollis are close friends because they owe their lives to the same organ donor. Wood, 30 received the heart and Hollis, 42, a lung from the same anonymous accident victim during life-saving operations that took place simultaneously at the same hospital.
Yesterday, they told their incredible story to Scotland on Sunday to help raise awareness of our campaign to change organ-donation laws to presumed consent.
And as Wood and Hollis prepare to mark the fourth anniversary of their transplants they reveal how thankful they are to the family whose personal tragedy offered them hope.
Hollis said: "We are very lucky in having a lot in common. We enjoy travelling and sports. But we also share a very special bond. We each have our separate identities but when we link up there is that bond there." Read the full story.
Lung transplant patient to marry medical receptionist who visited him
From The Northern Echo in the UK:
A NORTH-EAST double lung transplant patient is to marry the medical receptionist who visited him throughout his treatment.
Cystic fibrosis sufferer Anthony Peart, of Hartlepool, met Lynn Sharp at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, while he was waiting for his lifesaving operation.
Their friendship blossomed over time, and Mr Peart was delighted when a year later Lynn agreed to marry him during a break at the Lake District.
advertisementMr Peart, 27, of Loyalty Road, said: "I felt like the luckiest man alive.
"I had my transplant and then the woman I love said she would marry me."
After meeting at the hospital in March 2006, the pair instantly became good friends, keeping in touch via the telephone and internet.
But it was not until Mr Peart was recovering from his transplant that he finally plucked up the courage to ask her out.
He said: "It was literally love at first sight for me. But being so ill I couldn't pursue anything. Whenever I was in hospital she would come to visit me while she was working. Read the complete article.
Transplants Give Second Chances
Paul Posharow of Frederick received a heart transplant four years ago. As part of his daily regimen, Posharow uses a large box to organize the approximately 30 pills he has to take every day for the rest of his life. Posharow is also a volunteer with the Living Legacy Foundation which champions organ donations. (Frederick News-Post/Sam Yu)
Paul Posharow was at a family picnic when he got the phone call he'd been waiting for.
"We had ordered some crabs, I had a beer, and then my cell phone rang," he said. "They said, 'This is Hopkins, we have a heart for you.'"
Posharow, who had already undergone two valve replacement surgeries, had one hour to get from his daughter's house in Emmitsburg to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. His son-in-law called state police and told them he'd be speeding.
About 12 hours later, on July 4, 2003, his new heart beat in his chest for the first time. Read the full story.
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