Friday, April 20, 2012

Today I celebrate 10 years with my new lung

Today I celebrate the 10th anniversary of my lung transplant and I'm in a lot better shape today than I was following my surgery on April 20, 2002 as you can see in the photo. 

I want to thank the medical and support staff at Toronto General Hospital for the wonderful care I received and continue to receive. TGH is one of the world's leading lung transplant centers, performing more than 100 transplants annually.

I also want to thank my donor and donor family for making the courageous decision to donate their loved one's lung in order for me to have a second chance at life. I wrote them a letter but never received a reply. If I ever have a chance to meet them I would first of all tell them how grateful and thankful I am and I would also tell them that their loved one did not die in vain because he or she is still living within me and we both are continuing on the road of life together.  



“You Have the Power to Donate Life – to become an organ and tissue donor Sign-up today! Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”
Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register
New Zealand, register at Organ Donation New Zealand
South Africa, http://www.odf.org.za/
United States, donatelife.net
United Kingdom, register at NHS Organ Donor Register
Your generosity can save or enhance the lives of up to fifty people with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants (see allotransplantation). One tissue donor can help by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves
Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ or tissue transplant. Organs can save lives, corneas renew vision, and tissue may help to restore someone's ability to walk, run or move freely without pain. Life Begins with You.

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