By David Robinson, Belfast (Founder and President of NITA)

The Gift of Life

David Robinson

On All Fools Day 1971 I had my first heart attack aged 38. During the subsequent 20 years I had a total of 9 heart attacks, a stroke when I lost my speech and acute heart failure. The Medical Staff in several hospitals kept me alive
In January 1991, I collapsed and the Doctor said there was nothing more he could do and told me my heart was so badly damaged that I had only a short time to live. I would have to stay in the hospital until I died. This was a great shock to me and my family

However, I was asked to consider a heart transplant and not wishing for the alternative I asked the Doctor to make the necessary arrangements. I went for an assessment which lasted for 10 days at The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. After a lot of tests they agreed to put me on the urgent list and I came back to The Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast to wait for a suitable heart which was my blood group, my tissue type and the right size from a donor within 5 lbs of my weight. It had to fit!

The operation lasted only four hours and I am told by the surgeons that it is easier to do than a by-pass and involves less pain.

My wife, Beverly, our five children and my brother were attentive and friends supportive which was a great boost for my morale.

After one day in Intensive Care I was up and eating a full three course meal!

Three days later I was on an exercise bike!

After ten days I was discharged to a small flat in the hospital grounds. Fourteen weeks later I came back to Belfast. Nowadays folk return home to Northern Ireland in four or five weeks I continue to ride a bicycle and try to get as much exercise as possible to keep my new heart healthy. I will take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of my life to stop my body attacking the new heart

After returning to Northern Ireland I realised that other people going to England for their transplants may benefit from my experiences and I started a support group called The Northern Ireland Transplant Association in October 1991. We started with 2 members and now in 2007 we have over 200! We travel the Province encouraging people to be aware of the desperate need for more organs and how easy it is to sign the Donor Card and Register and to tell their relatives of their wishes. Today there are over 90 folk living in Northern Ireland with new hearts, 90 with new livers, some with new lungs or heart and lungs and others with multiple organ transplants. They all went out of the country for their operations as we have too small a population to sustain a specialised Transplant Unit here for these types of operations.

There have been over 2000 kidney transplants performed at the Belfast City Hospital and numerous corneal transplants on folk living here.

Some people ask what I feel like having a 17 year old’s heart inside of my 73 year old body Apart from it beating stronger than my old, weak and damaged one there is no difference, I am so glad that he or she signed a Donor Card and the relatives saved me from certain early death by giving me The Gift of Life.
Every day I say a silent “Thank You” to my Donor Family. Don’t ask relatives to burn or bury your organs when you die. Please sign and carry a Donor Card so others may live.

By Terry Woods, Craigavon (Member of NITA)

The Gift of Life

I first started having trouble with my lungs in August 1981 when air started to escape causing severe pains in my chest. I was 21 years old married with 2 small children. My mother had died 2 months earlier after suffering for years with asthma and emphysema. She was just 45 years old. After a couple of weeks in Craigavon Hospital I was allowed home. I soon returned to work at the Ulster Carpet Mills.

Over the next 14 years my lungs collapsed a couple of times. I eventually had to go into the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast for operations to strengthen my lungs. Things went well for a while but eventually I developed asthma and severe emphysema. I was finding it a struggle to do my work. Even getting dressed in the morning was a real task. I was eventually laid off work in 1993 due to my illness. My father had died in February 1992. He too, suffered severe breathing problems.

My health continued to deteriorate over the next couple of years. I was 7 stone in weight and couldn’t do a thing. My wife, Noreen, was washing and dressing me daily as well as trying to look after our 3 children. In May 1995, I had a really bad asthma attack and I ended up on a life support machine in Craigavon Area Hospital 4 times over the next 1.5 years. I thought I was going to die.

In October 1996, I met the doctors from the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, when they came to Belfast City Hospital. After being assessed, I was told that I needed a lung transplant or I wouldn’t be here in 2 years’ time. I was put on a waiting list and got a ‘bleeper’ and had to be ready to go to the Freeman Hospital within 20 minutes when the time came. After a year of waiting, the call came. An ambulance was at my door within 15 minutes and Noreen and I were away! At Aldergrove Airport we were put on a small plane with 2 pilots and away we went. As we were coming into Newcastle Airport, the pilot came to us and said “I’m sorry, but the operation has been cancelled.” I was devastated! We returned back home to Portadown to wait for the next time.

I eventually had a single lung transplant on 16th June, 1998 at the Freeman Hospital. After a couple of days I was out of bed and walking around the room. Soon, I was in the gym doing light exercise. After 2 weeks I was able to leave the hospital and move to a patients’ flat within the hospital grounds and I went to the out-patients’ department each day for tests. Just over 4 weeks later, I was able to come home.

I lead a fairly good life. I like to swim and walk. I have drugs to take each day and, although I have had some problems with rejection, it has not been serious. I enjoy participating – and winning medals – in the Transplant Games. I have several grandchildren who I never thought I would see. Every day is a bonus. I will be forever in debt to the doctors, nurses and other staff at the Freeman, Royal Victoria and Craigavon Hospitals for all the care they gave me.

A very special ‘thank you’ to Stuart whose lung I now have and to his family for the ‘Gift of Life’

By Claire McAuley, Belfast (Member of NITA)

I was born on 23rd June 1973. After 2 days the doctors and nurses realized that there was something wrong with me. I was blue around the mouth and nose and was having trouble breathing. I was then transferred to the Jubilee Hospital in Belfast. I was diagnosed with Congenital Heart Disease. My heart had only 2 pumps and my blood was being pumped around my body the wrong way. My parents were told it was unlikely that I would see my 2nd birthday.

However, against the odds I not only reached my second birthday but with the love and devotion of my parents I was able to attend mainstream school and live a somewhat normal childhood. While I was at school I was still in and out of hospital with chest infections and other childhood illnesses. At 17 I left school and worked in a busy insurance brokers for 4 years but by the third year my health was starting to deteriorate and eventually I had to leave work. For the next 7 years, my health continued to worsen and the death of my father was a crushing blow to me. I was unable to climb stairs and needed a wheelchair to get around. Finally I was told that an heart and lung transplant was my only option.

Four years of anxiety followed as I waited for word of a compatible heart and lungs. Several false alarms only served to increase my frustration. Eventually the call came while I was on holiday in London and I was whisked off to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. This time it was not a false alarm. I awoke a day later on 14th April 2003 to find the operation was a success and to begin the slow process of healing. Over the following weeks my family were able to travel back and forth to visit me and help in my recovery. Even though it was a tough time, after 7 weeks I was able to go home to Belfast.

It’s been 7 years now since the transplant and it’s getting difficult to remember just how poor my quality of life had been. I am now able to walk my dog, do housework and enjoy travelling again. Recently I have been able to volunteer for a children’s charity. I work in their offices 3 days a week and I am really enjoying getting back to a normal life. I will have to take anti-rejection pills for the rest of my life but that is a small price to pay for a good quality of health.

None of this would have been possible with out the generosity of my donor and their family. My time was short before my transplant but now I have been given a second chance and I intend to make the most of it, thanks to their wonderful ‘Gift of Life’.

By Margaret Sherrard, Moira (Member of NITA)

The Gift of Life

I had just celebrated my 40th birthday. All of the cards and presents suggested that “life begins at 40″! Little did I know that mine was nearly to end and begin again in a short space of time.
Christmas 1995 came and went and everything was as normal. I was a very healthy woman who had never had any major operations and, in fact, led a very active life.

Christmas 1995 came and went and everything was as normal. I was a very healthy woman who had never had any major operations and, in fact, led a very active life. I was the manager of a busy retail store and I also travelled to trade shows regularly. My two children were aged 15 and 18. I kept fit and was doing a part-time degree course. Those of you who are parents will understand the amount of energy that would take!

By early January 1996 I was feeling nauseated and weak periodically. Some days were better than others. I now did not feel like taking my little dog Oscar (a present for my birthday) out for his much loved walks. I had patches of a rash on my chest and one of my hands. I could not drink cups of tea and the smell of certain foods made me feel ill.

I decided to visit my GP who looked at me and laughed and sent me home. I became worse and thankfully saw another GP who had some tests done which revealed I had a touch of jaundice. My family and I waited patiently and I was in and out of hospital only to be told that I should go home and it would go away!

I became more and more yellow and then a horrible shade of brown. People thought I had a sun tan! I was so weak I fell asleep in the bath. Trips to the Casualty Department and to my GP did not help. We tried to get a private appointment with a liver specialist but while waiting for this on 8th May 1996 I experienced severe back pain. My husband, Michael, called a Doctor, then an ambulance. My son, Michael, who was in the midst of doing his “A levels” sat in the ambulance with

This is all I can remember. I focused on the fact that at least I was getting to the hospital. Apparently I went into a coma and while I was in my local hospital the medical staff told my husband and family that I had liver failure. You can imagine what was going through their heads. My mum fainted, my son shook uncontrollably and my husband just stared at the doctor and asked, “What can be done”? He was told he had half an hour to get ready as I was going to King’s College Hospital in London for a liver transplant.

On 7th May 1996 we were air-lifted to Heathrow Airport in London and then taken by ambulance to “King’s” which is in south London. When I arrived apparently I rang my children and told them I was going to be okay! This is all I remember until I awoke after my transplant which was on 8th of May 1996. I had been told I had only a 30% chance of surviving the operation. My husband sat by my bed throughout this ordeal. When I was told I had received “The Gift of Life” from a 17 year old boy I just cried. It was too much to comprehend as I was a mother and appreciated this was the ultimate sacrifice. I marvelled at this and I still do. In the depths of such grief and sorrow someone did this for me! This is something I will never forget.
I returned home to Northern Ireland after about 6 weeks. I was quite weak and was in a wheelchair for a while but was determined to get fit and went for endless walks and eventually went to the gym. I even did more exams from my armchair!

Due to this “Gift of Life” I have seen my son graduate from Queen’s University and my daughter married (I didn’t cry once!). Most of all I feel tremendously well; so well, in fact, I have to remind myself that I was ill. I lead an active life. I am back at work and I study on a part-time basis. However, one thing sticks in my mind. My husband took me to the park beside “King’s” and I remember looking at the grass and the sky and making a mental note to appreciate the entire beauty of them. I have changed. I don’t worry about silly things. I make the most of each day and cherish each and every hour with my family. This whole experience has put things into a different perspective for me.

I have nothing but praise for the doctors, nurses and staff of King’s College Hospital. They pulled out all the stops for me. They are truly dedicated and their talent and expertise is God given. My ultimate thanks goes to the family who donated their loved one’s liver to allow me a second chance.

By Gary Stewart, Ballymena (Member of NITA)

The Gift of Life

Gary Stewart & Family

Feelings of guilt dominated the consciousness of transplant patient Gary Stewart for months and months after his operation. He was filled with an overwhelming sense of guilt and sorrow that someone had to die for him to live.

Today he is finding that fact much easier to live with

By Margaret Archibald, Ballymoney (Chairperson of The Ballymoney Group of NITA)

The Gift of Life

I first became ill in October 1986. I was very sick and lost a lot of weight. All my tests were normal.

By March 1987 I became jaundiced which lasted three years. I was told I had Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and with care I could last for 15-20 years. I was in and out of hospital until October 1989 when I was told I needed a liver transplant.

I went to King’s College Hospital in London in January 1990 until my transplant on 18th March 1990. The operation lasted seven and a quarter hours. I was walking about in two days and came home to Northern Ireland in less than four weeks on 13th April 1990.

Once home my husband and I felt there was something I must do.

After an invitation to The Salvation Army I realised that I wanted to give my life to the Lord and, do you know, life has been great!!

I also spend time with friends at craft classes and attending Pipe Band competitions all over Great Britain with my husband James.

I’m a busy housewife, mother and grandmother with a renewed zest for life. Every day brings another challenge for which I thank God. Taking my anti-rejection tablets seems a fair price for continued health and happiness shared with my loving family.

Life does not have to slow down after a transplant. It just gets busier and better!

I run the Ballymoney Branch of The Northern Ireland Transplant Association so I can help others going through the same experience. I meet folk involved with liver problems and transplants and give them hope and support.

By Roy Bates (Member of NITA)

The Gift of Life

My first signs of heart trouble appeared when I was 35 years old in 1977. I had what I was told had been a silent heart attack. I then developed a severe angina problem which was helped by taking medication.

Later, in November 1982, I had another very bad angina attack. I was taken into the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) in Belfast in January 1983 where I underwent a treadmill and dye test, ECHO tests under stress and an angiogram. I was told that I needed quadruple bypass surgery immediately or I would be dead in a few months as my heart was only working at 50% capacity.

After my bypass operation I recovered well and had about twelve years painfree and returned to work. I worked in the family’s wholesale fruit and vegetable business. Then I started to get angina pain again. I was put back on more medication which helped some, but gradually I started getting worse and the medication was not helping as much as before. Then on 22nd December 1997 I went into acute heart failure. I was taken into the RVH where after more tests and an angiogram I was told I needed further bypass surgery as my grafts had become blocked again.

My Consultant Cardiologist was very optimistic that the operation could be carried out but after showing my results to three heart surgeons each of them refused to operate because of the risk. One of the surgeons visited me and explained that because of the scar tissue and the extra strain, also the fact that now my heart was only pumping at 11% of its volume, I was too high a risk. I was devastated!!

Thankfully my Cardiologist refused to give up and contacted the Freeman Transplant Unit in Newcastle upon Tyne England who took me in to be assessed for transplant. By this time I was in a wheelchair and very low.

After more intensive tests everything looked as if I was going to be recommended for a transplant and be on the active list which meant I would be transplanted as quickly as possible. Then on the last day of my assessment the head of the transplant team said that because of better facilities and more advanced technology in the Freeman he would attempt my bypass surgery which would give me another 4-5 years before needing transplantation. I was then sent back home to wait for my operation.

A year after my first assessment I got another call on my pager and then a phone call to check that I had no infections or medical problems. I was again taken to the Freeman Hospital via ambulance and private plane where I was again prepared for my operation. At about 11 pm on 13th March 1999 I was given my gift heart. I awoke about two days later and felt great. No pain or anything. I was buzzing and couldn’t wait to start my recovery programme.

Eleven days later I developed severe infection in my chest wound and around my new heart. I was again taken to theatre where I was reopened and an irrigation system inserted into my chest. This consisted of lots of tubes and drains and I was like this for a few days. Then my kidneys stopped working and my lungs filled with fluid. My body swelled up and all my organs were closing down. The nurses later told me that they had been calling me “The Michelin Man”. I was given blood transfusions and many types of drugs then eventually my kidneys began to function again and I lost nearly three stone of fluid from my body. I was starting to feel better when the infection in my chest returned. The doctor who I had come to rely on treated the infection and cleaned the wounds daily until the infection had cleared up.

After that I went with my wife, Barbara, who was always by my side and who nursed me the whole time, to a flat in the hospital grounds where I slowly recovered. I attended a clinic and a gym every day to build myself up. After about three weeks I was allowed to go home.

Three months later the infection in my wound returned. I was taken to the Freeman Hospital where Dr Jagan Rau again opened the top of my chest, cleared out the infection and removed one of the wires which was holding my breastbone together as this was the root of the infection. The following morning I was on my way home again.
Since that I haven’t looked back! I can now walk for miles and enjoy my boating hobby.

I will be on medication for the rest of my life. Some of the drugs have made me diabetic but this is a small price to pay for life.
I can never express my gratitude enough, for the dedication of Mr Dark and the transplant team, also the nursing staff and all the other staff in the Freeman Hospital. I will always be in their debt.

And to

By Jeffrey Whitford, Lisburn (Vice Chair of NITA)

The Gift of Life

In the spring of 1975 I was feeling very unwell. As I was only 24 years old I made an appointment to see my GP and was surprised that I had to go straight to the cardiac unit of the Lagan Valley Hospital in Lisburn. My heart rate was extremely fast, around 200 beats per minute. The medical staff in the hospital stabilised my heart rate. However, they would not treat my illness, so I was referred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. There I was finally diagnosed with congestive cardiomyopathy. In my case the muscle tissue in the right side of my heart had thickened so the pumping action did not function properly.

I was constantly tired and any sort of exercise gave me pain at the base of my chest and I became short of breath.
I was a young man, not long married with two small children. At times I despaired of seeing my children grow to adulthood. I left work to become a house-husband in June 1978. This helped my heart a lot but I was still slowly deteriorating. My doctors implanted a pacemaker in the spring of 1980 and this improved the pumping action of my heart and I felt a little better but it was still only buying time and was not a cure

When my cardiologist suggested a transplant I could not fully comprehend all it could mean. This was in the Autumn of 1985. I was sent over to Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, England in December 1985 for assessment and I had a positive answer.

Again I was very fortunate in that I didn’t have long to wait. I received the call on the 14th April 1986 and I received my new heart at 11 pm that night at Papworth Hospital.

The operation was, by their standards, quite straight forward and I progressed fairly well. I had some rejection but that was treated. I stayed in hospital for about 3 weeks and in a flat in Papworth Village for 2 weeks. I was sent home 5 weeks and 1 day after my transplant looking forward to a new happy healthy life with my family. I did have some rejection in the first few months but, again, it was successfully treated and I soon established a new routine for myself.

Since then I have been very fortunate that any of my problems have been resolved. I now live a good fulfilling life. My wife and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary last year and our older daughter is married and our younger one is working in her chosen career. Life is good and there is not a day I do not give thanks for my transplant. I am Vice Chairman of The Northern Ireland Transplant Association so I can help those waiting for their operations and share my experiences with others in the same situation. i am now a proud Grandfather since 2004.

Please carry the donor card and sign the organ donor register on Freephone 0800 606040

By Michael Guinness, Castlewellan (Member of NITA)

The Gift of Life

In 1990 I had a pacemaker fitted. It helped for a time, but by the autumn of 1994 I became ill. After numerous medical investigations it became evident that I needed a heart transplant.

This was a great shock to me and it took me some time to come to terms with the fact that this was the only way to prolong my life. After three months treatment in the Belfast City Hospital I was sent to the Freeman Hospital for assessment. I was put on the waiting list and we were given a “bleep” to carry. I remained in the City Hospital until February 1995 when I was discharged. I had improved sufficiently to allow me to live at home. By this time I was 62 years old.

I was called in June and August 1995 to the Freeman Hospital but the donor organs on each occasion were found to be unsuitable. I was called again on 20th October 1995. My wife and daughter accompanied me and I was transplanted in the early hours of the 21st

It was a very traumatic experience not only for me but for my wife and family. We were also aware of the suffering of the donor family. Thank God I have had a good quality of life since. I am always careful about my medication.

I have since become a member of the Northern Ireland Transplant Association so I can help others going through a similar situation. Please carry the card and sign the organ donor register

By John McFarland, Glengormley (Member of NITA)

The Gift of Life

I was a busy Instrument Technician dashing here and there through the whole of Ireland, Isle of Man and parts of Scotland. I didn’t have time to be sick!

Suddenly, on 17th November 1989, while working in Galway I had a heart attack! In the hotel my heart stopped…………………
A cardiac arrest!!

Severe chest pains 3 years earlier had been a warning. I was checked out in hospital at that time, nothing serious found, went home and worried no more about it.

After the Galway episode I had tests which showed scars from a previous heart attack and I had a triple by-pass in April 1991.