Thursday 8 November 2012

Inspiring news

John McCafferty is the longest surviving heart transplant patient
(image from dailyrecord.co.uk)

Many of you will remember that the FH has had a heart transplant.  He is now almost 13 and a half years post transplant, and he was heading for his 62nd birthday when it was done - so quite late in life in transplant terms.  We were blessed that the team at Glasgow Royal Infirmary were up for doing the job, because when we tried to transfer from the waiting list there to the one at Papworth, the doctors there told the Scottish team that they wouldn't take him on because of his age.  God bless Scotland!

It was on the local news this morning that this chap, John McCafferty, is celebrating achieving 30 years of life after his heart transplant - what an achievement!  We know that given the normal span of life, the FH is unlikely to achieve that, but we are truly grateful for each and every day that he does have with us, and the YFG recently had to discuss transplantation as part of her Philosophy & Ethics (what we used to call RE) at school.  She wrote in her book that she is definitely in favour of transplantation because otherwise her dad wouldn't be here with her today.

3 comments:

chrissie said...

Sorry that this has nothing to do with todays blog, but.... thank you for my hair conditioner which arrived today. I look forward to trying it out tomorrow morning when I next wash my hair!

Angela said...

Glad FH is doing well. Papworth does have some odd rules- but they were great when my Dad needed his heart bypass there back in 1982.

and thanks again for conditioner!!

Morgan said...

@Ang - Papworth are fab now and they are in charge of his continuing care, both for his heart and his sleep apnoea, and we can't speak highly enough of the wonderful staff there - the powers that be just didn't want to take on the re-plumbing job that needed doing back in 1999. Happily they are excellent at caring for him now that that has been done!

Hope you get on well with the conditioner xx