A 58-year-old Dublin man who holds the record for being the oldest person to receive a heart transplant in Ireland has paid a moving tribute to his donor's family's life-saving decision.
Andy Kavanagh yesterday celebrated an emotional milestone: 38 years since he received a new heart at the Matter Hospital in 1986, making him one of the pioneers to have the operation. Mr Kavanagh, from Coolock, is a father and grandfather who has served An Post for 25 years, but was still a teenager when the transplant saved his life.
At the time only a few heart transplants were being carried out at the Matter Hospital and Andy's operation was performed by the renowned Dr Maurice Nelligan and Dr Freddie Wood. Recounting the events that led to his operation, Andy explained: “I continued to have what I thought was the flu and wasn't getting better. I went to my GP who referred me to hospital for an x-ray. I collapsed on the way home and woke up in ICU.”
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After a flu-like illness that destroyed his heart muscle, Andy was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and faced the tough decision of facing death or undergoing a heart transplant. “I felt both anxious and frustrated, asking myself why this was happening to me,” Andy recalls.
His life was ultimately saved by the heart of David, a young man his age who was tragically killed by a drunk driver in 1986. Andy says with deep gratitude: “David's mother made the decision to donate his organs, which was a big decision at the time. Without David's family's decision, I might not be here today.”
The average survival rate for a heart transplant patient is about 15 years, but Andy significantly exceeded this, coming just one year shy of the world record for the longest surviving heart transplant patient. But his path was not without difficulties: in 2000, Andy was diagnosed with cancer and had to have a kidney removed.
The anti-rejection drugs he was taking for his heart caused his remaining kidney to quickly fail, and he required a kidney transplant in 2006. “Today, and always, I want to spread the word that organ donation saves lives. Everyone needs to talk to their family and friends about organ donation to save the lives of others,” he said.
Andy truly enjoys life and embraces each day as it comes. He said: “I work, go to the gym, walk 10km a day and live life to the best of my ability.” Dr Emer Joyce, consultant cardiologist at Mater Misericordia University Hospital, commented: “Living a long and healthy life after a heart transplant requires intense commitment not only from the recipient and their family, but also from dedicated transplant specialists and teams.”
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