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Ireland's longest living heart transplant survivor says he would not have survived without the sacrifices of his grieving family.
Andy Kavanaugh underwent surgery dublin In 1986, when he was just 19 years old, he was given a second chance at life.
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A year ago, the Dubliner came down with the flu, which attacks the heart muscle, and was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.
He was scheduled to undergo a relatively new surgery. Ireland Or, in that state, they will face death.
In 2000, he developed kidney cancer and needed a kidney transplant four years later. So he told the Irish Sun he knew how “lucky” he was to have had two transplants.
He said: “When I was first told that, I really thought it was a mistake, that something was wrong with me.I often hear people talk about seeking a second opinion, and that's what I think.
“'That can't be true, I'm 19 years old, there's no way I need a heart transplant. People only get old when they need heart surgery or something like that' – that's your perception, as a young lad. ”
Before the surgery, he spent six straight months in the hospital, except for one weekend when he contracted an infection.
This meant he had to return and could not leave until surgery.
Just a year later, he underwent a heart transplant at Mater Hospital.
At the time, only a few surgeries were being performed there, having only begun the previous year, and he was under the care of surgeons Maurice Nelligan and Freddie Wood.
He received a heart from the family of a man named David who donated his organs after he was killed by a drunk driver.
They were the same age when David died, and Andy decided to meet them the following year after placing a thank-you ad in the newspaper on the one-year anniversary of his surgery.
He underwent surgery but was not released until August.
“Years later, I learned that they were afraid to send me home because some people who had undergone transplants had died. Only one survived. So, what did they do? I was afraid to send me home in case something happened.”
The median survival rate for heart transplants is approximately 15 years.
long life
But 38 years later, Andy is a married father and grandfather with three grandchildren.
He works with An Post and is just a year behind the world's longest-surviving heart transplant patient, but “hopefully I'm going to stick around,” he said.
He added: “For the first time ever, I look back at what I have accomplished. I have a daughter and have watched her grow into an amazing woman. I have three beautiful grandchildren. There is.
“Small stepping stones”
“It's all little stepping stones. I remember when my daughter Lindsey was growing up, you wanted to see her go to school, take communion and be confirmed.
“And you want to see her graduate, take her exams, go to college, and all that happened.
“You take them on a daily basis, but when you sit there and look at them, you realize that I was transplanted and I'm still sitting here, looking at all these little things that I take for granted. I can say that.”
Since his surgery, more than 400 heart and lung transplants have been performed at Mater.
“A huge sacrifice”
He is an avid cyclist and used to cycle 20 to 30 km every day until he was involved in a hit-and-run accident two years ago.
Andy said he will never forget the two families who gave him a chance to live.
He said: “It's been a huge sacrifice for both families. It means a lot to be able to think about donating your organs and giving someone else a chance when you're grieving, especially when you're grieving.” in some cases.
“I wouldn't be here if people hadn't made that huge sacrifice. It's a big decision and that's why everyone wants to share with their loved ones and family members that they too want to become an organ donor. We need to have a special discussion.”
Click to order an organ donation card. here
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