Organ donation: The ultimate gift

Nov. 13, 2006
A few days later, Heather phones Barbel once she gets home from her job in the finance department at a hotel. Barbel is in high spirits, having celebrated her 64th birthday with family the previous week. But her breathing sounds more laboured than ever.

Barbel asks Heather if she ever felt frightened on the waiting list. Most of her questions so far have been practical; this is one of the first times she has strayed into more emotional territory. She has told me she came to terms with her own mortality after her brother and sister died years earlier, likely from the same genetic condition.

Still, the three months she has spent on the waiting list so far have to be nerve-racking. She was told to expect her transplant within three to nine months when she was listed, so it could happen any time now. But what if she can't make it? We don't talk about it, but I come across the statistic later: 20 per cent of people waiting for a heart at Toronto General die before getting one.

Facing the same fears
Heather tells Barbel that like many patients, she went through a period of denial about whether she really needed a new organ. But soon she began waking up unable to breathe, and that state became her greatest fear. That's when she knew she really needed a transplant.

"It wasn't like I was questioning it anymore," says Heather.

"No," says Barbel quietly. "That must have been awful for you."

They discuss infection and rejection, a transplant patient's two greatest concerns. Because Barbel will be on immunosuppressant medication for the rest of her life, she will be vulnerable to viruses and other types of infection. Transplant patients are typically more careful about things like washing their hands and staying away from others who are sick. Heather mentions that right now someone at work has an eye infection, so she's wiping down her keyboard with disinfecting wipes. "I'm just a little more vigilant about that kind of stuff," she says.

By the end of the conversation, it sounds as if the two have been friends for life. "How will I do my hair?" Barbel jokes, when Heather mentions her shoulders will be stiff after transplant. "See," she adds. "I'm thinking vanity here already!"

Nov. 14 and 16, 2006
The day after Heather and Barbel's last phone conversation, Heather phones me at noon, her voice brimming with excitement. She has just heard that Barbel received The Call a couple of hours ago. Later on, Barbel fills us in on the experience: She was at a medical clinic in Newmarket when her cellphone rang at 9:30 a.m.

"Barbel Martin," said a voice. "It's Toronto General calling. We have a heart for you…" Oh, my God, oh, my God, she thought. She drove herself home, and then she and her husband hit the highway. Luckily, the drive was smooth except for one small bottleneck. She had carefully planned several routes, as traffic was one of her biggest concerns. They arrived at Toronto General at 11 a.m.

She was lucky not to have a "dry run" — a difficult but common occurrence in which an organ is an unsuitable match so the patient must resume waiting. After tests and preparations, and kisses and hugs from family who had all raced down to the hospital, her surgery started at 6 p.m.

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