Second Breath - Organ Donation Awareness Part 2

Second Breath - Organ Donation Awareness | Part 2

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Second Breath - Organ Donation Awareness

Today, the Lung Association is asking everyone to think about becoming an organ donor and to share your explicit wishes with your loved ones so they are able to honor and act on your gift when it is time to do so.

Together with your loved ones take the time to read the extraordinary stories of the Lung Association volunteer BREATHE Ambassadors, ordinary people who truly understand the impact one organ donor can make in the lives of so many. The gift of life does more than saves lives, it changes how people live their lives and the Lung Association Breathe Ambassadors live each new day in honor of and in service to those who made the gift possible.

Don Gill - Saskatoon, SK

Don had a pesky cough that just didn’t seem to want to go away. He wasn’t overly concerned but in May of 2013, he finally went to his doctor. After some tests and a referral to a breathing specialist, he was told he had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) – a disease that scars the lungs and has no cure other than a lung transplant. Don was given 3-5 years to live. “I was diagnosed with a terrible disease and a horrible way to die.”

Not long after his diagnosis Don became very ill. Short of breath and dependent on supplemental oxygen, he had no choice but to leave the workforce. His illness became both a physical and financial battle. “We had no choice but to sell off assets

and to cut expenses. We paid the bills that needed to be paid the most. I wouldn’t sell my house because I didn’t want my wife to be without a home when I was gone. We were hoping for a miracle.”

Don was introduced to a transplant specialist in Saskatoon who told him they would like to see if he would qualify for a lung transplant if he was willing. After many tests, Don was given even more devastating news. He was told he did not qualify for a lung transplant because in addition to his lung disease he also had prostate cancer. He would have to beat cancer and remain cancer-free for two years before he would be considered again. Doctors told him the likelihood that he would live long enough was less than 5%. But 5% was still a chance! “I knew how upset I would be with myself if I didn’t take the chance. Along with my wife and kids, we decided as a family to face the cancer head-on, to stay positive and wish for a miracle.”

Knowing Don was on borrowed time, a cancer specialist suggested he try a trial treatment for prostate cancer that could cut his cancer treatment time in half. “The treatment was a success. The time it saved me was critical. It was truly a gift and a miracle,” exclaims Don.

Although Don had beat cancer, his lung health was deteriorating quickly. After being placed on the lung transplant waiting list he was told people usually wait two years for a new pair of lungs and that he just didn’t have that kind of time. However just forty-eight hours later Don got the call of his life, a pair of lungs were waiting for him. He was airlifted to the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton. Soon after his arrival the doctor approached Don and said two words that made his world stop, “dry run.” A dry run means that the lungs weren’t suitable for Don. Normally when a dry run occurs the patient is sent home to be with family. Don, however, was too sick and moved to a ward of the hospital where he feared he would die.

“It was really difficult to be so excited and given so much hope only to have the wind let out of your sails. The worst part of being diagnosed with a terminally ill disease is that you quit dreaming into the future because you know you won’t be there. I didn’t ever lose hope, but I lost my ability to dream. I always hoped for the best. If I had a 1% chance I still had a seat or chair at the table, I believed it could happen, I thought maybe I could have one more miracle,” recalls Don.

Five days after arriving in Edmonton on June 19, 2015, Don received yet another miracle. Don was given a life-saving double lung transplant.

Darlene Mickelborough - Regina, SK

Living on her farm north of Regina is the only home Darlene Mickleborough has ever known. The farm is where Darlene grew up and raised her children. “It’s a great place to live. It has always been my home and it still is today.”

About ten years ago Darlene had trouble breathing. “I had noticed I was short of breath, but I just assumed it was something that came with age.” Darlene didn’t go to the doctor until she was so breathless she

thought she had pneumonia. Darlene was told she had pulmonary fibrosis – a serious disease that causes the lungs to become scarred. “It took a while for me to understand the diagnosis and for the news to set in,” admits Darlene.

Since her pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis, Darlene’s life has changed dramatically. She has sold her business, requires supplemental oxygen and is waiting for a lung transplant. “It’s frustrating constantly fighting for each and every breath. I can’t live like I used to. Now I have to plan where I am going so I don’t run out of oxygen. Carrying an oxygen tank everywhere makes everything more difficult,”

Despite the risks of the surgery, and having to temporarily relocate to Edmonton, the decision to be listed for a lung transplant was an easy one for Darlene. “The thought that there is hope for a lung transplant gets me through the most difficult times. I am a grandma now to five grandchildren. A lung transplant would allow me more time with my family. I won’t give up,” says Darlene.

Today Darlene is a Breathe Ambassador for The Lung Association, Saskatchewan. “It’s important for me to be involved with this group and give the perspective of what it is like to wait for a lung transplant. I am breathless but hopeful.”

Darcy Murdoch - Saskatoon, SK/Vancouver, BC

Seeing Darcy Murdoch sing and perform now, you would never guess that just three years ago, he struggled to hold a single note. Originally from Saskatoon, SK, Darcy has been a singer and performer in Vancouver, BC for years.

On June 1, 2011, Darcy was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). IPF is a long-term disease where the lungs become scarred. When he was first told he was sick, he was angry, depressed, and afraid. “I was 54 at the time, I had a lot of living left to do.”

Darcy remembers a grueling process to prepare for a lung transplant. His life became very stressful. “It was a tough decision to stay on the transplant list. I had to put my singing career on hold which impacted so many areas of my life and livelihood.” The entertainer relied on his gigs to pay his bills. Despite his worsening condition, he made the difficult decision to remove himself from the transplant list for three months in order to save enough money to be able to take the time off work to recover from the lung transplant.

Darcy put the little energy he had left into getting in shape for the surgery. He also became more active in a lung support group. Six weeks after putting his name back on the transplant waitlist he received the call that changed his life forever.

Before his transplant, Darcy was having trouble holding notes and struggling to keep singing. Now, he’s reveling in being able to sing without that difficulty. He enjoys telling people about his transplant after they’ve seen him perform. To Darcy, getting a second breath means getting a second chance at life. “It’s like I was reborn and I have a fresh start. I have a new attitude. I respect my body and my life much more now.”

With that new attitude, Darcy stays active in the gym and in the lung health community. He also makes time to speak with others living with lung disease, attends lung support meetings, and is a Breathe Ambassador for The Lung Association, Saskatchewan. Darcy says he made a vow to himself that when he got better he’d do all he could to help others, and he’s certainly sticking to that promise.

To become an organ donor you can:

· Have a purposeful conversation with your family and loved ones about becoming an organ donor.

· Make your explicit wishes known and help your loved ones understand your decision and ask for their agreement that they will honor your wishes.

· Place the Government issued organ donation sticker on your provincial health card and carry it with you.

· You can also make your wishes known in writing and through your legal Will. To help you plan for the future, the Lung Association offers a free Will service or an update to an existing Will through the Free Wills Program. For more details please contact Renata.huyghebaert@sk.lung.ca.

Thank-you for considering your future gift and if you are compelled to do so please also consider your gift of today.

The Second Breath Campaign inspired by our Breathe Ambassadors is also an opportunity to provide financial support to the Caring Breaths Financial Assistance Program. This program provides financial assistance to those experiencing financial burden because of their lung disease. Based on factual information from patients, we know that those who require a lung transplant will need to leave the province and travel to Edmonton or another transplant center with a caregiver for up to 3 months. In that period, the homes in Saskatchewan must be maintained and all additional costs for accommodation, travel, food and incidentals incurred out of province must be met by the patient and caregiver, these costs can be as high as $20,000. We do not believe the patients must choose between suffering illness or suffering financial hardship, we want to help and hope you do to.

Please consider donating your gift of life and your gift of hope today, you will help those we need our help the most.

DONATE TODAY

Donna Macdonald - Saskatoon, SK

For Donna McDonald, quilting is more than a pastime it’s a life-long passion. She’s spent years honing her talent. What Donna didn't know when she first started sewing was that a lung transplant would be woven into her life’s fabric. In 2009, Donna was diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, a serious yet common lung disease.

After watching her sister lose her life to COPD, Donna didn’t want to die breathless. Donna’s doctor asked her to consider being put on the lung transplant waitlist. The thought of having the surgery terrified her. But it was what Donna’s lung specialist said that empowered her to take the leap of faith. He said, “You won’t die on the table but you will for sure die without a lung transplant.”

The recovery after transplant treatment was long and difficult, but one Donna does not regret. “Having a lung transplant has changed me. I find myself looking on the bright side more often and I am also more accepting of others.” Now, as a volunteer Breathe Ambassador for The Lung Association, she is working hard to increase education and awareness about organ donation. “It’s important for us to arm ourselves with as much knowledge as we can. There is power in that. In fact, it can even be lifesaving.”

Karen Webb - Saskatoon, SK

Karen’s journey with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) began a long time ago. COPD which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema is a long-term lung disease that takes your breath away and gets worse over time. It is the number one cause of hospitalization in Canada and the fourth leading cause of death.

Karen began smoking when she was just 13 years old. In her twenties and thirties, she had a cough that kept getting worse and would often have chest infections. By the time she was 40, it took everything she had to simply breathe. “It’s very true when you can’t breathe, nothing else matters! At first, it was difficult for me to go up a flight of stairs, walk

anywhere, or carry objects. I tried my best to pace myself but eventually, I became isolated and all my energy was spent on breathing.”

A severe COPD flare-up (lung attack), which can be just as deadly as a heart attack put Karen in the hospital. The doctors encouraged her to consider being put on the lung transplant list. After many medical tests, a close look at their finances and discussions with her family, Karen agreed to add her name to the list in hopes she would be given a second chance.

In August of 2013, she got ‘the call.’ She took an air ambulance to Edmonton, where the surgery was performed. Eight hours later, she had a new set of lungs.

Now at the age of 55, Karen has no idea who her donor was, but will forever be grateful for the gift of breath. Today, Karen has a new lease on life. But most important to Karen is that she can spend quality time with her family, including her grandchildren whom she cherishes. As a Breathe Ambassador for the Lung Association, Karen is hoping to give back to others who are struggling to breathe.