A Once In A Lifetime Christmas Gift For Me

Christmas came early for me last year.

I am a 49 year old male with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and have been waiting for a lung transplant at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston for almost 4 years. In late November 2009 my CF Doctor told me at the rate my lung function was declining that it would be in my best interest to try and get listed at another hospital that performs more lung transplants than MGH. My Dr.'s fear was that if I continued to wait for the lung transplant at MGH my lungs wouldn't. For the past few years MGH has been averaging around 15 lung transplants a year. He suggested I go to The University of Pittsburgh where they perform over 100 lung transplants a year, averaging about two lung transplants a week.

I left his office that day feeling ok but by the time I arrived home I was pretty depressed. I have about an hour drive home from the hospital and that gave me plenty of time to think about traveling to Pittsburgh and how it was going to affect my life, wife & dog. I always knew I had the option to go to another hospital but I have been a patient at MGH for 25 years and have grown to trust the hospital and it's doctors.

I have been blessed with a fantastic wife (Gail), she has been at my bed side for 25 years taking care of me when I am not well. During these 25 years we have been together I have spent over a 100 days in the hospital and she visits me every single day, rarely missing a day in the 25 years, that's a dedicated wife and I love her more than everything.

When my wife Gail arrived home that night we discussed my Dr.'s recommendations and we decided that Pittsburgh was our best hope for a lung transplant and a new lease on life. I called the University of Pittsburgh the next day to get the ball rolling.

Traveling to Pittsburgh for the lung transplant adds a new twist to an already stressful life of a person waiting for a life saving transplant. Of course Gail demanded that she travels to Pittsburgh with me and I really wanted her to be there also. However, this will make things difficult for us financially. Since I went on oxygen a couple years ago I haven't worked and we have been dependent on Gail's income. We also have a dog that we both love and adore. Moving to Pittsburgh and finding a place to live that allows dogs is not going to be easy. So our nightmare begins but not for long....

Then, in the wee hours of December 12th 2009 I awoke to the sound of my cell phone ringing downstairs, occasionally I get crank calls so I ignored the call. However, as soon as it stopped ringing my mind started to ponder, could that have been the hospital? Did I just ignore the most important phone call of my life? Fortunately for me I didn't have to ponder that thought long before the house phone rang. In my heart I knew it was the hospital, my heart started to beat rapidly as I reached for the phone. After I said hello the caller identified himself as a nurse from Massachusetts General Hospital and he told me that they had a pair of lungs available. He then asked me if I was well and if so was I ready? All I could think was I wasn't going to have to move to Pittsburgh, woo hoo and yes, I am as ready as I am ever going to be, let's go!

As much as I had done physically & mentally to prepare myself for this day, my nerves got the best of me and I only remember bits & pieces of the next couple weeks.

Now here it is almost 3 months later and I feel wonderful and thankful for the second chance at life. Had it not been for my donor I may not be here today or I could be in Pittsburgh waiting.

Organ and tissue transplants offer patients a new chance at healthy, productive, normal lives and return them to their families, friends and communities. You have the power to change someone's world by being a donor. It's about living. It's about Life.


So PLEASE Donate Life: Because if you're not using your body parts, someone else can.