It was a lot of work getting ready for the Gala in Calgary but we got there and back safe and sound. We managed to leave early enough to miss the freezing rain Calgary and arrived late enough to miss the snow storm that hit Peace River. What a great feeling that was.
Well, for now here are a couple of stories that I would like to share with you.( I will add some pictures in a bit, as soon as I have them loaded onto my computer.)
AT THE GALA
Claudette and I had the honor to share a table with
1. Bonnie Garbish and her son Darren (liver recipient from Medicine Hat)
2. Dave Smith (Kidney recipient from Edmonton and President of the CTA)
3. Orest Saskiw,( heart recipient from Saskatchewan)
4. Lisa Horchower and Mark Woll (Lisa is in need of a double lung transplant and wrote a little of her story for me.
These are just 6 of the 13 individuals that were able to attend this event due to being sponsored by Claudette Lambert.
This is an Email from, Bonnie Garbish about her son’s liver transplant. Bonnie and her son were 2 of the approximately 112 individuals that attended the CTA – (Canadian Transplant Associations) 25th Anniversary Gala in Calgary.
From: bonniejean67@hotmail.com
To: stranaghan2@gmail.com
Subject: a little about Darren
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:15:51 -0700
Hello Maria,
I really enjoyed the gala, and I think Darren did also.
Darren work up 1 morning and complained of sore eyes, upon looking at him they were yellow. This was the end of Dec 2009.
Bonnie and Darren’s Story.
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| Liver recipient - Darren at the CTA 25th Anniversary in Calgary |
(Bonnie is a single mom from Medicine Hat and is trying to save up money to be able to travel to Peace River for the Parade of banners and Longest Banner attempt)
Upon a 6 hour stay in children’s emergency in Winnipeg, Manitoba I was told my son was jaundice and had hepatitis. I was baffled I didn’t know much about hepatitis, only that sex and needles were 2 major causes and Darren was only 7 1/2.
We saw a doctor and were told they didn’t know what was wrong. In Feb. of 2010 the did a biopsy of Darren’s liver and after 5 hours in the operating room they told me his liver was gritty and full of scar tissue and didn’t know why. They sent us to sick kids in Toronto in July, as by that time Darren was yellow from head to toe. We would joke he was my banana. They put a stent in his bile ducts and told me my son had p.s.c (primary sclerosing cholangitis). I looked it up and started to cry... You will look it up and see why. In Aug. we lost our liver doctor and things fell apart at home. I relocated to bow island Alberta and became a single parent with a sick child. End of Aug. 2010 Darren was admitted into Medicine Hat hospital as we had a very bloated tummy and was in pain. They couldn’t do much there except fly us to Alberta children’s in Calgary. Upon examination it was discovered that the stent was plugged and had to be removed. He had developed acities and a drainage tube was inserted in the tummy area. We stayed in Calgary for a couple of weeks and got to go home end of Sept. The first week of Oct. bang back in again with more medical issues. We travelled between Calgary and Medicine Hat until the middle of Dec. then we were home for a while. in Jan of 2011 we went to Edmonton for a pre transplant assessment. Darren was not too bad at this time. They didn’t want to list him, but Dr. Jason yap went to bat for us and by Jan. 20 we were on the list. End of Feb 2011 back in hospital again this time would be the longest stay ever. He had developed varcies and was in terrible pain, the tummy was swelling again with fluid. He went downhill fast. Darren’s b-day is may6th his wish was for a new liver and bang may 16 just 10 days after his birthday day we went into surgery in Edmonton. During his 12 hour surgery, there were problems. 4 hours into the surgery i got a call from the surgeon he wanted to see me. I knew they were not done and was scared. He told me they had Darren open on the operating table and they found a tumor growing throughout the liver and around his main portal duct. From an 80% chance of survival we were down to around 35 %. He wanted to know what I wanted to do. My tears fell and my body said STOP, but I couldn’t do that we had a liver and needed it now... I prayed so hard. 12 hours later I saw my son in picture and knew he would be ok. I found out he died on the operating table and came back, I know he is very strong. We have a few medical issues still, like alcetive colitis it comes with the liver disease he had. There is still a piece of tumor around the portal duct as they could not remove it all. His psc could come back, but I believe he will be ok in the end and he now wants to be a nurse. I love him with all my heart.
This is the story that Lisa typed into my notes program on my phone. Lisa and Mark sat at our table....
When I first walked into the hall and I first saw Lisa, I thought what a beautiful young woman, and I wondered why she was on oxygen....what could be wrong with her lungs, how long has she been on oxygen, etc.
Then when we were all asked to sit at our tables for supper, Lisa and Mark came to sit with us.
As we sat there, even with the noise due to the excitement of the evening, I could hear the machine pumping oxygen into her lungs. After supper I asked Lisa to tell me her story and as she spoke, as the oxygen continued to pump into her lungs, all I could think of was , she will die without a transplant, her son will be without a mother! All of this made me so sad and I had to fight to hold back my tears.
Lisa's Story
Lisa Horchower and Mark Woll - 11 year old son, Joshua.
Lisa had a rare condition of Idiopathic Pulmonary Hypertension. A condition that causes the arteries in the lungs to scar closed, which also cause enlargement of the right side of the heart, a disease that can be life threatening with no cure.
A double lung transplant is the only solution when medication can no longer provide help to the patient.
I was diagnosed in October of 2009 with Idiopathic Pulmonary Hypertension. Since them, my life changed forever. I've been placed on very expensive life saving drugs since then. I have yet to be placed on the lung transplant list. At this point to be placed on the list, you must have less than two years of life. Organ donation awareness is imperative for those many people who die waiting for a life saving organ
Well my friends ...All I can say is that, like so many others, my heart and prayers go out to those waiting for a transplants.
My heart and prayers also goes out to those families that will suffer a loss and have to make the decision to donate or not to donate.
God bless and take care.
Maria
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