April 27, 2023
It is said that a small act of generosity, such as signing up to become an organ donor, can save the lives of up to eight people.
In 2014, someone who decided to donate his organs after death saved the lives of several others. Gary Purser, 69, is among them.
During an annual physical in 2010, Purser was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and hemochromatosis, a build-up of too much iron in organs. "After about a year of treatment and attempts to improve the liver, I was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease," he says.
In 2012, Gary was placed on the transplant list awaiting a donor. With a rare blood type, Purser ended up waiting two years for the call that would save his life. "By the spring of 2014, I was very close to being too sick to survive the surgery," he says.
Finally, on the evening of April 4, 2014, he and his wife received a call from the hospital stating that a liver had been found for him. The next day Purser underwent a successful transplant surgery through the University Hospital's Multi-Organ Transplant Program.
"Here we are, more than nine years after feeling devastated, sad and afraid. But I must admit that I am, without a doubt, a fortunate man," Purser shares. "Not only was the liver a perfect match and the surgery a success, but my recovery has been remarkably smooth. My immunosuppressant medication is tedious and has side effects, but it's not a high price to pay for good health."
London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) surgeon, Dr. Douglas Quan, recalls Gary's story as remarkable because of his outcome. "There is tremendous effort involved in managing end-organ failure and organ transplantation. It requires physical, mental and emotional resilience," he says. "The other side of transplantation is that demand still significantly outstrips the supply of organ donors. Gary's story could not be told without the benevolence and compassion of donors, their families and society."
Becoming a living organ donor
This week is Organ Donation Awareness Week, an opportunity to consider becoming a donor after death by registering at BeADonor.ca or becoming a living organ donor like Kristy Goss did.
In February 2019, a family member was diagnosed with kidney failure and admitted to hospital. She immediately began investigating how to become a living organ donor through the Canadian Blood Services' Kidney Paired Donation program. While she was not a match for her family member, she was a perfect candidate to donate a kidney.
Once registered in September 2019, Goss had two false starts over the next several months, and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the program was put on hold. It wasn't until early 2021 that she and her family member were once again waiting for the phone call that the surgery was a go.
"I was still in disbelief until the morning of January 27 when I had an IV put in my arm," Goss recalls.
Since then, the ultra-marathon runner and long-distance cyclist has become a strong advocate for organ donation. "Not only have I returned to what I was doing before surgery, but I have been able to improve and go further than before," she explains.
"Kristy is an amazing athlete and long-distance runner who continues to compete in the sports she loves. I am humbled when I see patients like her, giving the ultimate gift of life and then continuing to live life to the fullest after recovering from surgery. She is a wonderful role model and personifies generosity," says Dr. Faisal Rehman, Kristy's nephrologist at LHSC.
