Donor’s breath of life for poorly John

TODAY, more than 9,000 people in the UK need an organ transplant which could save or dramatically improve their lives.

The stumbling point is availability. Reporter Marina Berry spoke to one man who has been given a quality of life he could only dream of by a family who made the difficult decision to donate the organs of a loved one to help others.

LIFE looked bleak for Royton father John Twigg, when his failing health left him dependant on an oxygen cylinder.

Doctors gave him just five years to live as he battled against an exhausting, progressive lung disease, caused by him having pneumonia twice as a child.

But fate came to his rescue, when someone who is a stranger to the 61-year-old died, and donated organs which meant he could have a double lung transplant.

Now, four months on, John is recovering in leaps and bounds, and looking forward to getting back some of the life he lost to ill health.

John moved in with his sister, Susan Reynolds and her husband John, three years ago when he was put on the transplant waiting list and doctors worried about him living alone.

Born in Oldham, John moved to Jersey in his 20s, where he worked as a gardener and had a family, but was living on his own when he fell ill.

He is still living with his sister in Garden Terrace, but the new lease of life the transplant has given him has already started him planning a return to Jersey.

His first trip when doctors give him the all clear, however, will be to visit his daughter Eleanor, at her home in Geneva, Switzerland — a journey he undertook a couple of years ago, when the effort left him in intensive care.

John was diagnosed with bronchiectasis more than five years ago, since when he has repeatedly suffered lung infections which caused his condition to deteriorate.

“It was a big decision to go on the transplant list,” recalled John. “I knew I would get worse if I didn’t, but there were no guarantees if I did.

“When I asked about the alternative, the doctor said there was a chance I might not be around in five years, so it wasn’t really an option.

“I might only get another five years anyway, but the quality of life will be much better, it already is,” he said.

For the past two years, John’s life has been governed by his constant need for oxygen, and he was forced to carry a tank of it on his back when he was out.

It lasted just three hours, which meant he either had to take a refill with him or be back home before it ran out.

“I wouldn’t have liked to live like that for another 12 months,” said John. “My social life disappeared and the days were long because I couldn’t do anything.

“I had to conserve energy and it was difficult to even stand up, it took me two hours to get up in the mornings, and washing was a nightmare.

“I couldn’t even sleep without oxygen, and towards the end I had to wear a mask in bed.

“Life got chipped away day by day, I lost all my hobbies —- I used to enjoy cycling and swimming, and go to the gym and ten-pin bowling, but eventually I couldn’t even go to the cinema because the oxygen tank makes a noise and it wouldn’t have been very nice for anyone sitting next to me.”

Now, just weeks after undergoing major surgery he is slowly building up the life he lost, and looking forward to the opportunities ahead.

“I’m 100 per cent better already, and I have just started going back to the gym,” he said.

“It’s wonderful to be able to walk out without carrying oxygen on my back and I can start to make plans again.”

John owes his renewed life to a family who made the agonising decision to let a loved one go and allow the organs to be used for transplant.

He doesn’t know who they are, but hopes to be able to make contact with the family and thank them properly.

“They have given me a quality of life I would never had had, and I am so grateful,” said John.

“The reason I am telling my story is to ask other people to sign up to be a donor.

“I think people should automatically be on the list unless they tell their family doctor they don’t want to be and get their name removed. There are so many people who think it’s a good idea but never get round to doing anything about it, and a quarter of all people in the UK who are waiting for a transplant die before they get one.

John benefited from a scheme run by Pennine Acute Trust, which runs the Royal Oldham Hospital, where donor co-ordinators work with bereaved families to provide information about organ donation.

He added: “It’s going to take time for the donor’s family to get over what has happened.

“They have to rebuild their lives just as I’m trying to rebuild my life and I hope it comforts them that they have given me a chance to live.”

Greg Bleakley, a donor transplant co-ordinator for the North West Region, believes John is one of at least 14 people whose lives have been saved through the scheme.

He said: “We are delighted because these people would not be here otherwise, and giving them the chance to lead a normal life is what the scheme is all about.”

To find out more about organ transplant and how you can sign up, visit www.uktransplant.org.uk or ring 0845 6060400.