Donor's legacy of life

19 March 2008Oakura woman Andrea Needham will never forget the phone call that changed her life.

It was early Sunday morning just over a year ago from Greenlane Hospital. The instructions were as precise as they were urgent. The message was clear: Get to the airport.

She'd been waiting for a double-lung transplant operation for nearly two years. During that time she was losing her fight for life as her capacity to breathe was down to little more than 20%.

Later that night, on March 12, 2007 at 2am to be precise, her nine-hour operation began.

Although the operation was successful, she was desperately ill for days afterwards and on at least one occasion her friends got together to pray for her.

But she made it.

And one year later, although she has some minor health issues to overcome, Andrea is so much better it defies belief.

Her emails were always prolific, now they are legendary for both their frequency and the huge number of recipients around the world on her emailing list.

This week, almost exactly one year after her lifesaving operation, she shared her thoughts on an incredible 12 months. Typically she is now campaigning for donors and started with a plea. This is her story in her own words.

"I know some of you have been extremely active on encouraging people to think ahead and I truly thank you for that. I do not mind if a family does not donate. I only hope that the decision is a predetermined and conscious one rather than the family scrambling around in the ICU when their loved one is dying."

Then she moved on to those families who had donated organs of loved ones.

"Thank you! In my view this is one of the bravest and most generous decisions a family can make. And to have to follow through on this decision in the middle of an emotionally charged crisis underpins the bravery and generosity of those donor families. So thank you donor families!

"Most of all thank you to mine for the gift of lungs from their treasured mother, sister, auntie, or cousin. March 12 marked one year since the loss of their loved one."

Andrea says she is doing well.

"I am having the annual warrant of fitness next week in Auckland. They are once again going to try and take out the two pesky undissolved stitches at the join of my left lung.

The problem is the stitches are close to the wall and there is a chance of nicking the wall when they cut them."

On Sunday Andrea put on a real American thanksgiving lunch (including a turkey and pumpkin pie) for her immediate support team.

"The ones who were at the bedside and with me at Hearty Towers and those who kept the home fires burning.

"This year has been amazing when I think back. Six months after the transplant I went around the world and saw my stepdaughters and my old mates.

"I then organised the Beaters and Breathers Relay Team; wrote a 60,000-word book to be published by Penguin in September, and now I am the voluntary project manager for the ultra-marathoner Lisa Tamati.

"She is participating in the toughest race in the world in July - the Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley Callifornia. She is one amazing woman.

To all of you on my personal update list (and there are a lot of you!), thank you for your ongoing support and interest, for your kind words, and for just being there.

"I absolutely could not have done this without you. Love to you all." Gordon Brown - North Taranaki Midweek