Death Gives Life to Ailing Pair

The sudden death of a southland racing identity has given new life to two seriously ill men on either side of the Tasman.

Gore man Kevin Coyle's death at just 47 from a brain haemorrhage devasted his family. However, they are comforted knowing his lungs and liver are now keeping others alive.

When Mr Coyle died on June 30, a matching Australian donor was found and a Lear Jet was chartered at Sydney and flown to Invercargill with a medical team aboard.

Mr Coyle's lungs were removed and flown back to Sydney where the transplant was carried out on a man in his 60s.

The Southland Times understands the man had been given just days to live before the transplant. Last weekend he was able to attend his daughter's wedding.

A surgical team from Auckland also flew to Invercargill and removed Mr Coyles liver and pulmonary heart valve.

The liver was taken back to Auckland and transplanted into a man in his 50s.

Both of the transplants were completed within six hours of the organs' removal and both recipients are doing well 18 days later.

Mr Coyle's pulmonary heart valve has been stored in an Auckland hospital to be transplanted at a later date.

Stephen Coyle said his brother was always willing to help others and would have been proud of the outcome.

His family have spoken out in the hope it will encourage others to be donors, he said.

Mr Coyle was working at the family's Ngahere Sawmill in Mataura when he collapsed before being taken to Gore Hospital. He was then transferred to Southland Hospital for tests but lost consciouness on the way in the ambulance.

He was diagnosed as being brain dead and the doctors then asked the family about organ donation.

They agreed and the medical fraternity then took action, with extensive tests done to find recipients who could be matched with Mr Coyle's organs.

New Zealand shares a trans-Tasman agreement with Australia on various organ transplants, so when no one in this country matched his lungs, an Australian match was found.

Stephen Coyle said his brother had been heavily involved in racing and rugby and had many mates.

"He was the sort of guy who would do anything to help anyone else if he could. We are just happy others have been given another chance at life...we hope everything works out for them."

Mr Coyle's sister, Jenny said his sudden death at 47 had been difficult to comprehend. "But then it was an amazing opportunity to give the gift of a transplant to others."

A diabetic who had a leg amputated about eight years ago, Mr Coyle had spent many days in hospitals and appreciated the support he got from staff. As a result, he would have been happy to give somthing back, Jenny Coyle said.

Ms Coyle, a nurse duty manager at the Southland Hospital, praised the empathy the hospital staff had shown her family during their loss. She said no pressure had been exerted on the family to agree to the tranplants.

Southland Times