Switched-on dad awaits heart transplant

A Christchurch man is relying on a mechanical heart for his survival while he awaits a heart transplant.

Aaron Coull is top of the transplant list after being diagnosed with cardiomyopathy nine years ago.

The left side of his heart became enlarged and stopped working – now he relies on a mechanical heart to keep him alive.

In September, the 39-year-old was the second person in New Zealand to have a new LVAD – left ventricular assist device – inserted into his chest to pump blood for him.

Wires run out through his stomach into a controller, which means Coull spends much of the day plugged into the wall or can use batteries to go out.

After being bed-ridden since April last year, Coull said he could now walk around a little, but could not work, drive or shower.

Time with his children Todd, 6, and Ashleigh, 8, involved reading lots of stories and it was frustrating to not be able to run around with them, he said.

Coull needs a fulltime carer in case the controller fails and will have to spend three months in Auckland when he gets a transplant.

He said the ordeal had put a lot of strain on his wife and children who had had a "miserable" year.

He spent months in Auckland Hospital in late 2010 when he saw his children only on Skype.

While in Christchurch Hospital he saw them only at weekends.

"I was up there [Auckland] for the earthquakes and Father's Day ... it's hard to explain," Coull said.

Doctors had told him to expect another 10 good years of life after the transplant.

"That was the worst thing we got told," he said.

"He [the specialist] said, `plan to see them [your children] live into their late teens'. That was tough, but it's better than what we have got at the moment.

"I'm going to go in positive – if they say 10, I say 20, I've got lots of things to do."

Coull said his "bucket list" included coaching his son's football team. His son started playing last year, but Coull was too sick to watch him.

After using all his sick and annual leave, the family were struggling on one income.

Friends had organised fundraising events to help the family, including a golf tournament and quiz evening.

A dinner has been organised for February 3 with assistant All Blacks coach Steve Hansen as guest speaker and an auction including a hat and bandanna signed by Roger Federer.

By Rebecca Todd - The Press

Photo by Iain McGregor