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Durban 4th
April 2010 -
One year anniversary for heart transplant patient
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When Anand Sandarparsad visited the hospital recently,
staff failed to recognise this vibrant, energetic man as
the patient who received a new heart on 4th April last
year.
If you had asked Anand Sandarparsad to describe his
quality of life in October 2008, he probably would have
replied, “What quality of life?” With a failing heart,
he was no longer able to eat, sleep or breathe properly
and felt that he was ready to die.
“My sister, who lived in Johannesburg, arranged for me
to see a cardiologist there and I was fitted with a
pacemaker which helped for a while but I was soon very
ill again and was referred to Dr Guy Letcher at EHHC for
further treatment.”
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Anand Sandarparsad celebrates his one year anniversary
with transplant co-ordinator, Cindy Goldie |
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It became apparent that Anand’s heart was severely
damaged and only had 6% of normal function. His last
remaining option was a new heart and he was placed on
the transplant list as a priority patient in January
2009.
“Waiting for a heart to become available was very
difficult for me and my family. I was spending three
weeks out of every month at the hospital, with the staff
trying their best to keep me alive until a suitable
donor could be found.” He said. “There were many times
when I thought that I would give up or that time would
run out for me but I tried to stay positive for the sake
of my family.”
The call that changed his life came on a Saturday
morning on one of the rare occasions when Anand was at
home. “The previous evening had been my daughter’s prom
and, although I hadn’t felt good, I was determined to
attend this important event in her life. It had made me
very tired and I was still in bed when Cindy Goldie, the
transplant co-ordinator called to say that a heart was
waiting for me.”
The heart came from a female donor, which is unusual,
according to Cindy, “A heart is matched by blood type
and size. Women’s hearts are generally smaller and are
not suitable for a male recipient. In this case, the
heart was a good match and we knew that we had to try
it, as Anand couldn’t wait for another donor to come
along.” She said.
After four months of hoping, Anand climbed onto the
emotional roller coaster that awaits any transplant
patient. “You feel happy and sad at the same time. Happy
because you have a chance to get better, sad because you
understand that a life was lost to give you this chance
and scared because the surgery comes with its own big
risks.”
Luckily for Anand, he came through his surgery with no
problems and began to recover from his transplant
operation. “I don’t remember much immediately following
the operation. I was in a bit of a daze but I do
remember being asked to move my fingers and realising
that I was alive.” he said.
Recovery from transplant surgery can be a slow process
which varies from patient to patient. In Anand’s case,
he was up and about very quickly. “I drove after six
weeks and have since taken up running and swimming
again.”
Anand is a keen soccer player and fan who is looking
forward to the World Cup in June. “Many times I didn’t
think I would be alive to see a game but it’s nearly
here and I am ready for it. I’ve gone from not being
able to go to the toilet without assistance to being
able to walk, swim and spend quality time with my
family. I’m treasuring every day I have and I’m truly
grateful to everyone at EHHC for giving me this second
chance at life.”
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