William Jackson Heart Transplant Recipient

In early September, 1987 I was hiking above the timberline in the Colorado mountains and at age 58 appeared in perfect health. In late September, I underwent a routine, thorough physical, stress tests and all, with no problems in sight.

At Thanksgiving however, I was weak with what appeared to be some type of respiratory congestion that failed to respond to medication. In early December my physician detected an enlarged heart and fluid on the lungs. This led to an early morning visit to the emergency room at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center. My cardiologist was as surprised to see me as I was to be there. After further testing, his diagnosis was advanced heart failure, possibly caused by a viral condition, though never confirmed.

The need for a heart transplant was brought up immediately. I was shocked, to say the least, and extremely reluctant to even consider such a drastic surgery for several reasons:

1. I could not accept the fact that I was ill. There was no pain, only weakness. Heart transplant! I could not believe it.
2. My concept of transplant results was not good. Perhaps there would be a couple of years of handicapped life on mechanical support, in and out of the hospital, heavily medicated, etc.
3. Subconsciously, I had earlier declined to consider organ donation. Now here I am in need of an organ. The fact that I would be in line as a “taker” without a previous commitment to be a “giver” bothered me greatly.
4. There was great concern for the burden, financial and physical, that would fall on to my family. Would it be worth it?
5. I believed in playing the hand you are dealt. Somehow, receiving a transplant was akin to having someone pass you an ace under the table. It was like cheating fate.

While in the hospital, I developed a serious heart arrhythmia (irregular beat). A year to live was the forecast unless the problem could be corrected. Fortunately, Oklahoma City is a world-renowned center for arrhythmia treatment and in a short time, the specialists at University Hospital stabilized my condition. I was released to come home just before Christmas.

My cardiologist suggested that complete rest could possibly lead to improved heart function. That therapy was pursued for about six weeks, but my condition continued to deteriorate and my prognosis was shortened to three months, which proved to be grossly optimistic.

In February, my deteriorating condition led me to reluctantly agree to a transplant evaluation with the understanding that I was not obligated to go through with the operation. Meeting several heart transplant recipients and seeing them active and in good health relieved some of my misgivings about the results of the operation.

On Monday evening, while still being evaluated, I had a cardiac arrest that would have been fatal had I not already been in the hospital. Fortunately, again, there was no organ or brain damage, but I was in and out of consciousness. On Wednesday, after being put on an aortic assist device, I was approved for the transplant.

By then there was no doubt that I had only days (actually, hours) to live. I believe people have a built-in will to live that kicks in when faced with such a situation. You will do whatever is needed that will give you a chance for life; so all my reservations were put aside and I signed the permission papers.

As one of my transplanted visitors reminded me, “First you have to live, then deal with the problems.” On Friday morning, two days after approval, I received a donor heart.

The rest is history. I have been given 13 years of active, healthy and productive life; a life that has allowed me to see and enjoy the blessings of five grandchildren, all born after the transplant.

There are many people to thank. The support and prayers of family and good friends certainly contributed to the successful outcome. The compassionate care provided by the medical staff was critical to my survival. There were times I could have slipped away. But for their skill and dedication, I would not be living today.

Of course the real hero of this story is the donor family who made that courageous decision to donate, while at the same time adjusting to the tragic loss of their loved one. There are not enough words to express my appreciation for such an act of kindness, so let me say, simply, thank you for your GIFT OF LIFE.