Two of Papworth Hospital's local transplant
recipients have returned triumphantly
from the 14th European Heart and
Lung Transplant Games held in Apeldoorn
in the Netherlands from 27 June to 1 July 2012.
Maggie Gambrill from Kimbolton
and Will Cramer from Comberton
were two of seven Papworth transplant recipients selected to represent Great
Britain.
Maggie, who had a heart transplant at
Papworth Hospital in 2002 added to her already impressive tally of transplant
games medals by winning another five golds, in badminton singles and doubles,
table tennis singles and doubles and also the 400m track event.
Maggie said, “I am delighted to have won
five golds at this year’s European Heart and Lung Transplant Games. I always
enjoyed sport, kept myself fit and very rarely had any illness. It therefore
came as a complete shock to be diagnosed in 1998 with dilated cardiomyopathy,
disease of the heart muscle, and my life took a dramatic change in direction
from that day. Medication kept me stable for a while but when my health
deteriorated my only option to save my life was a heart transplant. I had no
quality of life at this point, was pretty much housebound and any sporting
activity became impossible - my racquets etc were put to one side and I never
imagined being able to use them again."
Attending his first European Heart and Lung
Transplant Games this year, 37 year old Will, who had a double lung transplant
at Papworth Hospital in 2009 said “I was born with cystic fibrosis, one of the
UK's most common life-threatening inherited diseases, and although growing up I
was reasonably fit, I wasn’t particularly sporty. My loves were windsurfing and
singing. In the two years prior to my transplant my health declined rapidly and
even singing became impossible."
Celia Hyde, Modern Matron for the
Transplant Unit at Papworth Hospital said, "This week is National Transplant
Week, a time when we raise public awareness of organ donation and I would urge
people to read Maggie and Will’s stories
and see how receiving a new organ has
not only saved their lives but also transformed their quality of life. People
need to talk to their loved ones about their wishes and sign up to the organ
donor register.”
Heart treatment news : 17 July 2012
