30-Years and Counting

Orlando DeFelice recently reached a milestone - the 30-year anniversary of his heart transplant. It makes him one of the longest-living heart transplant patients ever. When he had his transplant in 1983, doctors felt he would die within four days if he did not receive one. Furthermore, the doctors said the odds he would survive five years after his transplant were only 50/50.

English: The old hospital building in Cape Town where the first human heart transplant was done by Dr Barnard in December 1967. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DeFelice is not alone in reaching the 30-year heart transplant mark. Others have already achieved it. In fact, an Ohio man reached the 31-year mark before dying in 2009. A British man reached the 30-year milestone last year. Additionally, several others who received heart transplants at John Hopkins, where DeFelice received his, are just a few years away from the 30-year mark.

The road to DeFelice's 30-year heart transplant anniversary has not been easy. There have been some bumps in the road. For instance, he had to have a kidney transplant in 2010 as a complication from his immunosuppressant regimen. He's also battled skin cancer. However, overall he has done well and is happy to be able to enjoy life again thanks to his new heart.

DeFelice still works as an accountant, plays golf, goes on walks, and bike rides. He is thankful for his transplant. He stresses the importance of organ and tissue donation saying, "You (the recipient) can go out and do the things you were planning to do before the disease got you."

Orlando DeFelice was fortunate to receive his heart transplant and a second chance at life 30 years ago. However, there are 119,000 Americans currently waiting on the same opportunity. Sadly, 19 of those waiting die every day simply because a match does not come in time. The good news is that you can help them receive the same second chance that Orlando did by registering as an organ and tissue donor.

To learn how to register, or for more information about organ and tissue donation, please visit our website, www.SaveLivesTN.org, by clicking here.

Read more : www.BaltimoreSun.com article titled "Hopkins Patient Marks 30-Year Anniversary of Heart Transplant"

Related articles

• After 30 Years, Md. Man Is One Of The Longest-Surviving Heart Transplant Patients (baltimore.cbslocal.com)
• Man celebrates life with heart (abc2news.com)

Cartilage Transplants

Cartilage transplants are becoming more and more common, especially for young people who have suffered injury from an automobile accident or athletics. These transplants can repair knees, shoulders, and ankles where cartilage may be either missing or damaged.

Generally, candidates for cartilage transplants are less than 50 years of age with joint damage that needs repairing. For these younger patients, a cartilage transplant is a better option than a joint replacement, because they could need another joint replacement later in life if their first joint replacement wears out.

cartilage (Photo credit: jetheriot)

Thousands of cartilage transplants are done across the U.S. each year. They are classified as tissue transplants and are different from organ transplants. For instance :

• Cartilage does not need a blood supply as it gets its nutrition from joint fluid. Therefore, it can stay viable in a tissue bank for a significant period of time.
• Cartilage recipients do not have to take anti-rejection medication, because no tissue typing is done.

A cartilage transplant recipient's recovery period is six months to a year. It includes physical therapy during the first three months, resumption of strenuous activity after six, and a full recovery after a year.

Not everyone can be an organ donor but almost everyone can be a tissue donor. Cartilage and other tissue transplants are just as important as organ transplants, in some cases, because they can dramatically improve a person's quality of life.

For more information about organ and tissue donation, including how to register where you live, please visit our website www.SaveLivesTN.org by clicking here.

Read more - article on www.utSanDiego.com titled "Cartilage Transplant Now A Common, Viable Option"

True Love

Check out this news video about a case of life-saving true love. It's embedded below or can be watched, and the news story read, by clicking here.



Read more - article and video on cnn.com titled "She Donates Kidney; He Proposes"

18 Heart Attacks Lead to Heart and Liver Transplant

Mike Mader is one man who is fortunate to be alive. He has a genetic disorder known as familial hypercholesterolemia. His liver cannot process cholesterol. As a child, his cholesterol was 400+, and it led to his very first heart attack at just 22 years of age.

Spacefill model of the Cholesterol molecule (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At only 31 years of age and after a wait of over two years, Mike received a life-saving heart and liver transplant back on April 23rd. Prior to the double transplant, he was told by his doctors ... "that he needed to get his affairs in order ...", according to his mother. Now, Mike says he, "Couldn't feel better. Never happier in my life."

Mike is now enjoying life and the risk of more, multiple heart attacks is gone, because a caring donor and their family cared enough to give the gift of life. You can help save a life, too, by visiting our website at www.SaveLivesTN.org, by clicking here. There, you can learn more about organ and tissue donation and even register as a donor in the state where you live.

Read more - article on kutv.com titled "After 18 Heart Attacks, Man Undergoes Successful Double Organ Transplant Surgery"

Related articles

• Doctors, patient celebrate history-making double transplant surgery (ksl.com)
• Utah man recovering after historic transplant (fox13now.com)
• Walking Miracle: Man Survives 18 Heart Attacks (fox8.com)