My Story
I am the Heart Failure Warriors Transplant Advocacy Link with LVAD patients, pre- and post-transplant, and I am post-heart transplant patient.
When Everything Changed
At the age of 45, I had a massive heart attack at home. I was lucky that my wife was at home and she had a medical background – otherwise it could have been ‘game over’… After getting intervention treatment, I then was diagnosed with severe heart failure. I went back to work, got back into normal routine life.
The Road to Transplant
Then in 2022, my heart failure became a lot worse, I was referred to my own cardiologist, who then referred me for a transplant assessment.
In August 2022, I met the transplant team – it was deemed that I needed a transplant but was not in good enough condition at that time to go through it, so they implanted an LVAD, which was a bridge to a transplant and basically kept me alive. I got that in September 2022 and then was reassessed in August of 2023 and put on the transplant list.
The Call That Changed Everything
I received the call on the 30th of November and got my new heart on 1st December 2023. Probably the most standout part is the support that I got from my family. Probably the biggest stick out is the professionalism and the care that I received from the NHS in Northern Ireland and over in the Freeman Hospital, as well as everyone’s expertise. It is amazing the amount of people that are involved, the different resources that have to come together to make a transplant possible – but this wouldn’t be possible without the donor family.
"I don’t take anything for granted anymore — I appreciate things a lot more."
Finding Community
Heart Failure Warriors became known to me through my wife, who works in the health service, as does my son and daughter. She thought it would be a good idea for me to get involved with that after I had the LVAD. I went over to Banbridge to a couple of the meetings and I was the only person in the group with an LVAD. I went for transplant and when I came back from the hospital, I got more involved with the group. As things went on, it became more apparent that more and more people from Northern Ireland have been implanted with LVADs. There’s more pre- and post-transplant patients from Northern Ireland; however, they have no network, no support, no signpost, no group that they can go to. Nicole, the Chairwoman of Heart Failure Northern Irelan, approached me and asked me whether I would consider getting more involved in the Committee.
Raising Awareness: Organ Donation
The new normal post-transplant is raising awareness of organ donation. In Northern Ireland, there’s an opt-out law, so people often assume that they are automatically donors. That’s not necessarily the case because if you haven’t had that conversation with your next of kin to express your wishes, families can overrule that decision. So, it’s about raising awareness and encouraging people to have those conversations with their families, so that more individuals understand the importance of organ donation.
Life After Transplant
I don’t take anything for granted anymore – I appreciate things a lot more. There’s still a lack of understanding about organ donation and transplantation and that is a growing concern. Many people, pre-and post-transplant, don’t have enough support and that’s where we need to step in.
I’ll never be able to thank my donor and his family enough. The best way I can honour them is by living the best life possible. I hope that I made them proud. And I wouldn’t have come this far without the resilience and support of my wife and family.
I now meet people who are about to go for a transplant and have never spoken to anyone who’s been through it. I’ve walked into rooms and people said, “There’s no way you had a heart transplant 18 months ago”. The only physical sign is the scars — when I take my shirt off, I look like Google Maps.
So, I tell them: “Look at me — it’s possible to get through a transplant, come out the other side, get back to work, and live a normal family life. It’s not a walk in the park, and there are bumps in the road, but it is possible and manageable”.
"Look at me — it’s possible to get through a transplant, come out the other side, get back to work, and live a normal family life. It’s not a walk in the park, and there are bumps in the road, but it is possible and manageable."
Shared Experience, Not Medical Advice
We don’t give medical advice – we share lived experiences. When people hear the words ‘heart failure’, they often panic. But speaking to others who have gone through it, can provide reassurance, encouragement and a sense that they’re not alone and can manage it.
My message
Transplant is only possible because of so many people – medically, logistically, and through ongoing support. Bringing healthcare professionals, policymakers, and patients together matters. When people are in the same room, they listen, learn, and see things differently.
At the heart of it all is a simple message: have the conversation — about organ donation, about your health, about your experience. Support, ask, and listen.
