Dave Garry has kindly offered to share is life saving experience. For me it is amazing to find another man given a heart transplant at Wythenshawe hospital whose younger life showed no indications of needing a transplant in the future. There is a popular misconception that people who need transplants have been ill all their life or have brought on their problems through unhealthy lifestyles. This couldn't be further fom the truth. In fact Dave experienced just a couple of weeks of feeling poorly in September 2001 when he was taken into the emergency department at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral on the 18th September. He was then diagnosed with heart failure - a viral infection had caused myocarditis which in turn led to partial liver and kidney failure. Why? Nobody is too sure what the source was ..... working too hard, gardening too much, knocking down walls, mozzie bites???

The photo to the left shows Dave Garry - the fit young member of the Hampshire constabulary. No thought in his mind at all about life saving transplants!

When Dave was referred to the heart failure team at Wythenshawe hospital for transplant assessment the doctors said his list of conditions excluded him from the chance of a successful transplant. A bitter blow for a 51 year old family man. Dave’s cardiologist at Arrowe Park, Dr Ritto, decided to insert an intra-aortic balloon pump to support his heart function. This was left in place as a hopeful bridge to a transplant. Dave’s condition stabilised his liver and kidney function improved enabling him to gain sufficient strength. He was discharged from Arrowe Park at the end of October. He became strong enough to be listed for a heart transplant on December 19th 2001. Mr Jones, the transplant heart surgeon, gave Dave and his family reason to celebrate the New Year when he received his new heart on January 2002. An amazing life transforming few months which are happily continuing today.

Dave's view on matters of his heart

In 1969 I left school having played lots of rugby but with enough ‘O’ levels (remember them?) and ‘A’ levels to get to University. There, guess what…………. I played a load of rugby……made Club Captain, played in Universities Athletic Union Cup competitions against the likes of Loughborough Colleges, international players and such, and the type of clubs that merited the game getting reported in the Daily Telegraph and the likes. Mind you, they got my name a bit wrong, but I was grateful as I got ‘worked over’ as a prop.

Oh, I also got a degree; Physics and Geology…honours…only just, mind you. To the right you can see one of the Keele University rugby seven teams I used to play for.

To my Dad’s disappointment, I joined the police; Hampshire Constabulary. Guess what? I played rugby, against Royal Navy teams and similar. I also worked the beat (Remember those days, when cops were Constables On Patrol???!!!)….a lot! ‘Handled’ fights……...a lot! To my Dad’s joy, I left. Became a “boring accountant”. You know, I played rugby………and squash….and badminton…..and………!!!

Then I joined gyms, ran……… Of course, I did smoke, drink….. but not much, no lies, it really was not much. I joined the “Special Constabulary” as a bit of “do-gooding” : I walked beats, “handled fights”….yawn the usual !!! Wot a hobby !!!??

I married late, soon had 2 children. I was never, never ill.. till we went on holiday in September 2001….!!

Aged 51, still playing things but on return from holiday I felt so tired. I couldn’t “throw off” what I thought was flu…. eventually going to the G.P., then to the hospital. I couldn’t believe it, that I was diagnosed with heart failure probably caused by a virus! My wife couldn’t believe it when she was told I had about 2 weeks to live, but not to tell me!!

I survived that by some medical magic but only to be told I had to have a heart transplant. More bewilderment. It wasn’t for a better quality of life; it was a transplant or death! The shock, surprise, fear, disbelief all mixed up with determination and acceptance!! There’d never been anything wrong with me before!! What had I done wrong? The answer was nothing… these things happen!! We're all "fragile systems" as ICT people put it.

I was so ill that I was at the top of the waiting list twice! The first heart was deemed unsuitable. The ‘right one’ was transplanted on New Year’s Day, 2002, of all days!

I was never really very fit but a few medics told me I only survived because I was fit and hadn’t smoked or drunk much!

I was off work for a year in total. I went back the day before my sick pay finished. Odd that, isn’t it?

I’ve been back at work for 7 years or so now and everything's well. So far, so good !!! I do voluntary work for the British Heart Foundation and there’s quite a ‘market’ for people interested in a talk about my experiences, or so they say. I've been given a few bottles of wine for my trouble so it must be OK.

It was a terrifying, surreal experience probably more so for my wife. It’s always more difficult for the “support staff”!! Oddly, our children seem to treat it as routine! They wonder why everyone doesn’t have a heart transplant!

I’m a big walker, cycle-er and do the dreaded gardening, at a push, so it’s like it never happened……er…. almost. It’s one hell of a trick if you can pull it off!!! But, but it still makes me shiver …and, there’s never, never, ever …. a day the donor and her family doesn’t feature in my thoughts, the real “star of the show”. “Thank you” is such an inadequate phrase to express the sentiments but it’s all there is to say.

Transplants keep families and friends together

From September 2001 until January 1st 2002 the Garry family did not know what their future held. At the second attempt Dave received his life saving heart from a donor. His son Ryan is not attacking him – despite the appearance of the bandages. He may have been using the truncheon to fight off aliens. The bandages were courtesy of some further treatment Dave had to undergo.

To say that Dave is oozing with pride looking at his daughter Michelle is an understatement. Dave could so easily have died before seeing Michelle off to her prom.

From being hours away from death in September 2001 Dave is now able to live a full and active life. Christmas walks with his wife and friends are a real bonus – looking a bit horny Dave if you don’t mind me saying so! I suspect Dave could now give Sir Chris Hoy a good run for his money on the push bike. He and his family are certainly making the most of his second chance of life. Thanks to you all for contributing to this website.

Transplants definitely transform lives