Donations make a difference

Twenty-four years ago, Dwight Kroening was told he had two months to live.

He was an active, newly married man when he began to experience flu-like symptoms that would not go away. He was diagnosed with an enlarged heart in June 1986 and required a new heart to survive. He received it in August of that year.

“The transplant changed my life dramatically,” says Kroening, now 51.

How dramatically? Two years ago, the Sherwood Park resident became the world’s only heart-transplant recipient to complete an Ironman Triathlon, a gruelling competition that involves a 3.8-km swim, a 180-km bike and a 42-km marathon raced in that order and without a break.

“I’ve been very fortunate. Miracles do happen,” says Kroening, one of several Albertans who shared their stories during National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week (April 18-25).
 
A heart transplant also saved the life of Calgary’s Lucas LaBerge. Now an active three-year-old, he was born with Ebstein’s anomaly, a rare congenital heart defect.  After surgery to repair his heart was unsuccessful, he was flown to Edmonton’s University of Alberta Hospital, where he received a new heart.

Today, he loves playing soccer and riding his bike. He tries his best to keep up with his older brother, seven-year-old Noah, and his dad, Aaron.

 “Awareness for this issue is so important,” says his mom Aprile.

Signing the back of your Alberta Health Care card is the first step to becoming an organ or tissue donor. However, it’s also important to discuss your wishes with your family or legal representative.

Organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas, small bowel and islets, and tissue such as eyes, skin, heart valves, bone and tendons, can be donated.

For organs to be viable for transplant, the donor must experience brain death. Tissue donation is possible in almost any kind of death.

One person who has donated can positively impact up to 75 lives.

“(Donation) is an overwhelming experience,” says Aprile.

“It’s touching that a family that has lost a loved one has the fortitude to think about something like this.”
 
See Backgrounder for more information, including how to donate.