Don Moses is a scientist now mostly retired because
of illness,
who has been on and off the heart-transplant list since 1988.
by Don Moses
The probability of receiving a heart transplant within
one year,
given my status and region, is under 20%.
Within two years? About 40%.
This could be a problem if given 6-months to live.
Millions of people die of various causes each year,
but only about two percent of these people are potential organ donors.
Less than thirty percent of these potential donors
will have their organs used.
Those who donate will save an average of five lives
and improve the quality of life of up to fifty more people.
It is important that all of us inform our families
of our wishes to donate.
It is not enough to have “Donor” on our driver’s licenses;
our next of kin must also agree.
I have a loving wife and six wonderful children.
Three are on their own, a daughter is in college,
another is in high school, and a son died at the age of 17.
Life’s journey is never easy,
and I have been more fortunate than many,
but sometimes a mountain is placed in our path.
A virus attacked my heart, in 1988.
Tests at the Mayo Clinic resulted in a statistical probability
of 6-months to live without a heart transplant.
Cancer bounced me off the transplant waiting list
and I began a painful series of radiation treatments.
In 1994, I had a sudden cardiac death episode
but was revived by paramedics with a defibrillator.
Since that time I have had eight episodes,
each time saved by several frightening shocks
from an internal defibrillator.
I am presently back on the heart transplant list
and was called in for a heart in December of 1999,
but the donor heart had an infection
and I went home without the surgery.
That experience involved the extremes of human emotions.
It is scary waiting for a heart
knowing that the next dysrhythmia with defibrillator shocks and terror
is just waiting to happen at some unknown time.
It is like being stalked by a sniper
who is going to kill you sooner or later.
From my journal:
Last night we met in small groups in the church basement.
We were asked to share small miracles
that have happened to us or to those we know.
Typical were stories of two-minute delays
that prevented involvements in fiery multi-vehicle accidents.
I told about the time I was shocked by my implanted defibrillator
in the bathroom and hit the floor with a scream.
Adrenalin flooded my body from fear,
and my heart raced even more causing multiple shocks.
I had carelessly placed my wireless phone on the counter
(not on the floor as usual) and attempting to reach it
caused another shock which knocked me back to the floor.
Each shock felt like the 800 volts I accidentally touched
in my Ham radio rig when I was younger.
In the few seconds between shocks I thought I may be dead.
I felt a hand on my forehead and a voice saying “Relax, Don.”
My monitor recorded the fact that my heart rate
immediately went to a stable, normal rhythm.
I was able to reach my phone and call 911.
I am still waiting for a new heart,
which will then give me a normal life-span.
Go to Questions & Answers about Organ Donation.
Go to another part of the proposed three-part article:
"Organs from
the Executed" by James Park:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~parkx032/ORGAN-JP.html
Go to the beginning of this home page:
An Existential Philosopher's
Museum