Heart transplant recipient thankful for the gift of life

Five years ago, Sam Lee never thought his health would one day be in jeopardy. He lived a normal life—working construction and spending time with his family.

But one day, he began to notice that everyday tasks were becoming increasingly difficult. He’d run out of breath walking up hills, felt tired all the time, and constantly felt over-exerted. At first, he thought it was just the manual labour from his job, but as his symptoms became worse, he went to see his doctor.

Turns out, his heart function was down to only 25 percent and had irregular heart rhythms. Sam tried different treatments to increase the function in his heart, but he continued to suffer. His quality of life diminished—he could no longer work or do the things he enjoyed. A few years later, his function went down to just 15 percent and the doctors told him he would need a heart transplant.

In December 2011, Sam was put on the heart transplant waitlist. After waiting only two short weeks, Sam Lee got a new heart and a second chance at life.

“As soon as I woke up from surgery, I felt better,” Sam recalls, transitioning into post-transplant life without any complications. With proper exercise and diet, Sam was soon feeling like his old self again—accomplishing a long-time goal of building a new house for his family.

He’s thankful for his new heart and the quality of life it brought him and his family.

“I think about my donor family often,” he says. “Without a transplant, I wouldn’t be here. A new heart not only extended my life, but it improved my quality of life and changed it for the better.”

Organ donation in an incredible gift that saves the lives of hundreds of British Columbians like Sam, every year. And although most people in our province agree with organ donation, less than 25 percent have registered their wishes.

Registering your wishes is simple—it takes two minutes and can be done online from any computer or mobile device. Once you’ve made your decision official, have a conversation with your family about it. It’s a conversation that could one day save up to eight lives.

Sam says if you have the power to save someone’s life, why not register your wishes?

“You’ll not only give the recipient a second chance at life, but a second chance for their family and loved ones.”

Did you know?

• One organ donor can save up to 8 lives

• You’re more likely to need a transplant than to become an organ donor

• Organ donation is considered only after all life-saving efforts are made and it is certain you will not survive.

• Two doctors, who are independent of the donation and transplant program, must declare your death before organ donation can proceed.

• Any British Columbian who is over the age of 19 can register their decision about organ donation and parents can register their children.

• You only need to register your decision once.

Register your wishes today

You can verify or register your decision online at transplant.bc.ca with your Personal Health Number. You can also do it in person at any ICBC driver licensing office or Service BC office.