A Scots gran got a new heart after spending just 12 days on the transplant list. Pearl Thompson, 58, was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a disease which makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body.
The Greenock woman started to feel unwell in December 2019 but had no idea what was wrong. Pearl thought her symptoms were due to the demands of her job in a care home - and was horrified when she was told she would need a heart transplant.
She was given a pacemaker in September 2020 and had it for six months before a heart was found after less than two weeks. She had the transplant a year ago and described the match as a "miracle".
Gran-of-two Pearl said: "I was a carer and it was a heavy job but I was so lethargic. "I was puffed out all the time and everything took such a big effort.
"I felt exhausted and kept having blood taken because of medication I took for my skin, but nothing showed up. "I just thought I was just getting too old for the job."
Pearl who saw a GP and was initially given a spray to take under her tongue, plus aspirin. She was then referred to Inverclyde Royal and three months later was diagnosed.
Mum-of-two Pearl said: "It was a total shock. I was always so fit and active before it. They discovered the left part of my heart was enlarged and the other side was floppy. The normal heart rate is 60 and at one point mine was 17."
She was referred to the specialist Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, but didn't get an appointment until September 2020. Her consultant advised that he would fit a pacemaker with a defibrillator and assess if Pearl was suitable for a transplant.
Pearl said: "I was devastated - I thought I'd be fitted with a pacemaker and I would be jumping about the place. I had it for six months but it had hardly any impact at all."
She was put on the waiting list and remarkably was told of a donor heart less than two weeks later.
Pearl said: "I've had it for a year, my heart has been amazing from day one. I thought when I was told I needed a transplant that it might never happen. It felt miraculous, I thought it was a normal phone call.
"When she said they'd got a heart, you still have to go in and they check your bloods and you can get as far as the operating theatre and it is not going ahead. I was in total shock, everyone was saying I was so calm it was like I thought I was going to the hairdressers.
"I didn't think for a minute it would happen so quickly, even though the doctors tell you to always have your bag packed. They only had a short time match up a patient with the heart. I don't think I would have been here without it - I am very grateful to the donor and their family. I would also like to thank all my family and friends for all their support too."
Pearl's surgery took around seven hours and she remained in hospital for three weeks after it. She felt disorientated at first and her co-ordination was poor, but she is gradually building up her strength again.
She said: "At first when I came round, I couldn't even speak. It was hard, within a day of waking up the staff got me up and my legs were like jelly and I had lost my confidence.
"It's been very stressful for my family - they could only see me through a window in intensive care before I was transferred to a ward. They all had to be tested in case the heart condition was genetic - it's not something that you ever think you are going to need in your lifetime."
As is often the case in major life-saving surgery, there have been significant side effects.
Pearl said: "My new heart is amazing but unfortunately because of the medication I've had to take, I have chronic kidney disease. It's a day I thought I would never see. I feel glad to be alive."
Pearl's son Ian, 35, daughter Jenna Cochrane, 30, her partner Shannon Morrison, and friends John McAllister, Lisa Boyle and Stuart Mullen recently climbed Ben Nevis to thank the hospital and staff, raising £1,645.
Jenna said: "At first we thought my mum's symptoms were down to her having pleurisy. She only had her pacemaker for six months before she went on the transplant list and she was very lucky to receive a heart not long after that, so we are all extremely grateful.
"We wanted to give something back for the amazing care my mum received at the Golden Jubilee and to show our gratitude to the donor and their family, whose choice has given my mum the gift of life. We would like to thank everyone who has helped our family on our journey and those who generously donated for our climb."
Lisa, 35, said: "We knew we had to do something to something in return to thank the hospital staff. I see a big difference in Pearl compared to what she was like before the operation She is remarkable."
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