New heart, new desire to support the cause

This article is adapted from the fourth edition of the Foundation’s magazine

Frank Nguyen was active and healthy. That’s why the events that took place in the summer of 2019 came as a total shock. His health deteriorated to the point where he required a heart transplant, giving him a second chance at life. His moving story has touched many people, from the caregivers at the Institute to the staff at the Foundation.

No one is immune

Frank was on vacation with his family in New Jersey when he started experiencing shortness of breath, a symptom that was completely out of the blue for this 45-yearold father. “I started to feel bad. Even taking a few steps tired me out. And it was getting worse,” he said. Physicians in the U.S. diagnosed him with severe heart failure and four days later he was airlifted to the Montreal Heart Institute. Because he was at high risk of cardiac arrest and sudden death, he was implanted with a defibrillator. After failing to respond to medication, he was put on the heart transplant waiting list. Without a new heart, his life expectancy was estimated at one year. Fortunately, Frank was able to receive a new heart in an exceptionally short amount of time and since then, he’s worn it on his sleeve.

“I was extremely lucky to have been admitted to the Montreal Heart Institute. My family and I now owe them everything. I had a photo of my wife and daughter with me on the day of my surgery. Right before the procedure began, I asked the nurse to hold it in front of my eyes before they put me under. I wanted to see them one last time because I didn’t know if I was going to wake up again… Since the transplant, I’ve felt a sense of duty that I’ve never experienced before. Now, it’s an intrinsic part of me,” said Frank, his voice heavy with emotion.

Life-saving psychological support

During one of his hospital stays, one of the nurses on Frank’s care team noticed he was suffering from anxiety and had serious trouble sleeping. She reached out to a transplant patient who was being monitored as an outpatient and asked them to meet with Frank. “We spoke for an hour. That same week, I also talked to another patient who received a transplant even more recently. That alone made a huge difference for me while I was hospitalized, in how I was experiencing the ordeal. Hearing and seeing patients who had undergone the procedure was extremely helpful. At the end of the day, we have everything and nothing in common. It normalized the situation for me and made me aware that this can happen to anyone…” he said.

From patient to volunteer and spokesperson

While still in the hospital recovering from the surgery, Frank wrote a letter to the family of the donor. One of the patients who had provided him with support suggested he do so. “It was the first step I took to embracing this new drive to give back, to honour my donor and emphasize how immensely privileged I’ve been… A second chance at life, that’s major!”

“People at the Institute found out I wanted to become involved… The heart surgery support program was a golden opportunity. They introduced me to Hugues Villeneuve, the program director – whom I want to acknowledge – and they kind of trained me in how to support others. I’ve met with 4 patients so far. It comes naturally for me. It benefits the person who’s waiting for a transplant, and it benefits me. I’m also a member of the Research Centre’s Ethics Committee. That entails a meeting and several hours of reading every month. I take every opportunity to get involved, be it at the Foundation or the Institute.

Raising awareness for the cause

Frank hadn’t signed up to be an organ donor but learning he needed a new heart made him realize how important that gesture is. “That’s when it struck me, just how much we all think this only happens to other people. I found and signed the organ donation sticker I had received and put it on the back of my health insurance card. I needed to be consistent – requesting a transplant without being ready to donate my own organs in the case of my death made no sense. I really believe more people would consent to donating their organs if they saw it that way. By signing up to be an organ donor, you can save up to 8 lives. And you can help up to 20 people by donating tissue. It’s the most precious gift of all, and it won’t cost you a dime. I hope to shed light on some of the fears and myths surrounding organ donation,” said Frank.

Putting a face to the cause

“It’s also important for me to be involved with the Foundation because I think it’s good to show who benefits from donations. For instance, here’s who you help when you help fund the purchase of a cutting-edge device. Not only do you help patients, but you also help the health care staff save even more lives. By innovating and collectively investing to support progress and technological advances, we are saving the lives of people like me, people like you. I’m here today because of donations that were made in the past. And the donations the Foundation receives today will go to treating people who fall ill tomorrow,” he said.

Frank’s testimonial in video (in French only)

Frank’s heart

If Frank’s heart could speak, here’s what it would say:

Getting involved with the MHI and the Foundation is my way to show my appreciation for the health care workers who treated me and my gratitude for getting a second chance at life. I’ve been given decades more to live so why not give back some of my time?

To everyone at the heart transplant clinic, the team under Dr. Denis Bouchard who performed surgery on me, the entire staff in the north wing on the 4^th floor and the short-stay unit on the 5^th floor, the surgical ICU, the physiotherapists, Isabelle and Éric with the spiritual care team, the medical day services, the Foundation and its donors: thank you for all that you do. This is for my donor and their family. This is for Sylvie Loiseau.

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