Tyler Smith had a broken heart.
In 2010, he was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a disease that affects the heart, causing it to enlarge.
Basically, his heart wasn’t pumping enough blood to meet the body’s needs.
“My life was really really sedentary. I was always sleeping. I didn’t really have a life,” said Smith, who was born and raised in Revelstoke.
His average day was spent going to work, coming home at lunch, sleeping, going back to work, come home for dinner and straight to bed. He was 18 years old at the time.
“I always felt poor. If I did any exercise, even walking a block, I’d feel like throwing up.”
Usually, the disease goes undiagnosed because many people with it have few, if any, symptoms. However, a small number of people develop significant problems.
| Smith has travelled the world. Here he's reenacting the Beatles crossing Abbey Road in London. (Submitted) |
Smith was put on a waiting list for a heart transplant.
“It was devastating and uplifting as I knew I was going to get help. But there isn’t a lot of organs available.
“That’s the scary thing. You can be on the list for one, two, 10 years. You might not make it. You may die on that list.”
According to BC Transplant, there were 669 British Columbians on the wait list for an organ transplant in 2018. Last year, 27 died waiting for a transplant.
April 21 to 27 is national organ and tissue donation awareness week, when BC Transplant aims to raise awareness and spur organ donations.
Smith was lucky and only had to wait a few months for a donor.
In February 2011, Smith got the call and flew to Vancouver. The surgery was less than four hours.
Apparently, as far as surgeries go, it’s straight forward. “Realistically, they just plop it in,” said Smith.
READ MORE: Tyler Smith doing ‘excellent’ one month after heart transplant
South African doctor Dr Christiaan Barnard performed the first heart transplant in 1967. It was a nine hour operation.
Louis Washkansky, a 53-year-old grocer, was the recipient. He died of pneumonia 18 days after. Today, people with a heart transplant can live decades longer.
| Before getting the transplant, Smith could barely walk a block without getting sick. Now he's an avid mountain biker. (Submitted) |
Of course, it’s always possible that the body will reject the new organ.
“My surgeon said the surgery is the easy part. I thought, ‘Oh my god. Here’s a person that’s going to take my heart out and he’s saying it’s easy,’” Smith said.
Eight years later, life for Smith has remarkably improved. He loves to mountain bike in Kamloops, where he moved two years ago. He’s travelled the world: U.S, Brazil and England.
READ MORE: Tyler Smith runs in Sun Run with new heart
“I could have done none of that without a transplant.”
Nova Scotia could become the first jurisdiction in North America to adopt a policy of presumed consent for organ donation.
Under presumed consent, the default decision is to donate organs on death. While roughly 90 per cent of Canadians say they support organ and tissue donation, less than 20 per cent have made plans to do so.
READ MORE: Saskatchewan reaches out to Nova Scotia to talk automatic organ donation
Spain and Belgium have opt-out laws as well.
| Tyler and Kayla Smith got married last year. Tyler said without a heart transplant, he may have found love. (Submitted) |
Smith is a registered organ donor. It’s possible his heart could be used for a third time.
“An organ that has previously been transplanted is better than a failing one,” said Smith.
He hopes the opt-out laws will be adopted by the rest of Canada.
While traveling the world was fun and provided new perspectives, Smith said it hasn’t been the highlight.
“If I really want to say what the transplant has gotten me is my marriage. I would never have met this person if it wasn’t for the transplant. Never mind get to a point where I can marry.”
Smith’s new heart not only brought him life, but also love.
If interested, you can register to be a donor at transplant.bc.ca with your personal health number.
@pointypeak701
liam.harrap@revelstokereview.com
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