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The author of this book Titania Hardie contacted me via email a couple of years a go with questions about transplantation for a character she was going to write about in a novel, I answered her questions as best I could and didn't really think much more about it. Well you know the way life is, especially for us recipients you need to look forward not back. Well as you can see she finished the book and published it, sending me a copy with an very nice acknowledgement in the authors notes. I have now finished reading it and as promised I am now going to write a short review of what I thought. The Rose Labyrinth 1. Without a doubt it is the best presented paper back I have ever seen, it comes with a removable hard cover that includes notes etc that are connected to the story line 2. The story is superb with a fantastic twist at the end I never saw coming. 3. This is where I think I learned something, although the story is very good, it is really a tool for you as a reader to learn about the characters. Titania has written this novel in such a way I now feel as if I actually know each character personally and what they would or would not do in a situation, to the point where at times during the book I almost knew what was going to happen next as I knew what the characters reaction would be to thing that had happen. 4. Well here I can either spoil the book for you or suggest you purchase it. May I suggest you get a copy It is worth every penny - Titania really did her homework for this novel and I am looking forward to reading her next one. The Rose Labyrinth Tony Huesman "It doesn't really matter when we die, how we die or why we die. Regards Tony Please Support this Website & Sponsor Us
Order Your Laces We have had some special laces made to promote organ donation and transplantation. If you would like a pair please make a donation of £2.00 ($4) to cover the cost of laces and postage If you pay on-line via Just Giving from a country other than the UK your Credit card company will work out the exchange rate for you...
or by post To Transplant and Beyond Many Thanks for your support -------- We are putting a team together for the If you would like to be part of our team please do send me an email ----------
---------- Zoe Chambers
Zoe was born with a heart valve which was too narrow
A donor was found for her and she was operated on at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital early on Thursday. Doctors said that Zoe was now "recovering well". Days before she was put at the top of the list, a heart had become available but doctors said it was too large for Zoe, who was born with a heart valve that was too narrow. A Freeman Hospital spokeswoman said: "She is no longer on life support and is continuing to make good progress. "Zoe's parents are with her and able to care for and comfort her." Her parents Rob and Julie have been keeping vigil with her at the Freeman Hospital, which is a leading transplant centre. Before the operation, her 33-year-old mother said: "She is desperate. She keeps getting infection after infection. "She needs a transplant as soon as possible to give her the best chance." It is unclear where the donor heart came from. But hospital officials said that because Zoe's case was so serious, if a suitable organ was found anywhere in Europe it would be flown to Newcastle by private jet _______ Madeleine McCann
On behalf of Kate and Gerry McCann and all the family, please help us...... Find Madeleine. Madeleine, age 3, was abducted from her bed in the family holiday apartment, Praia De Luz, Algarve, Portugal on Thursday, 3rd May. Police and all of Portugal are trying to find her. The Portuguese people, holiday makers and ex pats have been a great support to the family and continue their efforts. You, too can help. Please circulate this plea to publicise Madeleine's photo and ask for information, no matter how small to be passed on to the authorities. Whether you are in the UK, Portugal, Europe or beyond, please forward to all your family, friends,colleagues and business associates.Someone out there will have some information that will lead to Maddy's return. The internet can be a powerful tool in finding Maddy, who is so loved and missed by us all. Let's use it positively. Please pray for Madeleine and all the family at this devastating time. We need your help. We know you won't let Maddy down. God bless, Pat Perkins
Today's Joke Mum and Dad were watching TV when Mum said, "I'm tired, and it's She picked up the game pieces left on the table, put the phone She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped Dad called out, "I thought you were going to bed.""I'm on my She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, In her own room, she set the alarm; laid out clothing for the About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one Anything extraordinary here? Wonder why women live longer...? 'CAUSE WE ARE MADE FOR THE LONG HAUL...... (and we can't die ____ Have a good joke?
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24th April 2008 Transplantation Saves Lives London Marathon 2008 - 4hrs 13mins 2secs
So why do people say London Marathon is one of the best in the world?? So what next? A long earned rest? No, I have agreed to join The World Transplant Elite team and take part in the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon, as part of a relay team with me doing - yes you guessed it - the running leg. More about that on the next up date.. Chat soon John 28th March 2008 The event was very well organised with a 6.30am start time, which meant I had to be up at 4am ready to leave my hotel by 5am. Well fortunately a good friend Peter Russell had decided to join me in Cape Town for this run or I may never have even made the start line. Yes I over slept, the hotel didn't give me my wake up call at 4am, so it was Peter banging on the door at 5am that woke me up. I had laid out my kit the night before, so all I had to do was grab it and jump in the taxi. My pre run breakfast turned out to be a muffin and can of coke. 6.30am and the gun went off for the start, it was still dark and quite cool with the first 14mile being fairly flat, on our left hand side was the Indian Ocean and some superb views. I found myself running along the centre of the road with 10,500 other runners around me, that's when I almost fell over. The cats eyes there are made of metal and are stuck to the surface of the road, they stick up quite a bit and almost brought me to my knees.
As you can see from the 14mile point we began to run up hill and temperature was around 26degress now and getting hotter, from here we are heading in land and towards the Atlantic Ocean. Around about the centre of the big valley you can see is the Marathon mark 26.2 miles (4hrs 19mins), from here it really does get tough to the top of that hill. At the very top I came across a TV crew and did a short live interview as the whole reason for this run for me was to raise transplant and donor awareness and try to encourage people to join the organ donor register. Well from that point it is pity much down hill all the way to the finish line. Peter stayed with me to around the 25mile mark but had to stop for the call of nature, telling me to carry on and he would catch me up. Sadly he didn't catch me until the finish line, that mountain of a hill took it's toll on him and he finished the event about 10 minutes after I did. But we both achieved our goal of finishing under 6hrs and getting a Bronze medal each..
Now it was time for a photo for a national newspaper and another chance to raise some awareness. I was the first heart recipient to complete this event and it also coincided with the 40th year since the world's first heart transplant was done here. 18th March 2008 Cape Town - I leave later today and will arrive in Cape Town Wednesday morning with my first interview just 3 hours after I land, I am really trying to get a much positive transplant awareness out of this event as possible - as I don't intend to ever repeat the experience of having to run 35miles or the amount of time and effort all the training has taken to prepare for this event. Take care and chat from Africa John 11th March 2008 One of the things I really like about this website are the personal stories - they all give me great encouragement - especially those over 10, 15 and 20years post heart transplant. I am still a baby by comparison.. Our dear friend Micky Byrne celebrated 9 years yesterday... There is also a new story added today Peta Capello, click on her name to read her story... Chat soon John 2nd March 2008 Then Friday I have been asked to be one of the speakers at a Transplant coordinator and Intensive Care Staff conference in a local hotel. I have now given loads of talks to various support groups and patients, but this is the first time I had been asked to talk to health professionals about my transplant etc, it will be a bit like having to sing to the choir. I also have to continue with my training for the Cape Town Ultra marathon, although last Tuesday I fell over while running and slightly hurt my right leg. I have had to stop running since, hope I will recover in time to do the 35mile run, as it is not a distance to even think about trying if you have an injury. Chat soon John 25th February 2008 Now only 4 weeks to go before the Cape Town Ultra marathon, 35miles Coast to Coast. As far as we are aware a heart recipient has not taken part in this event before, so what a great time to do it 40years after the worlds first heart transplant was preformed there. We are hoping to raise a lot of transplant & donor awareness by doing this event, as well as raise some much needed funds for the charity. As most of you already know the events we take part in are either completely funded by ourselves or by a separate corporate funding. All the money we raise for the events through sponsorship goes directly to the charity to help with the day to day running costs. So please do sponsor us for this event and help keep the charity and website going.
9th February 2008 February is always a busy time for us with talks, people seem to like having a speaker who talks about hearts around valentines. Hong Kong Marathon is just around the corner 17th Feb 08, thanks to a good friend and Outback Steakhouse i am able to take part in this event, which is one to help raise some awareness and two is a training run for the Cape Town marathon.. I will also be doing The Wokingham Half Marathon is Sunday, hoping to be under 2 hours.. Keep those emails coming and chat soon John 29th January 2008 Lets say you are against transplantation and that you don't want to donor your organs.... The opt out register will protect you - when the time comes the register will be checked to see if your name is on it, if so end of story - your organs will not be used for transplantation... Here's something else I would like to share with you, several times now I have met people who at the time said No to their partners organs being transplanted... They have later regretted that decision, either they found a donor card at home later that belonged to their partner or they read a story about someone needing a transplant and realise they could have saved them etc etc - As we say why take your organs to heaven? Heaven knows we need them here... Transplantation Saves Lives - Live Life, then Give Life Chat Soon 14th January 2008 So come on people get behind this and 100's of lives will be saved - Did you know you are more likely to need a transplant than be a donor? Live Life, then Give Life John 3rd January 2008 What a year we have planned:- 1. We would like to build a new website for all transplants, a few years a go I sat on a committee for Novartis and we built a superb website called Talk-Transplant. Sadly the funding for that website stopped and it was removed from the internet, well I would like to try and rebuild that website or something very similar. So if you have had a transplant of any kind and would like to help or add information to such a website please do let me know. 2. I also intend to carry on raising awareness through sport, running events etc. So this year I have planned 3. We would like to add a forum and a new guest book to this website, this will mean more training on Dream Weaver so that we can keep everything in house. Mike Doyle, our Vice-Chairman found a heart transplant interactive operation on the internet, it is quite fun to try and very informative, follow this link http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/eheart/transplantwave.html and another at Don't forget, if you have something you would like to share with our visitors please do let us know.. Chat soon 4th December 2007 The reason that you haven't heard from me, I've had a lit'l medical set-back, myself. A spot was discovered on my left lung a few weeks ago in X-Ray & Cat-Scan. The folks at the hospital seem to think this is a Fungi infection, NOT Cancer or TB. Bob 29th November 2007 Running a marathon is a bit like going through heart transplantation….. You start the race (life) feeling fit and well – 12 miles in and you are getting tired but you manage to carry on fairly well – 20 miles and things become a bit of a struggle but with a bit of effort you still manage to carry on – 23 miles and it is tough now, you don’t even want to talk to anyone because you need all your concentration and effort to keep going – 25 miles and you hang on in there for the finish line (you wait for a donor) – 26.2 you are glad it is all over.. That evening after a marathon you can barely walk, and then next day walking and stairs are a real problem – now you know what it is like to have heart failure and need a heart transplant. Fortunately for you, you have only run a marathon and in a couple of days you will be fine again. BUT! For those of us that have heart failure a heart transplant is the only way we have a chance of a normal life again. Imagine running that marathon – the next day you can barely walk or climb a flight of stairs – now imagine the only way you can return to normal is a heart transplant… Approx 50% of the people waiting for a donor heart will die while waiting due to the lack of donor. You can make a difference join the organ donor register, and let your friends and family your wishes. You are more likely to need a transplant than be a donor – if you would accept an organ then surely you should be willing to give… Live Life, then Give Life.. Well I was just thinking out loud really and hope you get the gist of what I am saying.. Chat soon John 27th November 2007 As usual we have completely funded ourselves to take take in the Cape Town Ultra Marathon, as we are once again raising Transplant and Donor, we are also hoping to raise some more funds for the charity so that it can continue to help pre & post transplant patients etc etc. You can sponsor us at:- http://www.justgiving.com/cape town Other News:- Bob Pitcock has been slightly unwell for a few weeks but I am pleased to say he is on the mend and is going to put himself on a healthier life style. Chat soon John 16 November 2007 Then Tuesday I met with the Managing Director of Cherry Active - He started his business after suffering from gout, and as we all know gout can be very painful! Anyway he was in America on business for a company he then worked for, while there he had gout and a friend told him about Cherry Active. Well to cut a long story short, he left the company he was working for and set up his own company here in the UK selling Cherry Active. Apart from it being good for gout, it also has several other properties one of which helps with sport recovery. Cherry Active may become one of our corporate supporters and help with the funding of our London Triathlon Team. For more information on Cherry Active why not visit their website:- www.cherryactive.co.uk Thursday we had 3/4 of a page write up in The Sun on organ donation and the need for more donors, saying that it is time for the opt out system - rather than opt in.. More lives would be saved - did you know you are more likely to need a transplant than be a donor. Bimmerflex have asked us to be the charity for their annual BMW Car show. Mazda London Triathlon To Transplant & Beyond have guaranteed charity places in this event so please contact us today to reserve your place! All we ask for is £75 registration fee and a minimum sponsorship commitment of £500. Shanghai Marathon 1. To raise some transplant and donor awareness, as this event almost coincides with the 40th Anniversary of the World's First Heart Transplant 3rd December 2007. At least by the time I return to the UK and the press print the story it will almost be spot on. 2. Peter lives in Shanghai and has also agreed to run the Cape Town Ultra Marathon (35miles) with me in March next year. So it was a good chance to meet up again and train together for my biggest challenge yet (well running challenge that is). Chat soon John PS. A good friend Jill Edwards (18years post transplant) told me off for not letting you all know what the charity does. So in future I will try to write a more detailed report on what we do week to week (starting with the above). Thanks for keeping me on my toes Jill... John xx 3rd November 2007 My thoughts and prays are with the families of those recipients who died and with those who are still on the heart transplant waiting list. We all know that transplantation is a risk and that you would not be offered a heart transplant if you could live a decent quality of life without it. BUT having the odds become so bad for no apparent reason is really worrying. I am sure that nothing untoward is going on at Papworth and that they will soon be back on track with the national average. The answer to all of this and to improve the odds nationally is more donors, then people would not have to wait so long The longer they have to wait the worst their condition becomes, the worse the odds of success. So come on lets all give it an extra push and promote the organ donor and get a few extra people signed up. Live Life, then Give Life Chat soon John 30th October 2007 I would be willing to try again if some of you are willing to take on the role of mediators and keep a daily check on it, please let me know if you are interested and we will go from there. Chat soon John 28th October 2007
I would like to thank all the staff for helping to make it a very enjoyable and successful evening.. I have also just returned from a half term holiday in France with my youngest daughter, although I use the word holiday very loosely. She had me running, cycling, swimming, canoeing and horse riding.
The reason I mention this is to show you once again there is a chance of a great life post heart transplant, remember June 2000 I could hardly climb a flight of stairs or even walk to the end of the road. Spending quality time with my family is now very important to me, sadly I needed to go through heart transplantation to give me a wake up call and remind me what is really important in life. Health - Family and Friends (People).
Now it is back to training and trying to stay fit and healthy, while at the same time raising transplant and donor awareness.. Chat soon John 17th October 2007 I have also agreed to run the Shanghai Marathon with my friend Peter Russell, Peter ran The Great Wall marathon with me, and as he lives and works in Shanghai he has invited me to stay at his house and take part in this event. His generous offer removed most of my excuses for not taking part in it, so this year I would have completed 3 marathons - that will make it 13 since transplant, which is crazy as I only ever intended to run one. Will let you know how Dinner/Race night go.. Chat soon John 10th October 2007
John Fisher - Magdi Yacoub - Mike Doyle You can watch the show on ITV this evening from 9pm... After the show we got to mingle with various celeb's and have a bit of a chat... John 8th October 2007 Shanghai Marathon - Thanks to the generosity of Peter Russell, who ran the Great Wall of China with me. I will be taking part in the Shanghai Marathon (25th Nov) - Peter lives and works in Shanghai and has asked if I would like to run the event with him and stay in his apartment while there... Tomorrow an event I have been looking forward too actually happens - sadly will have to tell you about it after the event.. Also I have just picked up a new banner for the charity that promotes us and the organ donor card - it will have its first showing at our Charity Dinner and Race Night - Remember to book your tickets... Charity
Dinner Chat soon John.. 2nd October 2007 Wednesday I will be joining staff from UK Transplant at Portsmouth University for Fresher's Week, UKT are running a Be A Super Hero Campaign to encourage students to join the Organ Donor Register.... Next week I will be taking part in a very special surprize that sadly I can't tell you about until after the event.... I am also looking in to doing another marathon this year as part of my training for The Cape Town 35mile Ultra Marathon which is on 22rd March 2008... I have a lot of training to do as my weight has gone from 84kg to 92kg, that's what happens when you stop training, and then eat & drink to much... Chat soon John 17th Sept 2007 The 800m swim was in a man made rowing lake at Dorney - this lake is going to be used for the 2012 Olympics.. Chat soon John 13th Sept 2007 We are putting a team together for the London Triathlon 2008, so far 12 people have already signed up, including two of the transplant Coordinators from Harefield. If you would like to be part of the team please do drop me an email. Heart logo laces - we still have some of the laces available so if you would like a pair please do order yours now.. Last week I also had my 7year MOT - Check up and I am pleased to say I was given the A-OK.. Chat soon John 4th Sept 2007 The 23-year-old underwent an operation to replace her heart after developing the condition restrictive cardiomyopathy in her teens. She said: "My initial reaction was 'Oh yuk!' "But then I thought it was slightly surreal and amazing at the same time when I saw it in the flesh." Ironically, the animal science graduate is used to dissecting hearts for her studies. Examining the heart she was born with, she added: "The way the disease progresses, it should have been distended but it looked quite normal - if a little small." 3rd September 2007 So what's new?? 3. I have booked my flight and hotel ready for the Two Oceans Ultra marathon in Cape Town South Africa (35miles). 4. I am looking into taking part in another Marathon this year as part of my training for the above event. 5. We are arranging a Race Night at Outback Steakhouse Staines for Wednesday 17th October 2007, please do email me if you would like more details... Chat soon John 7th August 2007 I also did a BBC Sport TV interview with Graham Bell which will be on Tv this coming Sunday 1.30pm... I am putting a team together for next years London Triathlon, if you would like to be part of our team please do email me your details etc... The other news is that the laces I had made to promote transplantation and organ donation are now here....
If you would like a pair please make a donation of £2.00 ($4) to cover the cost of laces and postage - please note we are a non-profit charity all we are trying to do is promote transplantation.. You can pay on-line but please remember to email me your postal address as well:- john@heart-transplants.co.uk If you pay on-line via Just Giving from a country other than the UK your Credit card company will work out the exchange rate for you...
or by post UK Pounds only To Transplant and Beyond Many Thanks for your support John 30th July 2007 That said I really do appreciate the emails I received from friends and family, especially Texas Bob... For you all to have remembered and taken the time to write was special.. Sunday I will be taking part in the London Triathlon and I will be doing a BBC interview where I will promote transplant and donor awareness which will hopefully lead to another person be saved thanks for the generosity of someone else.. Chat soon John 27th July 2007 Last night I did a live debate on transplantation in London for The Welcome Trust, I was joined by Stephen Large a transplant surgeon from Papworth Hospital. The debate went very well and we covered almost all the aspects of transplantation... I am hoping the trainer laces I ordered to raise transplant and donor awareness will be ready sometime next week, so watch this space.... I have also been working on this years Christmas Card, the planning and design is going very well, now I have to get it sign off by UK Transplant as it uses their organ donor logo's etc.. Chat soon John 14th July 2007
I am looking forward to working with both Tanya & Vinnie promoting transplantation and raising awareness.. Chat soon John 6th July 2007 More details to follow John 6th July 2007 I must admit I was a bit concerned beforehand about what to say, as I didn't want to up set anyone. So I started with a question? Who knows what a heart transplant is?? Well almost half the children raised their hands and the young boy I chose to answer was spot on, the talk/chat went from there.. National Transplant Week is next week so try to do your bit to raise some awareness... Chat soon John 2nd July 2007 1. We are producing some laces for running shoes that have hearts on, the idea is that people put these in their trainers to show they support transplantation. It is also hoped people will ask about the laces that are being worn, this will lead to a chat about transplantation, which will raise some positive awareness.. More to follow when the laces have been made, they have already been ordered... 2. This is where you can help us, last year we produced a transplant & donor theme Christmas Card
We are looking to do the same this year, any ideas and suggestions??? Yes I know it may seem early to be thinking about Christmas but we have to go through the planning, funding and printing stages in time for Christmas, which all takes a fair amount of time... Well chat soon John 30th June 2007
That skin irritation I have turned out to be Shingles, one of the joys of taking immune suppressants I suppose, but that's life although I don't really have time to be ill. The London Triathlon is on Sunday 5th August and I am nowhere even near ready, although this time last year I had kidney problems due to being given the wrong drugs, so I guess shingles is much less of a worry... It is still raining here, but I have decided I am going out for a couple of hours bike ride tomorrow regardless.. Chat soon John 28th June 2007 London triathlon, I can't seem to be able to get back into training, the weather is bad, which is a poor excuse really. Also I currently have a skin irritation which I will speak to my GP about sometime today, it feels a bit like sunburn, although it has rained here for weeks, so perhaps it is rising damp??? Will let you know - Chat soon John 17th June 2007 I have just been sitting in the garden having my breakfast wishing I had either tried to do the bike ride and get back on time or that I had gone jet skiing for the day.. Jan has gone to Tai Chi and Charlie is still fast asleep in bed, so now I realise what I have been missing the last 6years.. Chat soon John 12th June 2007 A whole host of people have asked if they can be part of next years team, so if you would like to join us all for this event next year please do drop me an email... After the triathlon I am going to take a well earned rest from events, I may enter a few short distance, low key ones just to stay fit. 2008 I intend to take part in the Cape Town Ultra marathon which is in March, Cape town as you probably know is where the worlds first heart transplant was done. I am as usual hoping that by taking part in this event I will be able to raise some positive transplant and donor awareness.. Then after that there is The London marathon which will be my 7th since transplant... Just writing about these has had me tried so Chat Soon John 5th June 2007 Mike Doyle our Vice-Chairman is a member of Probus and nominated me to be one of their speakers, I believe it was very well received and some positive donor and transplant awareness was raised. ______ Running a marathon is a bit like your typical transplant story?? 25miles and you are completely worn out, with a mile still to do, by the end of the marathon all you want to do is lay down. The next day you can barely walk and climbing stairs is near impossible, fortunately for marathon runners this is temporary. For someone on the heart transplant waiting list their only chance of getting back to normal is a donor. So next time you run a marathon try to imagine that person who is on the waiting list.. Chat Soon 29th May 2007 The Great Wall Marathon 6hrs 26mins and a few seconds..... The race started at 7.30am, although we had to be there at 5.30am. When the gun went off it was around 25degrees and we had 26.2miles (42km) ahead of us. First we had to run 3miles (5km) up hill in order to get to the Great Wall and our first step to climb of over 3,700. As you can see there is no shade, no handrails and each flight can be over 250 steps with no landing. It is now around 30degress and little do we know but we still have over 5hours out here before we will finish. As usual there are people flying past us, but my experience tells me I will be seeing them again later in the day as I pass them in the second half of the race. The tortoise and the hare, in a marathon like this the tortoise will win every time. A good friend Peter Russell, who now lives and works in China has agreed to run with me. We take it in turns to carry a bottle of water, as we begin to realise what we have taken on. We actually only run about 5miles on the Great Wall, 2.5miles near the start of the race and another 2.5miles near the end.. Yes that really is more than enough.... Considering the heat and the fact that we seem to be continually climbing, we are doing very well. We get to the half marathon point around 3hrs and can't believe it is still going up hill, it is also now around 35degrees. Surely it has to go down hill now? I begin to think that we will follow the same route down as we came up, which will be superb as it is mostly tarmac road. 21miles - 4hrs 30mins later and we are back on the Great Wall, the cut off time for this point is 6hrs, so we are really pleased with our progress. The thing is we now have almost 2000 steps to climb and some are almost knee high. But how long can it take to complete the last five miles? Actually as it turned out it wasn't the last 3miles we had to worry about, but the next 2miles over the wall. I can't believe it has taken us 45mins to Oh remember these runners that went past us earlier? Well there they are sitting on the steps or laying down, some are even heading back off the wall, having even up. We leave the wall for the last time and now have 3miles (5km) of down hill tarmac road to the finish line. I am surprised how good my legs feel as I was really struggling on the climb over the wall. We start to jog and before we now it we are into a good pace around 10minute miles, which is very good for the last 3 miles of a marathon, especially this one. We look at our watches, then each other 6hrs 3mins... I believe we both had the same thought at this point, we have to beat 6hrs 30min. We up the pace and we are passing people all the time, most of who are now walking. 6hrs 26mins and a few seconds - we did it..
I now it is time to do some interviews and raise some transplant and donor awareness, the press and TV coverage is superb. I have my photo taken with Henrik Jorgensen, the London Marathon Winner 1988, for a dutch newspaper. The next day I also get to see some articles about me in various Chinese Papers, although I don't have a clue what they say..
So what next? I have the London Triathlon in August and Peter Russell who I ran the Great Wall with has talked me into another race March next year... In Cape Town - Africa - Where the first heart transplant was done. Will tell you more in the next up date. Chat soon John
14th May 2007 As you can see from the photo we tried to get in the Chinese mood by wearing some coolie hats during dinner.
9th May 2007
Shirley Doyle - Andy Kellock (19 years post heart transplant)
6.30pm they had finished playing and we sat down to a celebration dinner, followed by the presentation, an auction and then a raffle. The guests were all very generous and from a room of 100 people we raised a magnificent £3,500.00 for the charity. This day was made possible by Ashford Manor Golf Club and it's members, and the kind generosity of local business's who donated the prizes etc. From the bottom of our new hearts we thank you all. John, Mike & Andy
7th May 2007 Mike Doyle our Vice-Chairman will be celebrating 18years post heart transplant and by coincidence he is also celebrating his 70th Birthday this month. So we decided to mark the occasion with a FUNd raising event (Golf Day) I have been overwhelmed by the support from several local business's, in fact every single one I asked didn't hesitate to say yes and they were all very generous. Please have a look at the Supporters Page - Mike Doyle's Golf Day to see how many people helped us and made it possible to put on this event. The Charity and I owe you all a Great Thank You Chat soon John
6th May 2007 What have I let myself in for?? I have also been told it is the 4th hardest Marathon in the world This makes me ask what are the 3 hardest? Thanks Bob, but sometimes ignorance is bliss.. Chat soon John ps Another friend just sent me this picture as well, with the message "Rather you than me - although if this is what you can do after a heart transplant where do I sign?"
The answer is easy
29th April 2007 Less than 3 weeks until the Great Wall of China Marathon, a lot of time and effort has gone into the training for this event. Over 3,700 steps to climb on the wall, as well as covering the 26.2 miles. Seemed such a good idea a few months a go, hope i am up to this challenge. I only ever intended to complete one marathon, then Jan my wife asked if I would do one with her, and before I knew it one became two, then three and over 10 marathons under my belt. 6 London Marathons - Snowdonia - Athens - Sydney - Venice and on 19th May China will be number 11. I must be crazy or perhaps it is something they put in the pills i am taking?? Chat soon John 25th April 2007 Take care and chat soon John 24th April 2007 Jan is taking me out tonight for a birthday surprize, let you know tomorrow what it was.. On the 19th May I will be running the Great Wall of China Marathon, you can support this website and charity by sponsoring me for this event at:- Thank You for Your Support 23rd April 2007
During the marathon I also chatted to Colin Jackson (BBC Sport) So now the count down to The China Marathon begins, four weeks and counting.. Chat soon John 21th April 2007 But that not all there's still the usual things to do as well... We are also putting the finishing touches to the organisation of our charity golf day, Mike Doyle (vice-chairman) will be 18years post transplant in May and will also be celebrating his 70th Birthday. So we decided to organise a Charity Golf Day at his local club, the support from the members, friends and business's has been superb.. Well chat soon John 11th April 2007 The training has gone fairly well with very little injury, but to be honest it is not London that is the worry...It's China and the Great Wall marathon I have also entered which is on May 19th.. I am looking forward to the experience and the chance to raise some positive transplant awareness, but it is a big challenge that I hope I am upto....Time will tell.. I would appreciate it you if you would sponsor me for these events, which will help keep the website and charity going. As you probably know we are totally non-profit and relies totally on donations.. Chat soon John
27th March 2007 Sunday I took part in the Cranleigh 21mile road race, it is a very hilly route and I finished in 3hrs 16mins. Now I am wondering whether to try and finish London in sub 4hrs or whether to run easy and save myself for China. Who would have dreamt it? Transplantation has been very kind to me, and sadly I do know that not all of you have been so lucky. I am trying to make the very best of my wonderful gift, not just for myself but for transplantation, and hopefully more people will get the same chance as I have had. So please promote the organ donor register, save a life.. 0845 60 60 400 Thank you for all the jokes you have sent me, yet to receive one I could actually put on the website though.. Chat soon 18th March 2007 I now know why the area is called Hill-ingdon, if we weren't going up hill we were going down. I managed to finish this event in 3hrs 3mins, which was a superb time and a great build up to my marathons. If you would like to sponsor me for these events to help fund the charity please follow the link. Chat soon John
15th March 2007
Our little friend Alex Wood leaving hospital after his heart transplant, and what a way to do it - in true style his very own limo. Guess he intends to start his new life in the way he intends it to continue.
We all wish you the very best for the future. Texas "Bob and John 11March 2007
What a busy weekend, Saturday I attended a British Heart Foundation Seminar as one of the speakers. Then Sunday I took part in the Fleet Half Marathon where I met some of the stars from Emmerdale, They were more than willing to have their photo's taken and add their support to raising transplant and donor awareness.
10th March 2007 The talk/presentation went very well and i have been asked to attend several other groups to give them a presentation. 9th March 2007 Well done Micky - God Bless Our Donors and Donor Families. 6th March 2007 Mike Doyle (Vice-Chairman) and myself have been organising a Charity Golf Day to celebrate Mike being 18 years post transplant and his 70th Birthday. This will take place on 8th May 2007 and I am pleased to say we have had a lot of support and interest in this event. If you would like to sponsor me for this event and help support this website and charity, you can do so securely on-line. Every penny of your donation goes directly to the charity, as we are totally non-profit and no one gets paid for their time and effort.
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If you would like to be part of our team please follow this link Texas "Bob" Pitcock 27th March 2008
23 December 2007
This is what Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you all.. Texas Bob Pitcock _______ 12th December 2007 I just want to share with you, a story about my past. In the photo below you will see me and Rhonda Toomer dancing at my sister Judy's 1991 Christmas party at her home.
I first met Rhonda at the time of our heart transplants January 28th 1991. Our heart transplants were performed on the very same night. We met and became very close friends, even though she lived 250 miles north of me in Ft Worth Texas. Contacted each other quite often for the next 12 years, by phone and emails. Texas "Bob" Pitcock 2nd October 2007 17th Sept 2007 This answers one of the questions I have always had about heart transplantation. Two months ago at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, surgeons removed a transplanted heart from a patient who had died and re transplanted it in another recipient. “To my knowledge, this is the first time this has been done with a transplanted heart,” Dr. Lawrence S. C. Czer, medical director of the center’s heart transplant program, told Reuters Health. “Even with other organs, repeat transplantation is very rare.” The second patient was a 45-year-old man with non compaction syndrome, a rare cardiac condition in which the heart assumes a sponge like appearance. The disease is progressive, and the man’s heart became more and more disabled despite the best medical therapy. According to Czer, the patient first went on the waiting list for a heart transplant in 2002 but he improved and came off the list for several years. About a year ago, his condition worsened and again he was placed on the list. Finding a suitable donor heart was complicated by the fact that the patient was a “very large man.” As Czer noted, “You can transplant a large heart into a smaller recipient, but not a small heart into a larger recipient.” Two months ago, the patient received a call from the transplant coordinator saying that a heart had become available. As it turned out, this organ had already been transplanted into one recipient who had died a week after the procedure from unrelated causes. There are a number of potential issues that arise with re transplantation, Czer noted. For one thing, the risk of rejection is heightened because the organ has now been exposed to tissue and antibodies from two different individuals. You can learn something everyday. God Bless 10th Sept 2007 I just this moment discovered this fact about the beginnings of the Transplant Olympic Games. The first “Transplant Olympics,” organized by British transplant surgeon Maurice Slapak, were held in Portsmouth, England in 1978. Approximately 100 kidney transplant recipients, representing over a dozen countries, gathered in Olympic fashion. In subsequent years, the Transplant Olympics were renamed the World Transplant Games and held in New York, Athens, Amsterdam, Singapore, Budapest, Vancouver and Manchester, each time increasing in size and visibility. Ol' Texas Bob Pitcock 4th July 2007 "While surfing the internet this evening I found this article I thought you may find interesting." Growing heart tissue for implantation is possible in six weeks says top heart surgeon
Professor Magdi Yacoub, the world's leading heart surgeon and Professor of Cardiac Surgery at Imperial College, based at the Heart Science Centre at Harefield Hospital has compiled the progress of his team and researchers worldwide for a special edition of the journal entitled 'Bioengineering the heart'. Professor Yacoub said: "Currently people suffering from heart valve disease can be treated with artificial replacement valves they do the job and save people's lives but they are far from perfect. Although there has been huge progress in developing mechanical replacements, they still work mechanically and not physiologically - they cannot match the elegant sophisticated functions of living tissues". The use of stem cells in cardiovascular tissue engineering has the potential to mend damaged valves or heart muscle, providing a like for like' match which would grow and repair in the same way as patient's own heart tissue, unlike a donor valve or artificial mechanical valve. "The ultimate goal is to produce off-the-shelf' products which will not cause an immune response from patients. This should be possible in the next five to eight years. Using stem cells rather than animal heart valves will reduce the risk of serious human disease caused by rejection."
Biological substitutes perform many additional sophisticated functions which can enhance heart muscle function, exercise capacity and quality of life. These could have important implications for the well being and survival of the patient. In order to achieve this, researchers in developmental biology, stem cell biology, immunology and tissue engineering need to work closely together. In 2005, over 15 million people died of cardiovascular disease it is one of the major causes of death and suffering in both the developed and developing countries and there is an urgent need for prevention and treatment. Ol' "Texas Bob" Pitcock ------- 13th May 2007 I have never heard of this before. Ol' Bob 29th April 2007 Yes, I have lived a wonderful life, but the most exciting part of my life has been the past 16 years post heart transplant. Very ironic, how being very close to death then being given the chance for a extended life, can truly open your eyes as to how precious life is. Life is a Gift of God and not meant to be taken lightly. The word L.O.V.E. is used in my conversations every day of my life since I have been given this Never wait 'til it is too late, to tell folks in your life that you love them, by golly. As long as St Peter keeps on dustin' off my "Welcome Mat", I will share my feelings with everyone that I come in contact with.
Too many folks take life for granted. There's only one ride on this "Merry-Go-Round" of life----------Make it count !!!!!!
23rd April 2007
My heart transplant pal Howard Little received a wonderful plaque from our Transplant Center here in Houston Texas celebrating his 20th year post heart transplant. Ol' Bob 22nd January 2007 Thank you all for keeping him in your prays, now lets hope and pray that he can return to a normal life. School, homework, exams, girlfriends, marriage, mortgage etc etc.. Please also say a pray for his donor and his donor family, we too feel your lose and are all truly grateful for your generous gift to Alex Ol' Bob |
Cape Town Two Oceans Ultra Marathon - 35miles (56km) 5hrs 46mins 52secs, and I enjoyed every step of the way chatting and making new friends as I went.
Transplant patient Jennifer Sutton visited the Wellcome Collection exhibition in London where the organ is being displayed.
Vinnie Said......
cover the next mile, and even at this pace we are over taking people. 
I had the great pleasure of chatting to Ron Hill at the expo centre on Friday when I picked up my race number, Ron signed my race number for me and gave me some last minute advice. 
on London Bridge and Sue Barker on the finish line. Sue has interviewed me six years running now, and is a great supporter of Transplantation. This year Sue said how amazed she was that I have now completed 6 London Marathons since transplant and that I must be a great inspiration to people on the transplant waiting list, she finished by saying see you next year...
Micky Byrne who's heart transplant photo's are on this website is 8years post transplant today, another 5years and he will be a teenager again. Well we all know what that means, acne and spots, followed by a bad attitude..
London 22nd April & Great Wall of China May 19th Marathons, yes in a moment of complete and utter madness I decided to take part in both of these marathons. I have already completed London Marathon 5 times and my intention now is to do it every year post transplant. Whereas China is going to be a hugh challenge, over 3700 steps and around 30degress with no or very little shade. This has been made possible by the generosity of our friends at Outback Steakhouse, as they have funded the trip. I will be the first heart recipient to take part in this event, so the idea as usual is to raise some positive transplant and donor awareness, which I hope will lead to people joining the organ donor register..
Registered Charity No 1106248 |