Mike's New Lungs!
Michael Mackay is raising money for Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals Charity
“Mike Mackay's fundraising”
on 27 October 2010
Story
What's it all about?
On 23rd September 2007, I underwent a 7.5 hour operation to have a double lung transplant, prior to that I was bed-bound and on a ventilator 24/7. I'd been in The Royal Brompton Hospital for seven months and had been in a wheelchair for half a year beforehand.
The reason being is that I have Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetically inherited illness that affects the lungs and digestive system. Today there still is no cure, although the advances of Gene Therapy are continuing at an incredible rate and in a few years things will hopefully start to change.
4 years ago the doctors told me I was considered "End stage" and was given a terminal prognosis, meaning that statistically I wasn't supposed to live for more than 12-18 months; my only chance for survival was a transplant. My health deteriorated pretty quickly and as such I was taken in to hospital indefinitely. I was put on the Transplant waiting list and told I had to do the best I could to hang on. This was fine except the average waiting time on the transplant list is ~2 years. My weight dropped to 6.5 stone and I stopped breathing 4 times - each time the doctors weren't expecting me to pull through. It was then that I was marked as a UK priority. I wasn't expected to see Christmas that year but on the night of September 22nd I was told that a donor had been found. A few hours later, I was going in to surgery.
Because of the unfortunate death of a younger male whose amazing decision it was to opt-in to the UK Organ Donor register, I'm here today living the life I never thought I'd be able to lead. I don't know anything about my donor but I'll always have incredible gratitude and amazing respect for him and his family - he's the reason I'm here today.
In recognition of the amazing work and care given to me at The Royal Brompton Hospital, Beautiful Events & I are raising as much money as possible at our very own Christmas island packed full of fun, frolics and hula! A top London DJ will be playing the very best of the 80s, 90s and 00s music until late - the perfect soundtrack to a Christmas Beach party!
Your donations will help improve the care other patients with Cystic Fibrosis receive, and will also go towards providing facilities for inpatients during their stays. Patients are often in for 2-3 weeks at a time; if not more. The amazing team on Foulis ward are continually doing everything they can to make daily living bearable and creating a home from home.
I've been lucky enough to benefit from the overwhelming kindness of others, now it's my turn to raise money and awareness that will help people at the hospital today.
On 23rd September 2007, I underwent a 7.5 hour operation to have a double lung transplant, prior to that I was bed-bound and on a ventilator 24/7. I'd been in The Royal Brompton Hospital for seven months and had been in a wheelchair for half a year beforehand.
The reason being is that I have Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetically inherited illness that affects the lungs and digestive system. Today there still is no cure, although the advances of Gene Therapy are continuing at an incredible rate and in a few years things will hopefully start to change.
4 years ago the doctors told me I was considered "End stage" and was given a terminal prognosis, meaning that statistically I wasn't supposed to live for more than 12-18 months; my only chance for survival was a transplant. My health deteriorated pretty quickly and as such I was taken in to hospital indefinitely. I was put on the Transplant waiting list and told I had to do the best I could to hang on. This was fine except the average waiting time on the transplant list is ~2 years. My weight dropped to 6.5 stone and I stopped breathing 4 times - each time the doctors weren't expecting me to pull through. It was then that I was marked as a UK priority. I wasn't expected to see Christmas that year but on the night of September 22nd I was told that a donor had been found. A few hours later, I was going in to surgery.
Because of the unfortunate death of a younger male whose amazing decision it was to opt-in to the UK Organ Donor register, I'm here today living the life I never thought I'd be able to lead. I don't know anything about my donor but I'll always have incredible gratitude and amazing respect for him and his family - he's the reason I'm here today.
In recognition of the amazing work and care given to me at The Royal Brompton Hospital, Beautiful Events & I are raising as much money as possible at our very own Christmas island packed full of fun, frolics and hula! A top London DJ will be playing the very best of the 80s, 90s and 00s music until late - the perfect soundtrack to a Christmas Beach party!
Your donations will help improve the care other patients with Cystic Fibrosis receive, and will also go towards providing facilities for inpatients during their stays. Patients are often in for 2-3 weeks at a time; if not more. The amazing team on Foulis ward are continually doing everything they can to make daily living bearable and creating a home from home.
I've been lucky enough to benefit from the overwhelming kindness of others, now it's my turn to raise money and awareness that will help people at the hospital today.