Grateful transplant recipient on a mission

AFTER receiving a life-changing organ donation, a Gillitts teenager is on a mission to register 50 000 new organ and tissue donors.

Matthew Legemaate was on the transplant list waiting for a heart and double lung transplant for almost seven years.

He had been listed as priority for a while but had been marked as urgent just a couple of weeks prior to receiving “the call” due to his rapidly deteriorating condition.

His 11-hour transplant procedure was done by Dr Kleinloog and his team at Busamed Gateway Private Hospital in Umhlanga last month.

ALSO READ: Matthew has a heart of ‘pure gold’

His mother, Janet, said Matthew’s transplant coordinator called him and asked him to please ask her to answer her phone. She said when she saw three missed calls from her, she just knew why the coordinator was calling and she was shaking even before she called her back.

“Once I had her on the phone I talked about anything but Matthew and she had to interrupt me twice to get me to listen to her say, “Janet we have a possible donor for Matthew”.

It was surreal and very hard to comprehend after waiting so long for the call. My motherly instinct kicked in quickly though and my heart broke for the family of the donor as I knew they must be going through an incredibly difficult time,” said Janet.

Matthew said he is excited about what the future holds for him.

He added that he feels really well and finds it amazing that he can now breathe so well without the aid of his portable concentrator. He has been on oxygen on a permanent basis since he was 13 years old.

Although the transplant has been successful, what is needed now is just the adjusting of his anti-rejection medication and for Matthew to recuperate and gain strength.

“He is basically in isolation for the next three to six months depending on how his body adjusts to the medication. Having a transplanted organ in your body requires constant management but you are effectively no longer ill,” said Janet.

She added that once Matthew is able to be integrated back into society, he will always need to be aware of germs and people who are ill around him but he can now plan to do all the things he wanted to and he has a future that he can look forward to.

When asked how he felt about having the opportunity to receive a life-changing donation, Matthew said he felt incredible as now he is able to live his life almost as normally as any other person his age, and he can start thinking about making his dreams a reality.

He hopes to study photography possibly at Vega School and travel. He also hopes to be able to incorporate his love of wildlife, cars and sport, particularly rugby and swimming, into his photography.

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Matthew said none of this would be possible if it wasn’t for his donor and donor’s family.

He said his message to his donor’s family is that their decision to donate their loved one’s organs has given him the gift of a second chance at life.

“I will be forever grateful and will cherish the gift I have been given.

“The gift you give as an organ and tissue donor is life-saving and life-changing and cannot be measured. Becoming an organ and tissue donor when you no longer need your organs is an incredible legacy to leave behind. In my eyes every donor is a hero,” said Matthew.

Armed with a new lease on life, Matthew’s short term goal is to grow the organ and tissue donor registry.

He has a website, www.hero777.co.za through which he wants to register 50 000 new organ and tissue donors.

He aims to focus on this next year while he completes his school leaving certificate.

His long term goal is to train to participate in future World Transplant Games.

The next World Transplant Games is in Newcastle, England in August 2019 and he hopes to go as a spectator if he is unable to qualify this time around because he has only recently received his gift.

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