Heart transplant recipient back on the bike in honour of donor

An athlete with a history of heart problems is preparing for the Amashova, a 106km cycle race, to honour the incredible gift of life he received.

Ten years ago, Billy Macleod was living the life, having completed 10 Iron Mans, participated in major cycling races, and was proud of his remarkable fitness.

But his world took an unexpected turn when he began to feel exhausted and noticed irregularities in his health.

With a low heart rate, Macleod was booked into a hospital, where his entire life was about to be turned on its head.

He had a pacemaker fitted, which served him well.

Macleod was eager to get back to his passion and got back to riding and racing once again.

He started his own business centred on his passion for cycling and provided transport for competitor bikes at all the major events.

Then, in 2016, he began to notice new changes in his health.

“I started getting exceptional headaches and suffering from blackouts. On one of my trips, I even had a blackout while I was driving,” he told Rekord ahead of the spinning class he presented at Rooihuiskraal Virgin Active.

A diagnosis revealed an unusual case of sarcoidosis, a condition that typically affects the lungs but had taken hold of his heart.

Macleod faced numerous medical interventions, including the fitting of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) he named Thumper.

This device, while keeping him alive, delivered painful shocks: “It gives you a wallop that is just excruciating.”

From 2016 to 2022, Macleod endured two strokes and two flat lines, coming back to life each time, thanks to Thumper.

In April 2022, he underwent multiple abrasions to address the heart’s “short circuits” but the situation was growing dire.

“I spoke to my family, and I told them that I wanted to switch off the machines,” Macleod said.

By August, his heart’s condition had worsened, and the ICD battery neared its limit.

With just one shock left, the doctors prepared to send him home with medication and plans for a new device.

“In total, I had about 27 hours of abrasions done on my heart. I made peace with it that it was unlikely that I would get a heart in time.”

Macleod waited in hospital for five days, before he finally got the call he had been waiting for.

“I got a phone call from my wife that afternoon. They’ve found a match!

“The very next day I went straight in.”

Doctors explained that the operation came with many risks: “They were very honest with me, they said it was a 50/50 chance.

“The hardest part was sitting on that bed, saying goodbye to my family,” Macleod said about the moments before the transplant surgery.

The eight-and-a-half-hour surgery was a great success, with his new heart fitting perfectly. Just three hours after surgery he was sitting up in bed and speaking with his family and doctors.

“I made a promise to my donor to make use of this good heart, and that as soon as I feel up to it, I would go out for a ride. This was in September. In January I went out for my first ride.”

On his decision to do the Amashova, Macleod said he didn’t want his story to just be about the personal journey but a call to action.

“There is just such a shortage of organ and tissue donors, and I wanted to drive the cause and bring awareness. You know, we often think that these issues just affect older people, but it can affect all of us, all ages.

“To save so many lives, seven organs can save seven lives. If it wasn’t for my donor, I wouldn’t be here today. My donor donated everything, so he saved a whole lot of lives. His legacy will live on in us,” Macleod concluded.

To learn more about organ and tissue donation and contribute to this vital cause, visit www.hero777.co.za or www.odf.org.za.

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