8:20am Monday 30th November 2009
Friends of a farmer whose life has been saved through a heart transplant are rallying to raise money for the hospital that treated him.
Martin Whitaker, from Bentham, was born 25 years ago with a congenital heart condition.
His main arteries were the wrong way round and he had corrective surgery on his first birthday.
All was well until May last year when he began to feel unwell. Doctors at the Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle found his heart was racing at 230 beats a minute – more than two-and-half times the normal resting rate.
He was stabilised, but told his only chance of long-term survival was a transplant.
Undeterred, he went ahead with his marriage to his fiancee, Jenn, just eight weeks later, on July 4 2008, and remained in good health until April this year when he went back to hospital for routine tests.
Doctors became concerned that his heart was failing rapidly and kept him in. He went straight on to the donor list and spent 88 days – including his first wedding anniversary – in hospital until a donor heart that mirrored his profile was found.
Martin said: “I was told it could be months, years, before a heart could be found because the doctors wanted to find a donor who was a similar weight, age etc.
“It was amazing when one was found so quickly. I still don’t know where it came from.”
The operation was a textbook success and within 12 days Martin was out of hospital and on the road to recovery.
Progress has been quick, too, because he is now back working with his father who runs Bowsber Farm, at Clapham.
Friends of Martin have organised a family race night on Friday, December 4, at Austwick Parish Hall where they will raise money for the hospital’s transplant department.
The event will also help highlight the importance of becoming a donor and already close family and friends have registered.
“It’s one of those things you don’t really think about until someone you know well needs an organ transplant,” said Martin. “A lot of people I know have got cards since I had my operation. They said they never even thought about it until I had this.”
The race night has been organised by former school friends at Lawkland Young Farmers’ Club.
Member Lucy Knowles said: “I went to school with Martin then we lost touch until a couple of years ago and I found out about how ill he was.
“The race night is for a great cause and we want as many people as possible to support it,” she said.
For more details or to buy tickets ring 07738922524.
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