Transplant recipients deliver sincere thanks, popcorn to LGH staff
Listening to double-lung transplant recipient Margaret Benson tell Lions Gate Hospital staff about her recent trip to South Africa to compete in the World Transplant Games, it’s impossible not to get misty eyed.
“I’ve wanted to go to Africa and see an elephant ever since I was three years old,” she says, her face flush with excitement from her recent travels. Even though she celebrated the 14th anniversary of her life-saving gift of two new lungs earlier this week, it’s obvious she ‘s still in awe of what she received all those years ago, taking her from a life of suffering with Cystic Fibrosis to one where she’s the world record holder in the Games’ Race Walk event.
It’s her ability to communicate her appreciation — not only to organ donors but to hospital staff that make the whole process possible — that had such an obvious effect on LGH staff as they listened to her words of heartfelt thanks during this year’s Operation Popcorn on Wednesday.
Orchestrated by the BC Transplant Society, Operation Popcorn is an annual event that offers health care staff a visible reminder of the impact their work can have for some patients. Like Chris Bond, who lives a happy life on the North Shore more than 27 years after receiving a heart transplant. Without a new heart, Chris wouldn’t have been at LGH, sharing news about his participation in previous World Transplant Games and thanking staff for their efforts and the difference it can make in cases like his.
Operation Popcorn also brings about a happy reunion for past patients like Carol Balderston, who spent more than a year on the 4th floor at LGH, being treated for liver issues while awaiting a transplant. Eight years later, the warmth and affection that she has for the care staff who played such a big role in her life during that year is palpable, the hugs genuine.
As an ongoing supporter of Operation Popcorn, LGH Emergency physician Dr. Chestnut was one of Margaret’s favourite thank-you targets, donning her three Games medals at Margaret’s request. While the delicious popcorn — delivered in individually wrapped bags for infection control safety — doesn’t last long, the sentiments behind this annual program are designed to last a lifetime.
For more information on Operation Popcorn, or organ transplantation, contact the BC Transplant Society at www.transplant.bc.ca
Liver transplant recipient, Carol Balderston (right), had a happy reunion with Shastine Hudson, one of the nurses she grew to know well during a one-year stay at LGH while she received treatment for her liver and awaited a transplant.