HEART REBUILT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 159, 18 April 1949, Page 2

HEART REBUILT

N.Z. “Blue Baby”

OPERATION IN LONDON (P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 17. A New Zealand “blue baby” case, Donald Jeffries, of Seatoun, returned home in the Mataroa. on Saturday after having had his heart taken out and rebuilt at Guy’s Hospital, London.

Twelve months ago Donald, then aged 15, could not run and-could walk only short distances without becoming out of breath and fatigued. Today he expects that within another 12 months he will be able to move about in almost the same manner as anyone else.

Heritage sent him to Britain to have the operation performed. His father, Mr Edward Jeffries, lost his> life in the recent Avar. Donald's mother went Avith her son to England to be with him during the time he Avaited for and recuperated from his operation, but she did not live to know it had been successfully performed. She became ill and died, 10 Aveeks before it took place. “All my life,” said Donald on Saturday. I had not been able to run at all and I couldn’t walk far without becoming terribly breathless and getting a burning feeling in my throat, I used to go ‘all dry.’ It avus through the Returned Services’ Association that Heritage lldUl'll about IH6, 011(1 they sent me to have a "blue baby operation. ' , “Mother and I left in February, 1948 I went first to Edinburgh, then to Guy’s Hospital. They told me there were tAVO kinds of operation for this trouble, one an American method and the other a British method. The American method is used in cases that are not the Avorst. It was that operation I Avas given. “The heart is taken out and rebuilt. They connect an artery from one arm to a lung, so that the blood gets enough oxygen to purify it. The trouble is caused originally by lack of oxygen in the blood. I had lots of tests and X-rays before the operation was begun. Afterwards I was paralysed on my right side, and they thought I could not walk again, but I recovered from ’that and they gave me another 12 months to get properly right.” Donald said he was most grateful to Heritage and to Guy’s Hospital for all that had been done for him. Noav he Avas looking fonvard to taking up a career. It Avas his ambition to become a projectionist in a cinema, ana he Avould be looking at once for a job.