Transplant patient out of hospital

Press, 11 June 1987, Page 16

Transplant patient out of hospital

PA Palmerston North

The Marton heart-lung transplant patient, Mrs Kay Burnett, has been released from Harefield Hospital and is living with her husband, lan, in their London flat The mother of two, aged 37, who left New Zealand for her heartlung transplant in February, said on Tuesday her heart and lungs were marvellous. “It is marvellous to be able to wake up and just breathe, and to be able to walk up the steps to the flat and not be gasping for breath at the top — it was something out of this world.”

Mrs Burnett, who suffered from emphysema, spent three months until mld-May waiting in London before an organ donor was found for her life-saving transplant.

Meanwhile, her condition deteriorated as she overcame several lung infections and hopes of securing an appropriate

donor looked slim. Mrs Burnett said she was relieved it was all over and she could look forward to getting home to her two daughters, Cherie and Melissa. The worst part had been waiting for the transplant. "If you knew what it was like, to spend every day looking down the line of death — it’s horrible. All you have to look forward to is death — nothing else — just darkness there,” she said. Harefield doctors gave the go-ahead on Monday for Mrs Burnett to leave hospital and complete her recovery at her flat. She will visit the hospital as an out-patient for checks and tests every two days.

Mrs Burnett said she was keen to get home but wanted to make sure she was fully recovered.

“I don’t want to rush things. If things go wrong, I would have to come right back and it is just such a long journey. I would rather make sure I am right first,” she said.