.mt6 .hm3 .h1Grayson Enterprises, Ltd. Firs N Seria Rights .h2Pag #. Copyrigh 1989 .h31,055 words MARI ORTIZ HEAR TRANSPLAN SURVIVOR Writte an photographe b Jun Grayson I November 1988 tw tee-ag classmate fro Clement Hig Schoo i Chicag la dyin i th intensiv car uni o Illinoi Masoni Hospital Aur Rodrigue ha rar neurologica diseas tha woul soo prov fatal Mari Orti ha en-stag hear diseas cause b cardiomyopathy diseas o th hear muscle Withou ne heart sh ha n hop o survival He doctor ha alread place he nam o waitin lis fo dono heart. Aur Rodgrigue di di las November bu he health hear di no Auri' mothe ca tak comfor i knowin tha th deat o he belove daughte brough bette lif t someon else Becaus o the ultimat gif th donatio o health hear Mari Orti no live throug th miracl o orga transplan surgery Mari Orti wa bor o Puert Rica parent i Chicag i 1970 norma baby seve pounds te ounces Sh doe no kno th caus o th hear diseas tha develope whe sh wa si month old "Eve sinc then ha t tak Lanoxi fo m wea hear bu coul d everythin th othe kid coul do, Mari says Sh finishe he sophomor yea i hig schoo an alway go goo grades Algebr wa he favorit subject. Whe sh becam pregnan i September 1987 sh qui school Sh wa to wea t walk Sh ha difficult breathing He doctor sai th physica stres o pregnanc wa to muc fo he heart " coul hav ha a abortion neve eve considere that wante t hav th baby. Delila Mari weighe fou pound whe sh wa bor i June 1988 Sh ha t b i a incubato fo thre weeks Maria' mothe an tw sister care fo th bab becaus Mari wa to sick "Eve afte deliver m hear staye bad ha t hav gal bladde surger i July wen i an ou o th hospita wit headaches weaknes an shortnes o breath. Anothe emergenc hospita admissio o Novembe 4 1988 foun he nea death Th helples mother o th tw dyin girl me tha Novembe i th hospita waitin room Becaus Auri' mothe ha opte fo orga donation mechanica respirato continud Auri' hear an lun functio eve afte al brai functio ha irrevocabl cease an sh wa legall dead Withou oxygen bod organ deteriorat swiftl an canno b use fo orga transplants Carme Geliga Maria' mother praye fo miracle " coul no brin mysel t com righ ou an as th othe mothe fo he daughter' heart Tha woul hav bee to cruel. Auri' mothe mad he ow decision " wan t donat m daughter' hear s you daughte ca g o living, sh tol Gelig. Nationally Th Unite Networ fo Orga Sharin matche availabl transplan organ wit list o waitin recipients "Th hospita di no follo th usua protoco for this patient, Candic Wyberg orga procuremen coordinato explained "Th mothe ha specificall designate tha Mari wa t receiv th hear an ma hav change he min i he reques ha no bee followed. Doctor determine tha th hear woul b goo matc fo Maria Bloo type wer compatible Aur di no hav a communicabl diseas suc a hepatiti o AID. Th tw girl wer transferre t th Universit o Illinoi Hospita fo th procedure Tw orga transplan team heade b Dr Windso Ting cardia transplan surgeon an Dr Pedr de Nido pediatri cardia surgeon worke i adjoinin surgica room t remov th health hear fro Aur an inser i int Maria' chest Incredibl a i ma see t outsiders surgeon n longer conside hear transplantatio technicall difficul procedure Th few bloo vessel tha hav t b connecte ar larg and easily sutured. Live transplan surgery b comparison involve man smal bloo vessel an i no ye a successfu a hear transplan surgery Dr de Nid observes "Surviva statistic fo hear transplan patient ge bette ever year Chicag eve ha workin surgeo wh ha hi ow cardia transplan surger thirtee year ago. Th Universit o Illinoi Hospita di seventee cardia transplan i 198 an fiftee o the survive Al ar doin well Mari wa th secon younges patien t hav hear transplan t th Universit o Illinois. Approximatel 15 medica center i th Unite State no perform hear transplants Ninet percen wil surviv on yea an sixt fiv percen fiv years Accordin t Su Miller R N. transplan coordinato a th Universit o Illinois Chicago "Patient d no alway achiev a idylli existence Sometime the jus exchang on se o problem fo another Ye mos patient thin th gambl i worthwhile. Orga rejectio remain lif-lon concern Accordin t newspape reports suc rejectio wa contributed to th recen deat o Donn Ashlock anothe hear transplan patien i Patterson California Mari take seve medicine daily amon the cyclosporin t preven orga rejectio an a antibioti t preven infections Sh mus retur t th hospita ever fou week indefinitel fo ou-patien evaluatio. Medica researcher hope t develo totall artificia implantabl heart Suc hear woul avoi th dange o orga rejectio an mak liv orga transplant obsolete Fo now th presen artificia hear serve a bridg machin t kee hear patient aliv unti dono hear become available. Fo Maria th miracl continues " fel bette righ away hav mor energ an ca d everything." He mother wh too si-mont leav o absenc t hel Maria ha returne t work Mari ha move int he ow apartment " ca d m ow housework tak car o m baby W tak lon walks" Sh plan t retur t nigh schoo t ge he hig schoo diploma Sh woul lik career o a leas b abl t ge any work at all. Sh dream o bette lif fo he daughter littl Delila Marie " hop tha sh wil hav goo education career an happ marriage. Sh dream fo herself " hop tha th res o m lif wil b easie tha i ha bee s far. ##### Fo mor informatio abou orga sharing cal 1-80 2 DONOR, th 2 hou numbe o UNOS Th Unite Networ Fo Orga Sharing.