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FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015
36 PAGES
‘They found lungs for you’
After receiving new lungs, Richmond man held his daughters for first time in years
Frances Clark passed away last week.
Celebration of life planned for Frances Clark
by Matthew Hoekstra Staff Reporter
Cary Feldstein was thinking about his twin daughters and their lives without him. As his body grew weaker, the stress of leaving family behind grew stronger. Feldstein, diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age nine, was waiting for a double lung transplant. His body was shutting down. Before entering St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver last fall, he wondered if he’d taken his final breaths of outside air. But a few days into his stay—after nine months of waiting on B.C.’s transplant list—a nurse told Feldstein he was moving to Vancouver General Hospital. “They found lungs for you,” she told him. Today, the 37-year-old Steveston resident and software engineer is living proof that organ donation works. As activities marking organ donation awareness month of April come to a close, Feldstein is breathing with new lungs and getting stronger every day. He spends weekends playing with his seven-year-old daughters, Anna and Sophie, who recently walked by his side on the five-kilometre Transplant Trot April 12—an event that celebrates life after transplant and raises awareness about organ donation. B.C. doctors performed 348 organ transplants in the fiscal year of 2014-15—a record-breaking year for deceased organ donation in B.C. But need still outweighs available organs.
Cary Feldstein and his twin seven-year-olds Anna and Sophie, recently participated in the five-kilometre Transplant Trot. The Steveston resident had a double lung transplant last fall.
Nearly 500 British Columbians are on a wait-list for organ transplant, according to B.C. Transplant. Some organs that could give life to someone else are lost because the decision of the person isn’t known. That decision can easily be registered online with a personal health number. Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary and life-threatening disease that causes severe damage to the lungs and digestive system. One in every 3,600 children born in Canada has the disease, according to Cystic Fibrosis Canada. There is no cure. For Feldstein, life was fairly normal at an early age. He graduated high school, and then earned his
B.C. doctors performed 348 organ transplants in the fiscal year of 201415—a record-breaking year for deceased organ donation in B.C. But need still outweighs available organs. bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science at University of Victoria. But his health took a turn for the worse nearly 10 years ago, after being diagnosed with a danger-
ous lung bacteria. When treatment options began to run out Feldstein began tests to determine whether he was eligible for a lung transplant. Medical staff told him he was indeed a candidate, but the wait-list in B.C. was too long. He was referred to Toronto. “The thought of moving to Toronto—we just couldn’t comprehend how we’d afford it, how we’d manage it,” he said. “For a family of four, we felt we were really trapped.” But somehow the wait-list cleared, and his name vaulted to the top of B.C.’s list. Still, the wait was longer than expected, so when he was told lungs were available he felt disbelief. See Page 6
A celebration of life for Frances Clark will be held Wednesday, May 6 at Richmond Curling Club. Clark, the founder of Richmond Centre for Disability, died April 23 at age 80. Born in 1935, Clark was diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease, as an infant. She experienced dozens of bone fractures in her lifetime, but never let her disability hold her back. Clark became a champion for people with disabilities, and aimed to improve their lives any way she could. Yet she saw herself as a representative of the broader community. She spoke out on many issues—including emergency services—and was instrumental in founding five charities. She is a former chair of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce and was instrumental in getting the Richmond Caring Place built. Wednesday’s celebration of life is from 4 to 6 p.m. at the curling club, 5540 Hollybridge Way. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Richmond Centre for Disability (1005671 No. 3 Rd., Richmond B.C., V6X 2C7) are welcome. —Matthew Hoekstra
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