EXPRESS The
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Locally owned and proudly independent
Lions proud as youth awarded
The Lions Club of Mareeba held their annual ‘Youth of the Year’ Quest last Saturday night, with Tiarne Reedy winning the competition. Pictured (from left to right) are: Mareeba Lions Club President Graham Sweeper, Tiarne Reedy, Kate Wilcox and ‘Youth of the Year’ Chairman Gilbert Teitzel. Turn to Page 2 for coverage of both Atherton and Mareeba’s ‘Youth of the Year’ events.
Greatest gift of all
By Justin Fris
A
Mareeba man has travelled to Sydney for a dual organ transplant, in a bid to return to a relatively healthy and hap py lifestyle. Damien Hughes, who has battled type two diabetes since the age of 21 (1995), has been through a significant amount of emotional and physical strain in recent times. “All my troubles really began in 2010, as my
“I was dialysing at home of a night,” he said. “A regime of 8 hours, 7 nights a week; and after five cases of peritonitis infections in two years it was time for some changes.” Fast forward to Valentine’s Day 2015 and Mr Hughes finally received a call he had been waiting extensively for. “A long awaited call came on Valentine’s Day morning from the transplant team at Westmead Hospital in Sydney; to say that it was my turn and matching organs had been donated,” he said.
eyesight began to fail,” he said. “It was found that I had early stages of retinopathy. “By 2012, I had a vitreous haemorrhage, which needed open eye surgery in Brisbane and follow up laser treatment and injections which have continued up until this day.” Mr Hughes’ plight took a turn for the worse in 2013, suffering kidney failure. After Peritoneal Dialysis was deemed the only option, he undertook a rigorous regime.
“I was told to immediately get to the airport and fly to Sydney, which I did without delay. “I was in theatre by 11pm for a six hour surgery. I was a little bit hazy on recovery but I felt different.” For mother Helen, Damien’s journey has been extremely consuming for the family, but they have been faultless in their support for him. “Before he was originally diagnosed, we
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