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8--ThO Canadian Champion, Tuesday, June 8, 2004 Mauem.878-2881 Ui T Local man gets second chance at li*fe Mother donates teenaged son's heartfollowing tragic accident By STEPHANIE THIESSEN The Champion It's flot often someone can say he has corne face to face with an angel. But one Monday night just over a rnonth ago, when David Moorhouse knocked on a Cambridge door and looked mnto the eyes of an English wornan in ber fifties, he knew that's just what he was domng. There was no halo, cascade of curîs, or gentle glow. Juat a welI-worn face all-too-familiar wiUi tragedy, and kind cyca desperate for a measure of comfort. But Mr. Moorbouse, a long-time Milton resi- dent, wasn't about to be foolcd by this angels unlikcly appearance. He knew. It was to this woman's abundant gcnerosity Uiat Mr. Moorhouse owed bis life. It was to her son's untimely death Uiat Mr. Moorbouse owed cvcry beat of his beart. Literally. For juat over a year, Mr. Moorbouse has been living wiUi a ncw heart and a new lease on life. On April 27, 2003, Uic now 56-year-old reccivcd a beart transplant. And almoat a year 10 Uic day later, in April, be fmnally bad Uic opportunity to say what no words could to Christine Gucat, who made Uic ultimate sacnifice of organ donation after ber I 5-year-old son died in a tragic accident. Mr. Moorbouses story - one he shares as a tribute to Ms Gucat - began six years ago when Uic accountant and faUier of four sons auffered a massive stroke. Glancing at her husband acrosa Uic kitchen table, KaUiy Moorbouse described bow Uic stroke made it impossible for Mr. Moorbouse to talk or even awallow for tbree monUis. His food was administered tbrougb a tube, and he was confmned to a wheclchair. Unbcknownst to Uie couple at Uie time, Uic stroke was a blessing in disguise, Ma Moorbouse said, because further testa alcrtcd Uicm to bis enlarged beart. About tbrec years after the troke, Mr. Moorbouse was sent to Uic hospital after gaining about 25 pounda of water in five days. Doctors kncw be bad an enlarged bcart, but didn't realize bow serious the situation bad become. Photo by GRAHAM PAINE David and Kathy Moorhouse trled desperately to contact the woman who agreed ta donate her son's heart. After a lot of dlgglng, they were successful. Almost imrnediatcly, Mr. Moorhouse was put on Uic list for a heart transplant. WiUiout it, he would die. "Almoat 30 per cent of people die waiting," Ms Moorhouse said. Two years and Uree monUis passed. He was admitted to Toronto General Hospital in mid- April Iast ycar - Uic day after Valentines Day, bis wifc notcd. There wasn't anything doctors could do - juat try to keep hlm alive a little bit longer, she said. "I airnoat died," Mr. Moorhousc said in bis characteristically soft voice. To make matters worsc, i. Moorbouses bos- pitalization came during Uic SARS outbrcak, meaning Uiere wcre no visita allowcd betwccn Uic couple who had been rnarried for ncarly a quarter-century. Then came Uic news. A bcart was waiting. "I cant say Uiat 1 was ccstatic, because 1 (knew) someone cIsc was mouming," Ms Moorbouse aaid, explainîng sbe kncw Uie donor's deaUi was probably uncxpccted because bearta for transplanta dont norrnaly corne from patienta wiUi lengtby iilnesses. "I felt a sense of sadness and loss, but 1 kncw Dave was getting a chance to live." On April 27, Mr. Moorbouse got bis new beart. The old one was four times larger Uian it should have been, lic noted. As Mr. Moorhousc regained his strength and bis body began to corne to life once more, Uic circumstances surrounding Uic dcath of Uic heartas former owner began to unravel - but not witbout more than a little digging by the Moorhouscs, wbo despcrately wanted to give Uicir due appreciation to Uic person who had agrecd to donate Uic organ. It didn't bappen easily. To pmotect boUi ides involved, naines of transplant givera and receivers are kept anonymous. One of Uic nurses had said Uic beart came from Hamilton, so Ms Moorbouse scoured Uic local newspapcr, looking to sec what migbt bave hap- pcncd. She read an article about a boy falling frorn a moving van, but Uiought little of it. She carefully put away Uic paper and forgot about what she'd read, abe aaid. Then Uic Moorbousea reccived a letter, wiUi no retumn address, frorn Ma Gucat. In accordance witb regulations, a mediator had blackcd out ber and ber sons naines before mailing it. Wbat hadn't been blacked out, Ms Moorbouse said, was a fine about thc writcr's son failing to bis deaUi out of a moving van. Ms Moorhouse said abe remernbcred Uic newspaper article, wbich atiil lay in a fling cal> inet in Uiir borne. "Wben 1 read Uic letter, my beart broke for ber," Ms Moorbouse aaid. "Wben abe said lier son feil out of the van, 1 knew rigbt away (it was bis beart). I pulied out tbe paper, wbich was fold- cd open to that article." The Moorbouses went tbrougb obituaries and gatbered more newspapcr articles. Like puzzle pieces falling togetber, tbe couple eventually found out that Robert Guest was a teenager in custody at a Cambridge correctional facility. On tbe way back from a Blue Jays game some of the youths were taken to, Robert and bis fricnds decidcd to attempt an escape. As the van drove along Hwy. 8 Robert opcncd tbe door and jumped. He <ied tbe next day from bcad injuries. Ms Moorbouse e-mailcd tbe funeral borne and was put in touch - directly, without a third party ensuring anonymity - witb tbe woman witb wbom thc couple soon found tbemselves face to face. I had mixcd emotions," said Ms Guest of thc pcriod juat before tbe meeting. "AIl I could think was 'Robcrt's coming home."' Wben Ms Guest answered thc door knock and saw Mr. Moorbouse for tbe first tinie, sbe said she felt overwbelmed. I had funny ideas, like 'I wonder if heli know where bis bedroom is.' I juat kcpt staring and tbinking 'Wbat a miracle it is that my son's beait is now in you."' Ms Gucat said she knew this meeting was meant to be. "Part of Robert is in him (Mr. Moorhouse). Maybe it was bis heart Uiat was making him fmnd me," sbcsaid. Thc group soon diacovered some startling aita- ilarities between Mr. Moorbouse and Robert. T'hey were boUi bom in St. Catharines and had both been adopted, Robert by Ms Guest, his grandmotber. The Moorbouses thcn saw a pboto of Robert - an emotional moment, they said. I looked at it, and fclt almost like 1 had fallen in love. 1 love this boy," Ms Moorbouse said. "Maybe tbat's wby Uiey don't encourage meet- ing," sbe said, rcfcmrng to thc torrent of emo- tions that swept over ber. For Ms Guest, it was Uic fulfilkment of a desire she'd bad for more Uian a ycar. I wantcd to feel my sons beart beat one more tome."1 As be continues to recover from bis stroke, Mr. Moorhouae said bes now back at work part time. Althougb be cnjoys woaicing, be said belIl neyer again be Uic workabolic he was before ic trans- plant. HMs famnily and Uic beart bes safeguarding - he docant view it as bis own - are bis main concerna. "After Uic stroke, I sbifted my priorities to make sure my family comes fast." Stephanie Thiessen can be reached at sthiessen@miltoncanadianchampion.com. ýYCOGECQ Cogeco Cable Programming Schedule - Tuesday, june 8 - Monday, June 14, 2m0 1~iI Iocl deison Channel 14 w .C g c . 5pn 6pm Ptggd II 5p.., fp. Ploggd lIn 5pm Spn Plogg. 111 Sin, 6pm Plgpd il 400pm 7Vcog.o Sports: 5,0 VCpoSps 5pOp Pb>gged In o£735,. EarIy Wek Edlflon Eary Woa£ Ed4S, à£730 P. Eaty Week Edition & 7:30ç.. Lt Wwk EdItim Sr M010s 5,8£ Sr Mn'$ Bs0ag £7:350 Lte tWe,&515. NORTH HALON STUDIO 5:sos.. Srlo.. Slooooo 530prn PPsÇSp,.& in oa. Sap. &,ot,.. 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