It started with a phone call and ended with a new heart and a new liver. Kim, 35, was the first patient in the Netherlands to undergo a double organ transplant.
A smiling and lively woman is lying in bed in the Beatrixoord rehabilitation center in Haren. The unique operation was some time ago, here she is working hard on her return to society. Kim does not want to be the center of attention and therefore tells her story anonymously to RTV Noord.
She was born with a serious defect: the right part of her heart is missing. Because of this abnormality, her liver does not function properly either. At the age of 35, Kim’s condition has deteriorated to such an extent that intervention is necessary. “I could hardly do anything and often had to sleep. I also retained a lot of fluids. Working and other activities were no longer possible. My liver might last another three to five years.”
Her doctors believe that urgent action is needed. Kim is now in sufficient condition to undergo major surgery. She is on the list for a particularly complicated procedure, in which heart and liver are transplanted at the same time. We are waiting for a donor who can supply both organs.
“When I knew I was on the list, I already went to Beatrixoord to recuperate”, Kim looks back. “I wanted to be in the best possible condition for the major operation that awaited me. The phone call that there was a donor came very quickly, I did not expect that. I was shocked, I immediately packed my things, a little I panicked, actually. I was able to call my family and partner so that they could come to Groningen and then the ambulance came to pick me up. I had mixed emotions: I was happy that the organs were there, but I also found it very exciting .”