Ruth’s selfless gift of life
Without even knowing it, Ruth Fozard gave a selfless gift of life when she died in January.
Ruth died suddenly following a cerebral brain haemorrhage. Her husband Michael and family were in shock.
But, they had an opportunity to ensure Ruth could continue to give a gift of life through organ donation.
June 15 would have been Ruth’s 70th birthday. In celebration of her life, Michael wanted to share his last journey with her in the hope it will inspire others to consider organ donation.
Ruth and Michael had more than 55 years together. As with all marriages, he said they had their good times and bad.
“The sudden death of Ruth was a shock but an awakening to the fragility of life and it’s unpredictability,” he said.
Michael and Ruth, who own Fozigobble Café in Yarragon, had been to an appointment with their bookkeeper on January 16.
At 4.15pm Ruth began to feel unwell. She had some pain in her head and was finding it hard to communicate.
Michael rang triple zero and an ambulance arrived within 10 minutes. She was taken to West Gippsland Hospital where she underwent brain scans.
By 6pm, the emergency department doctor explained to Michael there was nothing they could do to save Ruth - the bleed in the brain was too massive for any chance of survival.
“After some minutes the doctor asked me about my feelings on organ donation. Under the circumstances I immediately said that I would.
“Ruth and I had discussed the subject on a number of occasions and we both saw it as a great gift for a person. But like many we had not registered our interest or desire to be organ donors,” he said.
Ruth was transferred to St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne to allow for the organ donation process.
Michael sat with Ruth. “The hardest thing was that as I was sitting at the bedside, Ruth was on a ventilator and was breathing and her body was warm.”
“Looking at her I felt that she was just asleep. It was now Friday 17th January and it had been a roller coaster ride.”
The Donor Life personnel met with Michael to explain the process and support him through the next stage of his journey.
“As time went on I was reflecting on our life together and the good times and the challenging times.
“Ruth was my “rock” and she never gave up on me but sadly I was now in a position of confusion. All I could do was hold her hand and hope in some way we were still connecting.
The operation to remove her organs was scheduled for the following day.
“The care and understanding of all the staff at the hospital was amazing and very supportive of my state of mind.
“I was fortunate in that I was still able to hold her hand, see her breathing and run my fingers through her hair. It was a long goodbye, but then the time arrived for me to say farewell to a great person and one that gave everything to me and the world at large,” he said.
So began Michael’s next experience with Donor Life and the process that followed.
Shortly after, he received a letter from the group thanking him and the family for the gift to a number of recipients. Also included was a print of Ruth’s hand and two lockets of her hair.
The letter thanked them for Ruth’s gift of organ and tissue donation.
“On behalf of these recipients and their families, we would like to once again thank you and your family for your kindness and generosity in providing the opportunity of improved health and quality of life through the gift of organ and tissue donation.
The adult lady who received Ruth’s liver is making a slow but steady recovery and remains in hospital. She has weathered a few setbacks but remains extremely grateful to Ruth and your family for your generosity
“Ruth’s corneas were donated to two adult women who lived with severe vision impairment. They are both now doing very well and are extremely grateful for the gift of restored sight and for the ability to lead a life free from the restrictions of impaired vision,” the letter said.
The letter gave Michael and his family comfort. Donate Life regularly contact him, to check in on him and provide ongoing support.
“It is a simple process to give the gift to those in need and you will also reap the benefits of such a decision.
“Life can be uncertain but we can all make it better and longer in, other ways – registering to be a donor is one such incredible way of achieving this,” Michael said.