Another week or two and I would have been dead
Ricky Moate knew time digestive diseases and are the only was running out for couple in the world to be home-fed his life-saving bowel nutrients through an IV drip because transplant. But he had no neither could digest solid food. idea how close the ticking time bomb The pair became best friends in his abdomen was to killing him. growing up in neighbouring beds on a
Ricky, 34, was born with his bowels hospital ward, before falling in love 14 outside his body and had already years ago. But Ricky’s desperate wait undergone 66 major operations and for an organ donor threatened to end hundreds more minor surgeries. their remarkable romance.
It was only when a suitable donor Ricky and his doctors feared his IV was found in June and surgeons began drip could cause further damage to his operating that they found Ricky’s old veins, which were already blocked and bowel had already begun to die. scarred, leaving him too weak to
If Ricky had waited another two survive such major surgery. weeks for his transplant, he would be Ricky cannot reveal the exact date of dead. Instead, he is starting a new life his transplant under strict rules to with his wife and carer Lisa who also protect the donor’s identity. He got the suffers from a rare intestinal illness. call at 3.20am and raced 150 miles to
Ricky, from Sheffield, said: “We knew the Churchill Hospital in Oxford. there was a narrowing in He said: “I said goodbye my bowel, but we weren’t to Lisa before walking to aware it had closed off theatre on my own so I and my bowel had started could get in the right to die. frame of mind. It was such
“Having a transplant an emotional moment. We when I did saved my life. knew the transplant was a Another week or two, I gamble – there was a would have been dead.” chance I wouldn’t come
Ricky backed the Daily back, but I had no future Mirror’s Change the Law without it.” for Life in February to It took the surgical team prevent more needless two hours just to insert an deaths. Ricky after IV line, and the operation
He said: “Knowing how 18 hours of surgery lasted nearly 12 hours. close I was to dying has made this Soon after Ricky was rushed back in transplant more meaningful. It shows surgery for six hours because the graft why it’s so important that we have the surgeons used to rebuild his enough donor organs. abdomen was coming loose.
“An opt-out donor register is a huge Yet he stunned doctors by walking step, but it’s vital everyone on the just five days later. register makes sure their family knows He said: “I finally have a life to look their wishes. Organs get wasted forward to, something I could never do because families have to give before this. My donor permission while grieving and they are saved my life. That is an not aware what loved ones wanted.” incredible gift and I will
Ricky and Lisa both have crippling always be grateful.