For patients waiting for a heart transplant, the IJN Foundation offers financial help to buffer the costs
THE heart is, without a doubt, one of the most vital organs in the human body. Should the heart fail us, it becomes extremely challenging to carry on with our lives.
When that happens, the only form of treatment is a heart transplant, where the diseased heart is replaced with a donor’s healthy heart.
There are several factors that are hurdles to a successful transplant. Patients must be assessed on their suitability for a transplant. If suitable, they will be placed onto the waiting list until a matching donor becomes available.
Sadly, some die waiting. For the lucky few, there is the crippling cost of treatment to worry about.
This is where the IJN Foundation,the charity arm of the National Heart Institute of Malaysia steps in to lend a helping hand. Established in 1995, its mandate is to raise funds to provide financial aid for heart patients to undergo surgeries or procedures through its Patient Assistance Programme.The annual outlay on this programme is roughly RM4 million and to-date, about 2,000 patients have benefitted.
BENEFICIARIES
One of the early beneficiaries of this programme is Albert Gunaratnam, 68, who suffered a severe heart attack in 1996. It led to heart failure.
After two years of seeking treatment in three hospitals, including one in India where he was told his chances of a donor heart was slim, Albert clung on to hope despite depleting funds.
Although he was one of only five per cent of the world population with AB+ blood, he fought to live for his family. He went to IJN on referral, where he was assessed and registered on the organ donor waiting list. Miraculously within a fortnight, a suitable donor organ became available and he successfully underwent a heart transplant in April 1998.
The IJN Foundation bore all medical expenses, from the transplant to his medication. Albert is currently the longest surviving heart transplant patient in the country and is a testament to the outstanding team at IJN, the generosity of Malaysians and the will to survive.
Another beneficiary is Mazlan Hassan, 55. Unlike Albert, Mazlan’s cause of heart failure was never known.
In 2000, he suffered persistent symptoms of extreme exhaustion. He was referred to IJN. The cardiologists informed him that his heart was failing and the best treatment was a heart transplant.
His condition deteriorated while waiting for a donor. Mazlan desperately wanted to be well and to be able to lie down without feeling like he was drowning. He also suffered appetite loss and a string of other side effects. It was eight agonising months before he received news of a matching donor.
“I wondered why I was ‘chosen’ to suffer out of the millions of people out there. I neither smoked nor drank.I was so weak and lethargic all the time while waiting for a donor. Work was out of the question,” he said.
“My wife was my pillar of support throughout the ordeal. Money and cost of treatment was foremost on my mind. I am very grateful to IJNF for funding my treatments. I remember reading at that time that a transplant could cost upwards of RM150,000.
“After the transplant, I regained some normalcy in my life and I could do the things I used to do such as cycling. I do not have any more trouble eating or sleeping.”
Mazlan’s parting advice to the transplant hopefuls is to never skip taking their medication.
He currently takes 17 pills a day. He also says disaster turns a blind eye to circumstances and can strike anyone, so it is important that people lead as healthy a lifestyle as possible, with exercise and healthy eating.
Albert and Mazlan are two of the 25 heart transplant operations that IJN has done so far.
To continue its programmes, IJNF depends on corporations to raise funds such as the ongoing QL Good Heart Campaign.
Upon successfully raising RM100,000 this year, the campaign by the leading egg producer in the region would have contributedRM275,000 to IJN to help patients in need.
HEART HEALTH
According to IJN senior consultant cardiothoracic surgeon Datuk Dr. Mohamed Ezani Md. Taib, the heart’s function is to pump blood to provide oxygen to our entire body.
“Heart failure develops over time as the heart muscles weaken and it means that the heart is no longer functioning adequately to provide enough blood flow and supply to various parts of the body,”
The causes of heart failure that needs transplant are:
1. End stage Ischemic Heart Disease
2. End stage Valvular Heart Disease
3. End stage Congenital Heart Disease
4. Idiopathic Cardiomyopathy
Risk factors for getting heart diseases can be classified into two categories: Non-modifiable and modifiable. Genetics and family history of heart disease fall under the former while lifestyle and diet, the latter.
For modifiable factors, we have a degree of control over our food choices to avoid the risk of diabetes and high cholesterol.
There are also medicines to help control risk factors such as hypertension and cholesterol.
“Stress and lack of exercise also play its role in causing heart disease. Nowadays, people lead sedentary lives, sitting at their desks most of the time at work, driving around and taking elevators and escalators instead of the stairs, which culminate in reduced physical activity,” he says.
It is a myth that women are not at risk of developing heart diseases due to their hormones. We advise people to go for regular medical check-ups, especially those with a family history of heart disease,to help mitigate the risks.”
HEALTHY EATING
IJN Dietetics and Food Service senior manager Mary Easaw says that Malaysians seem to overlook their overall calorie intake; not just on food, but drinks as well.
“We are spoilt for choice, with an abundance of food and drinks. The calorie contents in drinks, such as milkshakes and sweetened juices, are extremely high and this can lead to obesity,” she says.
To reduce the risk of not just heart disease but illness in general,we should adopt proper, healthy eating habits.
“The simplest method would be to adhere to the plate model for food portion control formula to apportion meals. Fill half the plate with fruits and non-starchy vegetables, a quarter of the plate with lean protein and the remainder with carbohydrates such as rice, noodles and spaghetti, emphasising on whole grains such as brown rice or whole meal breads. Drinks such as plain tea or black coffee without sugar are acceptable but water is best,” she says.
“Another principle to follow is to consume food in the colours of the rainbow. In addition to green vegetables, we should also eat coloured ones such as carrot, purple cabbage and yellow capsicum. More colours mean more antioxidants and vitamins. Everything must be consumed in moderation and proper portions.”
Adequate sleep is also vital.Sleep patterns affect the ability of our bodies to replenish and regenerate cells.