Without a Transplant, They'll Die

Added: Wed May 14th 9:04am
Posted in: Conditions & Diseases

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Several ago Ardell Lein was sleeping 18 hours a day. He was so weak he had to crawl up the steps to his bedroom.  "I couldn't even help my wife carry groceries into the house," he remembers.

Ardell suffered from congestive heart failure and when his health took a dramatic turn for the worst, he was rushed to a hospital to await a transplant. While waiting, he suffered kidney damage and doctors told him he also needed a new kidney.

Ardell and his wife knew he might never return home. The odds were against him. Every day, 18 Americans die waiting for an organ that never arrives. Ardell was one of the lucky ones. He was near death when a donor was found. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic quickly transplanted the organs from a 22-year-old into his failing body.

Six months later, Ardell put a new roof on his house. He felt so good and so thankful that he wanted to a major statement. There was no microphone big enough for what he wanted to say. What Adrell needed was a small boat, a lot of determination and the blessings of his wife.  He looked around and realized he already had all three.

In May of 2005, with the odds against him once again, Ardell set out in his 27-foot boat to circumnavigate the globe.  "I wanted to show the world how one life was changed for the better because of a generous, heroic organ donor," he says.

During his trip, Ardell crossed the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. He survived tropical storms and blistering heat. 17 grueling months later, at the age of 71, he completed his voyage of over 31,000 nautical miles, becoming the world's first heart and kidney transplant patient to sail solo around the world.  Dr. Brooks Edwards, his cardiologist, was there when Ardell sailed into the San Diego Harbor.  "He's done precisely what we want our patients to do after transplantation — to get back in the fast lane and continue the activities that are important to them. He represents the triumph of the human spirit."

Growing Bolder spoke with Ardell on the phone from his home in Caledonia, Minnesota. He got choked up when asked about his donor's family.  "My donor's mother read about me in her local paper and, bursting with pride, told a friend,  'that man took my son's heart around the world.'  She got my number and we had a very nice conversation."    

Ardell says his long distance sailing days are over. "The trip served its purpose. It's given me a platform to talk about the importance of signing an organ donor card."  Without missing a beat, Ardell stepped onto that platform. "Did you know there are nearly 100,000 men, woman and children on the national organ waiting list and every 13 minutes a new name is added to the list?  Without a transplant, they'll die. With a transplant, they can sail around the world."  

A grateful 71-year-old man with a 25-year-old heart is a powerful combination.

Listen to Ardel Lein's Growing Bolder Interview
Watch Video on Double Lung Transplant Recipient Reuben McDonald