Hickey among oldest living heart transplant recipients in Canada
No one thought Guy Hickey would live to see his 60th birthday.
He suffered several heart attacks and had congenital heart failure. His doctor told him he was too old and sick for a heart transplant.
His funeral was planned, a priest visited his hospital bedside and his children began the grieving process.
But a young boy, a tragic accident and modern medicine saved Hickey's life.
Now the man, who everyone calls Buddy, has another reason to celebrate - he's believed to be one of the oldest living heart transplant recipients in Canada.
"The scar is right down the centre of my chest," Hickey said from his home in Lincoln. "I've got a pretty good ticker in there now."
Hickey, 78, was born with heart problems, but it wasn't until he was a corporal in the military at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown that he started having major problems.
"He's had more heart attacks than I can count, and he had to leave his career because he needed bypass surgery a couple times," said Alice Jean, Hickey's wife of 58 years. "He ended up so sick (that) I had to stay home. I was scared I'd come home from work one day and find him dead on the floor."
Joyce Hudlin, Hickey's only daughter, said she remembers her father not being able to walk more than a few steps.
His lungs were filling with fluid and he was weak.
"He was a dying man, even though he was only in his 50s, and we just had to accept that," Hudlin said from her home in London, Ont. "But Dad was stubborn and he insisted he wanted a heart transplant. His doctor sent him to Ontario for an assessment for the transplant surgery, never expecting to see him alive again."
Shelly Jones was only a child when her grandfather was admitted in an Ontario hospital to wait for a heart.
It was the summer of 1988 and she remembers playing on the floor of his hospital room, hoping her grandfather would be OK.
"He turned to my father - his son - and said, 'What are you so upset about? See that girl on the floor there? I'm going to see her get married.' " Jones said. "But no one believed him. He was so sick. He'd been given just a few months to live and no one thought a heart would come in time."
A priest visited Hickey's hospital room Aug. 20 of that year and promised to pray for the family.
They thought the end of near.
But the next day the heart of an 18-year-old boy became available at the hospital - it was a match.
"We were able to send an anonymous letter to the boy's family to thank them, but we don't really know for sure what happened to him. We think it was an accident of some sort," Hudlin said. "It was so hard for Dad, for all of us, to accept that someone else's terrible tragedy was our miracle, but it was an instant transformation for Dad after the surgery. He was literally young at heart."
Hickey had to visit the Ontario hospital every three months for a year immediately after his surgery to make sure his body was accepting the new organ.
But it wasn't long before he was able to begin working again and living the life of a healthy man.
"It was pretty bad before," Hickey said of his health. "But afterwards, there was a quite a change. A huge change."
Alice Jean no longer had to be a caregiver for her husband. She revelled in his new energy and enjoyed watching him use his woodworking skills to make things for their grandchildren.
"He opened a business with one of our three sons, building utility sheds," Alice Jean said. "He was much more active and so much healthier than before."
This August, Hickey will celebrate 20 years with his second heart.
His family is planning an open house and hopes to see the doctors who performed the life-saving surgery two decades ago.
"This is just a chance to celebrate Dad and the 20 good years we've had with him since his surgery," Hudlin said. "We're hoping friends, family and everyone who has played a part in Dad's life will drop by."
The event is being held Aug. 3 at the St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lincoln from 1-3 p.m.
Hickey's children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren hope to join him.
"Buddy Hickey has never liked a fuss being made about him, but I hope he is pleased about this celebration," Jones said and laughed. "I think he's been a bit down lately because he's on dialysis for his kidneys, so I hope this cheers him up and lets him know we're so grateful for the last 20 years with him and we're hoping for 20 more."
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