Jones' Waiting Game Ends With Transplant
By Joe Lofaro Editor, Weakley County Press ~ Martin TN.
8/19/1994
Become a Donor here > http://www.donatelifetn.org/
The wait is over for a 55-year-old Martin man, thanks to a giving person.
Don Jones received a heart transplant Wednesday night at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville and is currently recovering at Vanderbilt in the cardiac recovery unit. Jones, who suffered from cardiac myopathy, a disease in which the heart gets bigger every day, was notified on Wednesday at 4:45 p.m. that a heart was available. "We left Martin at 5:15 and got to Nashville in two hours and 15 minutes and at 9 p.m. Don went into surgery," Jean Jones, Don's wife said. "At 4 a.m. Thursday they called us and said everything was fine. At 7 a.m. we got to see him for the first day and he really looked good. The doctors said he was making good progress." Jones suffered a minor setback on Saturday and had to be put back on a ventilator, but Jean said he was doing fine."He had some fluid build up in his lungs and he was having a little trouble breathing. The doctors did not want to take a chance," Jean said. Even with the setback, Jones was able to maintain his optimistic outlook."Saturday when he was on the ventilator he was conscious and he gave me the thumbs up sign," Jean Jones said. Jean Jones has not been enduring the process alone. From Wednesday to Sunday, more than 10 family members were at Vanderbilt. On Monday, Jean Jones and her son were at Vanderbilt, along with one of Don's brothers. 'This has been a very exciting process," Jean Jones said. "This is what we've been praying for. We never prayed for anybody to die, but we have prayed for a donor and the family of the donor."
At this time, all Jean Jones knows about her husband's new heart is that it's young. "I haven't asked any more questions about it," she said. "If Don wants to know more about it, he has to ask the doctors himself."Prior to receiving his new heart, Jones spent his time working on donor awareness. He formed the West Tennessee Heart Connection and spoke to any group that would listen. Jones said his goal is to regain "quality life." He worked for 22 years at Goodyear in Union City and was diagnosed with the heart problem in July of 1992. He spent two years on the United Network for Organ Sharing and Tennessee Donor Services lists.
Editorial : Don Jones = Underdog...Hey, That`s me ! "The Gift of Life", what a wonderful/loving thing to do ! Bewcome a Donor Here > http://www.donatelifetn.org/ The life you save, may be your very own ! I hope this gives you a better insight to Underdog =Don Jones...Hey That`s Me !
Fiat Lux
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