Needham Man Finds Heart Donor, Now Resting Post Surgery

A Needham man seeking a new heart finally found a match and is now recovering after a transplant last week.

For over a year, Tommy Smith lived with a left ventricular assist device, a device that helped pump blood through his body after he suffered a sudden heart attack at the age of 50. In between pumps from the artificial heart, Smith suffered physical setbacks and spent much time in the hospital as he patiently waited for a transplant.

For patients on a transplant waiting list, salvation comes down to a fifty-fifty chance as two people are called in for every one organ that becomes available. Should a person be called in as a potential recipient, they must then wait as their information is compared to the other person in line. If the first person is deemed not a good match, they are sent home and begin the waiting game anew.

"It's an emotional rollercoaster when they call you in and then you get sent home," said Tommy's wife, Linda.

Linda related that her husband was called in twice in one day last month, only to be sent home both times. The couple's luck changed, though, when Tommy was called into the hospital on Columbus Day. Tommy was the second patient out of two considered for a potential heart, but after waiting for six hours, the Smiths were again sent home.

However, not long after returning home, the couple were called back and found that their long wait was finally over. Tommy was chosen to be the recipient of a new heart and on Tuesday, Oct. 12, he went into surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston under the steady hand of Dr. Greg Couper.

"He's doing well. He actually told me that he's amazed at how well he's feeling," Linda said of her husband's recovery. "He's going to go into cardio rehab and work on strengthening (his new heart)."

Never a smoker or drinker, Tommy was a healthy man until his heart attack, running several times a week and eating healthy foods. But when the chips were down, including an 87-day stint in the hospital last summer, Tommy found an outpouring of support from the community.

"The community was unbelievably supportive," Linda related. "Between his Needham and Walpole friends, the rehabilitation group, prayer groups and others, there was unbelievable support."

One of the largest examples of aid was an August golf event in Plymouth that raised $30,000 for both the American Heart Association and the Smith's medical bills. Linda also states that her husband would not have made it to this point without the help of Dr. Givertz and Nurse Practitioner Michelle Young.

While Linda is eternally grateful for the help that she and her husband received, she knows firsthand that being on an organ waiting list is no easy task. It is her hope that more people sign up to become organ donors to help make a process easier for others who have not yet been fortunate to find a match.

"It's very hard waiting," she said. "Hopefully, the word will get out and make at least one more person become an organ donor."