Last month, Tony Williams marked an incredible milestone - his 90th birthday.
Turning 90 is a remarkable achievement in itself, but for retired bank manager Tony it’s nothing short of extraordinary.
Back in 1987, at 51 years old, Tony underwent a single heart transplant at Papworth Hospital, performed by Sir Terence English and Mr Francis Wells.
At the time, he was told he might live for another 10 years if he was lucky. Nearly four decades later, Tony continues to live life to the full and says: “Not a day passes when I don’t feel immense gratitude for the gift of extra life I was given.”
Tony shares his heartwarming story below.
Tony pictured second from the right with his wife Val, daughter Sian and son Huw
On 1 May 1985, aged just 49, my life changed forever. I had a severe heart attack and 18 months later, on Remembrance Sunday in November 1986, I had a second one. Over Christmas that year, I was very unwell with pleurisy and by the New Year of 1987, I was referred to a cardiologist at London Bridge Hospital to see if a heart bypass might be possible.
The news wasn’t good. I was told my heart was so badly damaged that I had only one to two years left to live, and surgery wasn’t an option. This came as a big shock. Not long after this news, I suffered a third heart attack and was rushed into intensive care at Orpington Hospital, near where my family and I lived at the time.
One evening, my family were called to the hospital - I’d suffered seven cardiac arrests that night. Thanks to the incredible care and expertise of the staff at Orpington, I survived.
It was then that my son said to my wife: “What about a heart transplant?” She in turn raised the idea with my cardiologist, Dr Christopher (Chris) Wharton. Coincidentally (and very luckily for me), Chris had trained under heart transplant surgeon Sir Terence English.
Chris made contact with Papworth Hospital and not long afterwards I was taken by ambulance from Orpington’s intensive care unit to Papworth for an assessment.
They weren’t sure I’d survive long enough to receive a donor heart but I was fortunate and just one month later, the call came. On 3 May 1987, almost two years to the day after my first heart attack, I underwent a heart transplant aged 51.
Papworth was a wonderful hospital, full of expertise and caring staff, with a real community feel amongst the patients who’d all undergone transplants around that time. I became friends with many of them but sadly they’ve all passed on now.
I spent a month in hospital and after the transplant, my wife and I stayed in an adjoining flat during my recovery before returning home in early June 1987. The hospital provided an incredible feeling of safety and security.
Tony and Val pictured after his transplant outside the recovery flat adjoining the hospital
Life after transplant
When I left Papworth, I was told that if I was lucky, I might have another 10 years of extended life. That was more than 38 years ago now and not a day passes when I don’t feel immense gratitude for the gift of extra life I was given.
Before my transplant, I’d been very unwell and in intensive care for many weeks. To be able to come home to my family and start living a normal life again was wonderful. I took early retirement and made the most of every day, spending time with my family, our dogs, gardening, singing in choirs, and indulging in my lifelong passion for model railways.
I even volunteered with the Welsh Highland Railway in North Wales and later took up bowls, eventually becoming Captain of the Petts Wood Bowls Team. My wife and I went on numerous bowls tours around the country and took many European train holidays together.
A few years after my transplant, I even removed two chimneys from the roof of our family home much to my wife’s dismay!
Tony playing bowls
I often think about my donor and their family. I was told my new heart came from a young man who tragically lost his life in a motorbike accident.
A few days after my transplant, my wife asked whether we could send a letter of thanks to my donor’s family, but at that time it wasn’t possible. However, we did ask that our heartfelt thanks be passed on and were told the family would be informed that their son’s heart had gone to a 51-year-old family man.
It’s a huge mixture of emotions to appreciate that one life has to come to an end to give the chance for another to have an extended life.
After 40 years in Orpington, Kent, Val and I moved to Cambridge in 2001 to be nearer our daughter and her family.
We’ve been together for nearly 70 years and married for more than 64 years. We have two children, Sian (62) and Huw (61), three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Both my children signed up to the NHS Organ Donor Register immediately after my transplant, and many of their friends did too. My son raised funds for the British Heart Foundation for 10 years by completing sponsored swims (and was the highest fundraiser for many years).
My message to anyone currently waiting for a transplant is don’t give up hope and try to remain positive. Life can surprise you when you least expect it and I’m proof of that.
As Tony’s story highlights, the decision to give the gift of life can change not only one life, but entire families. Find out more and register your decision here: Register your decision - NHS Organ Donation