Carl Seales

In a recent letter to the Editor, one of the Trust’s most long-serving members and ex-office bearer, Carl Seales, revealed that the idea of ‘new blood’ on the committee seemed good to him.

Sadly he, and current Chairperson, Richard Metzke, are to offer their resignations at our next meeting, which also happens to be the Trust’s Annual General Meeting !!!

Carl writes : -

“Dear Fellow Transplants, Donors, and friends- For the last 8 years I have had the pleasure of making many friends and contacts through the Heart & Lung Transplant Trust (formerly the Family Fund).

“We have all witnessed that, in one way or another, the efforts of the Committee have been the means whereby someone has benefited from the provision of medical equipment, electric beds, electronic heart assistance devices, furniture, and the like.

“In order to continue with the provision of such life saving apparatus, the Trust must have the leadership capacity to inspire the motivation needed within the committee.

“It is with these facts in mind, together with the forthcoming annual election of office-bearers and committee members, that I, along with our current Chairman – Richard Metzke – have decided not to nominate for any position on the committee. This decision has come about for various reasons, the most important being that it is critical for ’new blood’ to be given the opportunity to maybe go in new directions, and come up with new ideas

“We are in an excellent position, financially, to embark on almost any secure fund-raising proposal and with the firm subscription base of our newsletter, the ‘Circulator‘, could venture into the world of corporate sponsorship.

“We have the advantage of contacts at all levels of society, with business and medical contacts waiting to assist in worthwhile projects – we only have to ask, and should never feel afraid to do so!

“I have only referred to the positions of chair-person, and the vice-chair(s) as being vacated so far, and if those of Treasurer, Secretary, and Editor (of the ‘Circulator‘) continue to be held by their present incumbents, then the elections at the AGM should be relatively easy!!

“From a difficult start, Pat, our Treasurer, is now very firmly in control, and is keeping the many authorities concerned with monetary matters very happy!

“ Our Editor seems well able to grab the odd handful of articles needed to make a readable ’Circulator’, and, as  Secretary, with help from the rest of us, has had an answer for everyone!

“Please give some thought to these lines, and perhaps our 2002 AGM will be a ‘major’ event in the continuing history of the Transplant Trust.”

Vice-Chairman – Carl Seales
March 2002

MEET A RECIPIENT – 2002

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Theoretically our first M-A-R for 2002  needs no introduction. Carl Seales seems always to have been part of what was, at the beginning the Family Fund, which then became the Transplant Trust.

Not that Carl has ever changed. He has become a sort of father-figure to the Committee over the past few years, especially since the loss of other senior members like Jack Nolan and Alex Brunialti, in the recent past. But I’d better bow to the wisdom of the Trust’s elder statesman, and let him tell his own story.

¨ FULL NAME : Carl Renard Seales (the old fox!!)

¨ BIRTH PLACE : Glen Iris, Victoria – 25/04/38

¨ MARITAL STATUS : Married – to Elizabeth, for 38 (approx) years, it took 2 years to ‘learn the ropes’, but with 2 sons and a daughter, Mark, Bryson, and Simone, it’s now all done!!!

¨ TYPE OF TRANSPLANT : Heart – at age 55, with the great assistance of Prof. Don Esmore!! The ’old’ one contracted cardio-myopathy after a valve repair in’91, at the Austin Hospital.

¨ WHEN WAS YOUR TRANSPLANT? September 18th. 1993, after a 9 month wait, so I’m just over 8 years ’out’.

¨ ARE YOU WORKING? Officially retired, but 3-1/2 days per week I deliver pies around the Mornington peninsular.

¨ WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE ‘CALL‘ CAME?  Lying in bed in Monash Hospital, not feeling at all well, and only three or four days away from death’s door – as they told me some time later!!!

¨ HOBBIES I have always had a great passion for all things mechanical, in particular the “T” model Ford. They are so simple to understand and restore. Really good for people with limited brain-power! I also enjoy gardening, when time permits.

¨ FAVOURITE THINGS : Country – Australia, for it’s diversity of conditions and scenery; Place – Wilson’s Promontory, Vic – so peaceful; Food – Asian food generally, but Apple-pie with cream in particular for sweets.

¨ INSPIRATION-WHEN YOUNG? Frank Birtles – he drove a “T” model Ford right across Australia in appalling conditions, from Fremantle to Sydney, Sydney to Darwin and Darwin to Adelaide. He completed some 88 trips around Australia. He was born in Melbourne, in 1881 and was a gifted photographer and movie-maker also. Some bloke!!

¨ RECENT INSPIRATION? The Alfred ‘team’ headed by Prof. Don Esmore and Dr. Peter Bergin.

¨ MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT : Waking up some hours after my transplant and having an enormous desire to look at blue-sky!!

¨ EMBARRASSING INCIDENT REGARDING MY TRANSPLANT : After a week or so after the operation one becomes a little ‘over-confident’ with one’s ability to do anything – so I went to the toilet, fainted for reasons unknown, and came-to in a pool of water (my own!!).

¨ LIFE AFTER TRANSPLANTATION : Fantastic, the most satisfying thing being the  “T for Transplant” project with the ‘Rotary” group, raising money to buy an heart assistance machine for the Transplant Clinic.

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