John Prior at the Blue Lake in Mount Gambier during a recent road trip’ to Adelaide

My problems emerged in early June 2007 after acquiring breathing difficulties. A visit to the GP advised me that I had asthma. Therefore I was issued with a Ventolin® inhaler and was on my merry way. During the following weeks my condition deteriorated and although I was still attending work, I was feeling very ordinary.

The final straw arrived early on a Monday morning when after a sleepless night and pounding headache, my mum drove me to ED at Box Hill hospital. This was not a case of Mondayitis or repercussions of consuming one too many beers, as my boss always suspected upon receiving a phone call from one of his staff members early on a Monday morning. I was admitted into the ward and after suffering cardiac arrest was transferred to the cardiac unit pronto. From there I was transferred to The Alfred where within days I was fitted with the Ventrassist® Left Ventricular Assist Device.

It was quite a shock to be told I had cardiomyopathy. At that stage I had no idea what it meant let alone been diagnosed with it. At 23 years of age the biggest dilemma I should have been facing is ‘what am I going to do on Saturday night?’, or what car should I purchase next to replace my trusty 1993 Ford Laser? It just didn’t seem fair; I ate healthily and only drank occasionally, working hard as a newly qualified arborist. My 5 or 6 day working week consisted of clambering up and down trees and shredding branches and logs through a chipper, as well as enjoying a hit of tennis on most Saturday afternoons. It just goes to show that you never know what’s around the next corner. At work it was only ever a narrow streetor stop sign!

Although I was grateful that the LVAD kept me alive until the donor heart became available, my lifestyle and freedom was significantly reduced because I needed a carer 24/7. My folks and family were especially supportive during the time I was on the LVAD driving me to various hospital appointments 3 or 4 times a week. Whenever I went out to do grocery shopping with my mum many Coles ‘checkout chicks’ were quite shocked to discover that my backpack was an artificial heart upon mandatory bag inspections, much to my amusement!

On Monday 17 March last year I was awakened by a phone call at 5.40am. Sure enough it was Anne from the Alfred advising me that a donor heart had become available. It was a case of luck of the Irish because today was St. Patrick’s Day. To cut a long story short I was discharged at the end of April. Although Geelong couldn’t win the Premiership that year, my prayers had been answered.

Although I cannot return to work as a tree surgeon, I have recently returned to University, completing an associate degree in horticulture that I embarked upon in 2003 at Melbourne University’s Burnley Campus. I have only one semester remaining, and am planning to gain employment next year in the Parks and Gardens field.

Besides studying I am enjoying good health again, cycling vast distances (up to or slightly beyond 50km) on my Cannondale MTB most weeks, and am hoping to make my big comeback to tennis later this year. I am kept occupied by assisting as a leader at Boys Brigade on Friday nights organising activities, and regular camps such as water sports, and beach camps for the high school aged boys attending.

 Earlier in the year we all had a beach camp at Seaspray in Gippsland and an enjoyable weekend was experienced by all. At church a young adults group called Antioch runs on Sunday nights at St. Christopher’s in Syndal and it has been enjoyable catching up with my friends at the end of the week or for a social night on Saturday watching a DVD or going out for the night to a restaurant or wherever for a ‘chillout’ night.

As for the future I am looking forward to continuing to improve my strength and fitness every day, and am planning to tour around Australia and New Zealand within the next couple of years.

Finally it would be quite remiss of me not to acknowledge my family, and the donor family who were so thoughtful to give me a second chance in their time of sorrow. I owe my life to the whole medical team at the Alfred including Professor Donald Esmore who performed my two heart operations, and all of the cardiologists. I was also surrounded by many fellow patients, those who were in a similar situation to myself, and those who had a much tougher journey. I am grateful to have known all of these past and present people because they have enriched my life so much through their positive ness and sheer determination. John