'One stop shop' transplant centre opens at Birmingham hospital
Mr Vorajee was diagnosed with end-stage heart failure at 37 years old and spent three months in a coma at the QEHB while he waited for a transplant. He said he "owed everything to the heart donor who saved his life".
'All in one location'
The new centre, which was funded by the University Hospitals Birmingham Charity, provides patients with pre-transplant consultations, additional fitness classes prior to surgery, support groups and rehabilitation classes after surgery."Patients can come in and see their physician, the surgeon, the transplant coordinators, their psychologist and their dietician all on the same day and in one location," Mr Murphy said.QEHB is one of the leading transplant centres in Europe for heart, liver, lung and kidney surgeries. Mike Hammond from the charity added that the new facility would help the hospital increase the number of transplants it carried out and complete research to make transplants "more successful and last longer".
Ben Jeszka received a liver transplant at the QEHB and said he felt "the best he ever had". "I'm swimming, running, going on holidays again, and getting back into work; it's done so much for me," Mr Jeszka said.Seven years after he received his transplant, Mr Vorajee said he was looking forward to playing table tennis at the World Transplant Games. He added that "with his new heart", he no longer took things for granted. "I feel that it hasn't changed me as a person, but I'm making the most of my new life now thanks to my donor," he said.
Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
The NHS change that could prevent 6,500 cancer cases each year
A new study suggests that thousands of breast cancer cases could be prevented annually in the UK by expanding eligibility for risk-reducing mastectomies (RRM). The research indicates that approximately 6,500 cases could be averted each year if RRM was more widely adopted beyond current genetic predispositions. Currently, RRM is primarily offered to women with BRCA1, BRCA2, or PALB2 genes, but the study proposes including those with other high-risk genes like ATM and CHEK2. The study also highlights that a combination of factors, including family history, parity, breastfeeding, and mammogram density, should be considered for RRM eligibility. Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found RRM to be cost-effective for women aged 30-55 with a lifetime breast cancer risk of 35 per cent or more.
The Sun
25 minutes ago
- The Sun
Dying James Whale shares emotional update in terminal cancer battle as he reveals he is struggling to breathe and talk
PRESENTER James Whale MBE has broken hearts with a tear-jerking glimpse into his terminal health battle. Star James, 74 - who has been courageously battling stage 4 kidney cancer since 2020 - was told he has twelve weeks to live. 4 4 He is now up to week seven - but says, 'I'm not me anymore'. Speaking on his podcast Tales of the Whales alongside his co-host wife Nadine, they spoke about his conditions. The much-loved TV personality said he is struggling to breathe, talk and think - and can't hear very well. He also admitted his speech has become very slow and he is forgetful, while suffering with painful pressure sores. On the emotional recording, he said: "I can't breathe, I can't think, I can't talk. "Anyway. Good morning. Welcome to Tales of the Whales, our weekly podcast. I have terminal 5 cancer. Can you get 5?" A confused James continued: "Could I thank everybody for getting in touch and wanting to meet up. "I'm not being rude when I make it difficult to get touched up. I mean... in touch." Nadine explained: 'You're getting quite tired, so from next week, we're restricting visitors to just very close friends and family.' He added: 'The most tiring thing I found… I still can't hear very well, which is more frustrating than anything else. James Whale reveals he's got weeks to live in emotional update on cancer battle, saying 'I spend a lot of time crying' "I've become very slow in my speech and then forgetful and everything else." Talking about his pressure sores he said: 'I'm tootling along, which is all you can do really, trying to get my breathing sorted and the mark on my bum.' He humbly asked: "People have to go through a lot worse, don't they? Do they?" The poignant conversation concluded: "Anyway. I don't feel I can go on much more... "The other thing is, my energy levels have gone completely. "So I wish everybody well, and let us hope we go through these phases as quickly as we can." The star recently celebrated his 'last birthday' surrounded by loved ones after stopping his cancer treatment. Back in May, the TALK show host revealed his long-running programme could be coming to an end as he reached the final stage of his battle. One of the country's most revered radio personalities, James has been in the business for no less than 50 years and, in 2023, received the first ever TRIC Recognition Award for his outstanding work. He's helped countless others too, having launched the James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer in 2006 - now known as Kidney Cancer UK - the nation's leading specialist charity of its kind. James, who first defeated kidney cancer 20 years ago, had been receiving the aggressive treatment since a second cancer detection in 2020. Nadine, who he affectionately calls Lady W, has cared for him throughout his health battle and meticulously keeps on top of his hospital appointments and prescriptions. 4
Reuters
25 minutes ago
- Reuters
English doctors to strike in face-off with government over pay
LONDON, July 24 (Reuters) - Resident doctors in England will begin a five-day strike on Friday over pay, challenging Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party government that promised to end industrial unrest when taking office a year ago. The government is refusing to meet demands for higher pay from the British Medical Association, which says the 5.4% rise awarded to resident doctors - qualified physicians who make up nearly half of the medical workforce - does little to undo years of pay erosion. The result is a return to picket lines outside hospitals from 0600 GMT Friday - a throwback to 2023 when high inflation and stagnant pay brought doctors, nurses and other staff from the publicly-funded National Health Service (NHS) out on strike. "We don't want to strike, but we have to," said Bishoy Yassa, a 24-year-old recently qualified resident doctor. "Even after fair negotiations ... we were completely ignored." "There's a misconception that doctors are being greedy," he added. "This isn't just about pay. This is about getting the government to listen to the state of the NHS." After winning an election last year, Labour quickly reached a settlement with doctors for a 22% pay rise, but this year, as it grapples with increasingly strained public finances, it has refused to move beyond a 5.4% increase. Health minister Wes Streeting has called the decision to strike "reckless and needless." "All I asked of the them (BMA's leadership) was the postponement of strikes for a few weeks so we could work together on a detailed package that could form an offer to you to end this dispute," Streeting said in a letter addressed to resident doctors posted on X on Thursday. Public backing for the strikes is limited, with 52% now opposing them and 34% in favour, according to a YouGov survey of 4,954 adults conducted on Monday. That represents a shift from May, when 48% opposed and 39% supported the action. Views among doctors also differ. Adam Boggon, a 33-year-old resident doctor and a BMA member, told Reuters he voted against the strike action, fearing it would harm patients. "I would like for a settlement to be achieved very soon and in the absence of strike action which doesn't help anybody and which nobody wants," he said.
