A 27-year-old Saguenay resident who recently received a heart transplant relishes the second chance life has given her, now one of more than 400 people who have received a new heart at the Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ) .
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Fanny Brassard-Larouche received a heart transplant on January 5. She is positive and she looks forward.
“It’s going really well. I feel pretty normal right now,” she said.
Mom of a 3-year-old girl, M.me Larouche suffered from heart failure.
“When I received the diagnosis, it was not so serious. We weren’t talking regarding a transplant yet, but my situation really got worse last summer. That’s when we started talking regarding transplantation,” she says.
In October, she was put on the receiving list, and in January the long-awaited call came.
“When I got the call, I was ready. I am so grateful to have the right to a second life which allows me to see my daughter grow up. I often think of the donor’s family.”
“The heart I received was like a piece of a puzzle. I was told there were no adjustments to be made. It felt like it was made for me. I was told that it was rare for that to happen,” she added.
A birthday to celebrate
Mme Larouche resumed most of its activities. On Monday, she was present in Quebec with four other people who also received a heart transplant to highlight the 30 years of activities of the heart transplant program of the IUCPQ.
Since 1993, exactly 398 people have received a new heart.
“It was quite an adventure to start this program. For me, it has always been a great joy to see people who were very ill and no longer had functional abilities to come back with a smile and an interesting life. This is always what motivated me to pursue in this field and I have always loved helping people,” shared Dre Marie-Hélène LeBlanc, cardiologist and founding member of the IUCPQ heart transplant program who will be retiring next summer following 42 years of practice.
The Dr Daniel Doyle, now retired heart surgeon, remembers that setting up such a program in Quebec was not an easy task.
PHOTO DIANE TREMBLAY
Front row: Daniel Turcotte, transplant patient, Dr. Marie-Hélène LeBlanc, cardiologist and founding member of the heart transplant program, Cynthia Corriveau, transplant patient, Fanny Brassard-Larouche, transplant patient and Julie Gravel, transplant patient, 20 years ago . Second row: Denis Bouchard, CEO of IUCPQ-Université Laval, Steeves Roy, transplant patient and Dr. Daniel Doyle, retired heart surgeon and member of the heart transplant program.
“We fought, the management fought and today we are one of the largest transplant centers in Canada with successes that are comparable to those of the whole world. After nearly 400 transplants, I am happy to see the evolution of the program,” shared Dr.r Doyle.
Julie Gravel from Quebec City received a heart transplant 20 years ago when she was 24 years old.
She was also present to testify to the successes of the IUCPQ team.
As a teenager, he was diagnosed with a heart defect.
“It’s a trauma that has been a blessing, because I can live today. I would have died at 24. I can say that I have accomplished things in 20 years and I continue to do so,” said M.me Gravel finishing.
The multidisciplinary cardiology department of the IUCPQ is:
- 40 cardiologists
- 11 cardiac surgeons (in addition to the dental medicine service)
- 3000 heart surgeries annually (open chest)
- 25,000 clinical visits annually
- Nearly 400 heart transplants since 1993
- Survival rate: 87% following one year;
Source: IUCPQ-Laval University
