Heart rehab program pushes transplant back

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On average, there are roughly 165 people on the province’s transplant list each year. But this year, there is one less. And his story is certainly inspiring.

Everyone hopes time spent at the gym will be time well spent. But 52-year old Garwin Cockhead knows it is. Two years ago, his heart health took a sudden nose dive: “They’ve told me it wasn’t the way I was eating. They’ve told me it wasn’t my lifestyle. They told me it was built right into your DNA.”

It was a hot summer day in august 2012, while he was cutting the grass, he got a pain in his chest. It went into his arm — but he didn’t go to his doctor until the next day. He was quickly whisked to Hamilton by ambulance: “At that point in time I never really realized it when I came in the ambulance but I was told after by the nurses I was very very close to death.”

Darwin’s heart continued to deteriorate. He was implanted with a defibrillator pacemaker device and told he needed a new heart. His cardiologist made a suggestion: “He wanted me to get involved with a heart rehab program to help build my heart to whatever degree it was to strengthen me so when I did have my heart transplant it wouldn’t take me as long to recuperate.”

Steve Walker runs one through the Niagara Health System and the Niagara YMCA: “The exercise program is supervised by a registered nurse and a kinesiologist. They provide supervision and guidance to the patients while here exercising.”

Garwin started slowly: “I walked the track. I went on the bicycle. I remember going on for 10-minutes.”

He did 3 sessions a week — and within a matter of months, his heart started to improve. After a few more months, doctors started to take notice. This past February, something amazing happened: “They had found that my heart was indeed getting stronger through exercise and eating and salt content and reading labels — they decided to take me off the transplant list.”

Steve said: “It’s a real testament to his motivation and compliance with doing all the right things that you can change your outcome.”

Garwin said: I’m not going to say it was easy. It’s not easy. It’s very difficult in the very beginning. You have to do what your body is going to allow you to do. And know where your limitations are.”