A British student named Charlie Vincent traveled to the United States to teach rowing at a children’s camp. On his first day there, he suffered a severe second degree sunburn on his legs. At the hospital, doctors diagnosed a serious lung infection and he underwent surgery to remove damaged tissue. During the operation his heart stopped for 25 minutes and he experienced a mini stroke. After the procedure, he remained in an induced coma for a week.
The underlying cause was later identified as cardiomegaly, an enlarged heart. This condition makes it harder for the heart to pump blood effectively and can raise the risk of stroke and heart failure. Charlie likely was born with the condition, and sometimes cardiomegaly does not show itself until a major event such as a stroke or cardiac arrest occurs.
The patient survived brain damage, but if his critical condition does not improve, he may eventually need both a heart and a kidney transplant in the future.
The grandmother of seven grandchildren finally met the men whose blood saved him from blindness, a moment that underscored the life saving impact of donor generosity.