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On A Mission: New lungs
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Natalia Ritchie is a new mother on a mission: she needs a double lung transplant to save her life. This is part one of a three part series following her journey with Cystic Fibrosis. While her story involves struggle, it's also full of love. Nick Purdon reports. Your Comments
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My prayers r with u hoping u receieve your lungs as quickly as possible I recently lost my 11 yr old son from Cystic Fibrosis in July 2008 aweful disease but think positive...Big Hugz
Of course you are gonna get the lungs Natalia, dont doubt it. Just hang in there for all who love you and those who you love. I really hope it all comes together fast enough for you and your family. You are strong and so is your family.
Thanks to CBC for sending your mission out. There are many like you who need to be inspired.
All the best!
P.S. your baby girl is amazingly gorgeous!!!
Wishing you all the best, Natalia from a CF mom in Nova Scotia
I honestly pray that you get your new lungs soon. I didnt know anything about CF until 3 weeks ago when my grandson Kaiden came into our world and after week one he was diagnosed with CF. I felt that my world was really falling apart fast. I havent even met him yet. My son and his family live in Ottawa and I am in Mississauga. My 2 daughters and I are going there this wed to meet our new little warrior. I only hope that we can be strong for my son and his wife and his son baby Kaiden. Your little Scarlet is a total angel and you are sure blessed. Take care Natalia and you are in my thoughts and prayers and I send you you a giant hug and kiss.oxoxoxoxox Linda
Your an incredibly strong person. Your family is lucky to have you and your daughter should be very proud to have a mother as positive and incredible as you. Your an inspiration. Thank you for sharing your energy and story.
Keep up with the positive attitude. It will be 4 years ago in January that I was sitting in St. Mike's waiting for the call. Rest assured that with your spirit and your desire to be with your daughter, you will get through this. One day you'll run, not walk through the park with your daughter. Best wishes for a quick journey back to health.
Hi Natalia
Watching your video brings back sooo many memories. I had spent so many weeks in that very ward where you are with those fanastic nurses and doctors. I received my double lung transplant 4 years ago and I am doing great. I have 2 kids and a husband so I know how hard it is to be away from them. You are right cystic fibrosis is a terrible enemy. But you stay strong and that call with come. Your life will be so normal after. Keep your chin up. I will be praying for you.
Say hi to Dr. Tullis and the staff for me.
Take good care of yourself and stay positive
Judy
You are in my prayers. I hope you are soon able to be home enjoying your beautiful baby, the love of your life, and your new lungs.
A mom with a 17 year old daugher with CF
Thank you Natalia for sharring your story. You give me and so many hope. I am waiting to get on the transplant list in Toronto for the same reasons. I live in B.C. and have to move to Toronto to get on the list. Thank you CBC for bringing this story to everyone. I cann't wait to see the Documentary "65 Red Roses". It's about the double lung transplant jounrey for another CF patient.
I have a 16 year old grandson with CF. Presently he is doing very well Thank God.
We have two CF patients-ages 24 and 31-who are friends of ours who both received double lung transplants over the past two years. They are both doing really well and living very normal lives.Hope you receive your lungs as soon as possible and that you will soon be at home with your darling little girl. God Bless.
I am the mom of a 23 yom w/cf. My first child and only daughter died from CF at the age of 5 months and that was 32 years ago. So much progress has been made in treatments and therapies, but the struggle is still difficult. Your little Scarlett is precious and I know you long for the day you can be with her full time. I am praying that day will be very soon and will be keeping up with your progress.
Blessings to you and your family.
Linda Crane
USA
My five year old was diagnosed with CF when he was two-I will keep you and your family in my prayers!
Natalia, I learned about you through CF Husband's website. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. Praise God for your wonderful, supportive family and your beautiful daughter!
Natalia-I have two children with Cf and they are 3 and 14 months....As a mom of two kids with this horrible disease, I wish you the best of luck! It may be both of my children in this same situation some day and I hope that they are as strong as you and have a positive outlook as well....Those two lungs are coming so don't give up hope and our family is praying for you here in East Wenatchee, Washington, USA!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
H. Lundbeck, a Danish pharmaceutical company, has an experimental drug in pill form that does work on some viruses. I believe it is being tested here at McMaster University Hospital, Hamilton. It has been tested on MS, LAM and Cystic Fibrosis with some success. Someone at the CBC please ask that it be given to Natalia Ritchie. Surely she will say yes if there is a chance.
Hey Natalia .. .I am thinking & praying for u and ur family .. and hoping u get ur lungs soon.. U and I both know how hard it is to lose people from the CF family. Stay strong, and keep fighting!!!
What a great thing you are doing to raise CF awareness. We are all praying for you Natalia as well as for Martin, Scarlett and your mom. I pray you get your call soon. God bless you and your family.
Love Carla
Natalia you are amazing and strong. Never underestmate the power of positivity. I pray you'll get your lungs soon. You make me feel ashamed of all the things I complain about that seem trivial in comparison to your challenge. But there you are, confidant, head held high and smiling. Scarlett has a remarkable mom! Best of luck and may God take good care of you and all your loving family around you.
Hi Natalie: All the best to you. I know waiting is a long hard process but in the end it is so worth it.
I waited 13 months after waiting 4 months to get on the list. I was a long gruelling process but my spouse was with me 100%.
I have now been transplanted for 11 years this Dec. I have never felt better and do not ever remember being able to breath as fres as I can now.
Keep your head held high and your spirits just as high. You will get ``the call` and from then on it`s very hard to look back.
Take care, don`t let the little things get you down.
I feel your pain. I too am a young mother awaiting lung transplant. I have Pulmonary Hypertension and it progresses every day. I know what it is like to wait for the call and miss your family and want to be that normal mom that goes to yoga, plays with her children, even volunteer in the classroom.
Keep the faith, maybe I will run into you at TGH? Hope you get the call soon!!
xo
Shannon
As somone familiar with the transplant system, I think you're a disgrace. To use your daughter for sympathy is pathetic. I cannot believe that you brought a child into this world for your own selfish reasons, knowing that you could pass along this terrible disease. You have had a hysterectomy when you were 8.
You clearly know nothing about CF both parents have to be carries and I am sure that the one of Scarletts parents is not so she won't have the disease
What a very cold comment Stephanie!!!
Is there really people like you out there.
Familiar with what aspect of the transplant system? I am very familiar with it as well, and unfortunately there is no such thing as a personality transplant. Maybe people who are narrow-minded and insensitive should have hysterectomy, that's genetic defect we can do without. Have enough of those.
All the best Natalia, you are doing great!
Stephanie, I don't believe you're real. Is your name Beccah by any chance. Do you think your hateful comment is going to have any impact on Natalia's life? I hope you enjoy a long long look in your mirror at your bitter face and toxic attitude and decide to make some desperately needed transplants of your own heart and soul.
Hi Natalie. I am 42 years old and have Cystic Fibrosis. Hang in there girl. You will get your new lungs. Praying for you. You are so brave!!!
First of all, Mr/Mrs. Anonymous, the baby is now a carrier of CF Cepacia, so you may want to educate yourself prior to typing!!!
Roxane - yeah there are cold people out there, Natalia is proof of it. Who would get pregnant knowing that her baby could be a carrier of this CF, who uses a baby to get sympathy from all of you people. I understand that she is a sick person, and I am happy to see that she is now ok but let's not be blind and realize that she used her baby, by putting her on TV for the world to see and feel sorry for her, SHE IS NOT THE ONLY PERSON ON THE LIST WITH CHILDREN, so what makes her so special????
For your information, these patients are told not to get pregnant while they are on the Transplant list. Therefor Natalia made the choice of having a baby and putting her through this, knowign that she might not make it, leaving her alone in this world. Is that good parenting? I really don't think so.
These family owns a company, if you ask me, I would say that they did it all for show, what brother would twitter everything while his siter in having the transplant? or email the Toronto star letting them know that he sister was getting transplanted.
He didn't even twitted when his wife was having a baby!!!! his own baby, his blood!!!
Lin, you are familiar with Transplant in what way? are you a patient or a doctor that has to do with transplant? if not, maybe you shouldn't talk.
I understand why people are all acting so nice to Natalia, she was given a second chance, that is wonderful for her and her family but have YOU ALL sign your donor cards? have you all contacted the transplant program to see if you can donate and give the same chance to people like Natalia? I DON'T THINK SO!!!!!
To clarify for everyone out there, there is NO such thing as being a carrier of 'CF Cepacia'. No one with CF is born with Cepacia, it is something they pick up from either a)other patients or b)the environment.
Regardless of peoples' opinions, I think Natalia has done her best to raise awareness about the organ shortage in Canada. Even if it has sparked a negative discussion, it is still a discussion at least!
Also, I think you are on the nose when you say that she is not the only one on the list with a child. EXACTLY THE POINT. She is raising awareness that people waiting for an organ are mothers, daughters, sisters and wives. She is just a snapshot of a larger picture, not someone fighting for the spotlight and exploiting her family.. you are taking this completely out of context. But I guess there will always be critics out there.
Many people pass on things that are genetic to their children: cancer, alcoholism, obesity, mental illness, etc. If you are going to scrutinize one, scrutinize all.
"Anahi" yes, I am a patient and underwent my first transplant assessment this summer. So I am very familiar with the ins and outs. I have also interviewed advocates of transplant and helped to raise awareness at the community level. I've signed my donor card and constantly encourage others to do the same. Hope that helps.
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive tract. It is one of the most common type of chronic lung disease in children and young adults, and may result in early death.
“Lin” I truly doubt that you are a patient for the Lung Program, because if you were, you would know that there is one ONE Assessment per patient. I am a patient of the program and I don’t remember any patients with the name of “Lin”.
I am happy to see that Natalia got her transplant, but I also need to acknowledge that she has not been on the list for that long; there are others on the list that have been on the list longer and are still waiting. My question is do we need to go on CBC in order to get attention and our new lungs?
Anahi, when you are determined to be 'too healthy for tx' you are re-assessed and follow-up every three-six months until a)your health deteriorates enough and b)you are mentally prepared to go on the list.
Since you are a patient on the tx list, and obviously very passionate, I think you should direct your energy towards perhaps bringing your own story forward and continuing to raise awareness. It will only help our cause. I don't think people should pit against each other in this instance--especially when fighting for the same thing.
I hope you also get your call soon so you can resume your life again.
Once you get scheduled for the assessment, you are required to undergo a various of testing, it usually starts on Monday and it ends on a Friday, once the test are completed, the Transplant team will meet and make a decision if you are too ill to undergo a transplant or if you are healthy enough to not need to be on the list.
It is my understanding that the assessment is good for one year; I have been on the list for some time now, and I have not had to have other assessments, only follow-ups.
If the transplant team determines that you are too healthy for a transplant (or to be listed) you are followed by the respirologist, it is not an assessment.
I am happy that Natalia received her new lungs, I would be even happier, if this did not go unforgotten. I truly hope people are aware of the importance of signing your donor card, it would truly save lives, not only the one of the recipient but of the family members, Natalia is a great proof of this, her daughter will now be able to see her mother and enjoy her health.
I believe that Natalia did all this to show the world what the transplant patients go through, it was necessary, people needed to be aware that the transplant patients are regular people, people that also need a chance, if it is in our hands why not give it?
It would be great if we were all working together, instead of working against each other, this is not a competition nor a race, it is a long road, but it would be an easier road to take if we did it hand in hand.
Here I am, Kate Kost.'s Mother, 76 year old Nan,R.N., (graduated 55 years ago from Toronto Sick Children's School of Nursing!) cheering you on to full recovery and a wonderful life ahead with your sweet little daughter and husband! You are a Champion. Have you in my circle of prayer.
Sending healing thoughts and love. Have a young friend in Detroit with C.F. studying medecine - She must be nearing graduation and you an Architect - congratulations!
Natalia, I know you will get your new lungs, and live a long, healthy life. CF can't let us down, I also have CF. WE can beat this! Stay strong, and believe. I will pray for you. Take care and you can overcome this.
It's Natalia - I am not sure if anyone will ever read this, but I thought that even so, I had to write. It has been nearly a year since my lung transplant. I am in terrific health, Scarlett is 15 months old, and the happiest, healthiest child. For the first time since the transplant, I have read the above comments. I thank everyone for their support. There was so much of it, incredible.
For some of you, I am so shocked that you have so much to say about something you know nothing about. Let me clear a few things up, and educate you. First off, none of you lovely people know what will happen to you tomorrow, no matter what you might think. So, according to your own philosophy you should not have children, spare them from what could possibly happen. My husband and I had Scarlett with much contemplation, education, and support. Martin was prepared to be a single father, and he would have been a great one if it came to that. Scarlett would have been in a loving, enriched household. We were ready for such an outcome. Secondly, and most importantly, we did genetic testing on Martin, and since he is not a CF-gene carrier, Scarlett had NO chance of having CF. Lastly, some of you should be ashamed of yourselves for the assumptions that you made, for the judgements that you wrote. From the sounds of it, you are very unhappy people, that will never know true love, hope, and grace. The life I have now was worth all that we went through. I look at my Scarlett every day, and know she was the best decision we could have made. She is and will be an exceptional human being, who will only enrich the planet. What can possibly be so sour about that.
To all those out there fighting CF, or other lung disease, heck fighting anything, do not stop living. You are a person, and have the freedom of individual choice. Everyone is different, live your life according to what sits well in your heart. And as Eva said...love love love.
Natalia