'I may go before you': Friend's ominous premonition before double lung transplant
When Sam Ira heard he would be receiving a second set of new lungs, never did he consider the possibility they could be coming from one of his closest friends.
The 40-year-old from Melbourne was born with Cystic Fibrosis and up until age 30 had neglected the thought of ever having a lung transplant.
Aged 26, he was living an active lifestyle and went overseas on a Contiki tour of Europe, but when he returned, the reality of his physical limitations started to set in.
Years later though, he still hadn’t put his name down for a double lung transplant despite his lung capacity deteriorating at a frighteningly rapid rate.
Finally, after celebrating his 30th birthday – which he thought would be his last – he signed up for double lung transplant surgery.
Just seven weeks later he received the call that would change his life forever.
“I’ll never forget that day, it was the 15th of August, 2009. It will be my 10 year anniversary this August,” Mr Ira told Yahoo News Australia.
He returned to work soon after the surgery with nearly 100 per cent lung capacity.
He also started running and got to work building two townhouses with his brother, who also has Cystic Fibrosis.
Mr Ira jokingly told his doctor to make sure he did a “good job” with the transplant because of his goal to eventually move in to one of the houses.
Sadly, his recovery was short-lived, and in the three-year period following his surgery, his lungs started to fail again.
Doctors couldn’t quite explain why his new lungs had gradually started to deteriorate, but told him he needed another double transplant if he was to survive.
Mr Ira continued his job as a video producer at the Royal Children’s Hospital though, despite his crippling symptoms and bleak 18 per cent lung capacity.
The crucial push to try again
That was until his colleague, Lloyd, a medical photographer, begged that he go and put his name on the double lung transplant list for a second time.
“He said, ‘I’ll take you to the Alfred (Hospital) to sign up, you don’t know your chances, you’ll get another set. Who knows, I might go before you’.”
A gruelling ten months later Mr Ira again received the news he would be getting a new set of lungs, but this time his experience was plagued by tragedy.
His friend that encouraged him to sign up for surgery 10 months earlier, passed away suddenly after suffering a heart attack while taking part in a fundraising “walkathon”.
At the time, Mr Ira had been at the Alfred Hospital for two weeks due to the severity of his condition, so was prepared to go in for surgery right away.
But in a cruel twist of fate, news of the available lungs ended up being a “false call”, which led Mr Ira to give up all hope of ever returning to normal life.
“That same week I had a call from my boss at work to say that our photographer had passed away, the one that had convinced me to sign up again.”
“He had told me he might go before me, and he did. It was bizarre.”
A message from beyond
A few days later Mr Ira, previously a non-believer in all things paranormal, said he saw his former colleague’s spirit in his hospital room.
“He said, ‘Sam, you will get another call for a new set of lungs’,” Mr Ira said.
Three days later, the doctors came back and delivered the news that proved him right.
On April 23, 2013, the double lung transplant surgery was completed.
Lloyd had passed just four days prior, so Mr Ira wasn’t sure if he had become the recipient of his colleague’s lungs.
“Everyone at work thought I got his lungs because he had passed away on the 19th of April.”
Mr Ira later found out the lungs weren’t his former colleague’s because he had two separate donors and knew their ages.
Since receiving his second double lung transplant, Mr Ira has not wasted any time in ensuring he lived his life to the fullest.
Last year he competed in the Gold Coast’s Transplant Games, playing in a doubles ten pin bowling team and bringing home a gold and silver medal.
He also took part in darts and a five kilometre walk, and will be representing Australia in the World Transplant Games in Newcastle-Gateshead, UK, in August.
The Australian team, which placed 6th in the previous games, will face off against athletes from 55 other countries.
Each athlete will travel with a TECMASK, a protective disposable flu and travel mask, to help them avoid becoming ill during their trip abroad.
Mr Ira, who is one of many athletes whose immune system is vulnerable to germs, practices wearing a mask in his daily life to help keep his new lungs healthy.
“Whenever I’m travelling I’ll wear one for peace of mind. It’s better than being worried that I might catch a bug”.
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