More donors needed as man waits for a heart transplant

Hartford, Conn (WTNH) - The Cardiac ICU at Hartford Hospital is home away from home for Colby Salerno. The 23 year old is waiting for a new heart because a rare disease has weakened the one he has.

Colby says, "I live here for the time being and I just wait now for an organ to come in that will match with me."

Colby is first in line and can not leave until a donor is found.

"Colby can not depend on medication, he can not depend on pumps," his mother Kelly Salerno said. "The only thing that can save Colby's life is a heart transplant."     

Colby adds, "It just weighs on you, knowing that you're just waiting for that moment.  It's like nothing really matters, until that occurs."
 
But donor availability is down; the average wait here at Hartford Hospital is three months.

Dr. Detlef Wencker, Colby's doctor, is worried it could be longer.

"We hope we don't have to wait too much longer but we noticed that overall, transplantations nationwide, have dropped significantly."

Support from family and friends keeps this avid sports fan's spirit strong, but there is still a sense of urgency.

Dr. Wencker says, "If he fails to remain stable on medical therapy, and his heart condition continues to deteriorate, we might not find a donor heart in time for him."
 
That's why Colby is speaking out about the need for more organ donors.      

"It's the gift of life and I think there's nothing more amazing than that but it's just something you never really think about until its happening to you but what's important is that for those who it isn't happening to, they should think about it because, for people like me."   

Everyday some 18 people die, while waiting for a transplant, a sobering statistic. Currently some 110 million people nationwide are registered donors.

For more information -- log onto www.DonateLifeNewEngland.org .