Ron Geddes’ lungs were damaged from scleroderma, an autoimmune disease. His transplanted lungs came as a rare Christmas gift, allowing Ron to become more athletic, celebrate his 34th wedding anniversary, and walk his daughter down the aisle.

Ron's Story

In 1995 when he was 46, Ron Geddes was diagnosed with scleroderma, an autoimmune disease. The disease lay dormant until March 2001, when it suddenly attacked his lungs, forcing him to take early retirement from his bus-driving job of 27 years. His physicians in nearby Buffalo felt that he might not be accepted as a transplant candidate there because the scleroderma could still be a threat after the transplant. However, through the persistence of his rheumatologist, Dr. Joseph Grisanti, the transplant team at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) agreed to evaluate him in June 2001. He was accepted and put on the UNOS list for a double lung transplant shortly thereafter.

The UPMC transplant team worked with Ron and his wife to prepare them for the transplant. During the six months that he waited for his new lungs, Ron and his wife made 16 trips to Pittsburgh for different treatments and physician visits. “The team helped see me through my ups and downs, my frustrations, my uncertainty, my disappointments, my joys, my sadness and, of course, my happiness,” said Ron, now 49.

After three false alarms about organ availability, Ron was getting discouraged. He was on a constant high dose of oxygen, attached to a 75-foot tube that limited his activity. He was also attached to a central line that fed medication to his heart to allow better blood flow into his heart and lungs. Finally, early on December 23, 2001, Ron finally received “the call” that lungs were available.

“My surgery took 10 hours. When I woke up it was Christmas Eve and my family was there with me,” said Ron. “We all said our own prayers in the days that followed for the family of my donor angel. We knew their decision had given me the gift of life, and this was the best Christmas present my family and I could ever have hoped for.“

Since his transplant, Ron has become more athletic and is the manager of Team Buffalo, a group of transplant recipients who compete in Olympic-style games every two years. He’s also an active volunteer with Upstate New York Transplant Services, helping to spread the word about organ donation by speaking to different groups and individuals about his story.

“I don’t sugarcoat it, it was hard,” he noted. “But I’m living my life! I’ve been able to watch my grandkids grow up, enjoy my retirement, celebrate my 34th wedding anniversary with my wife, and walk my daughter down the aisle, all because of one selfless unknown donor.

“I am living a full life due to the compassionate decision of a family in Wisconsin. There are no words that can express the love I have for my angel who saved my life at Christmas.”