Navy Veteran, Heart Transplant Candidate, Making Progress, Family Says

By Donna Wright, The Bradenton Herald, Fla.

Apr. 4–Andrew Spehr, the Bradenton Navy veteran waiting for a new heart, is making good progress through a preliminary evaluation at Tampa General Hospital, his family said today.

“Every day, Andy is getting closer to a new heart,” said Sally Spehr, his mother. “His doctors have stabilized his heart medications and are going to remove the catheter from his leg that leads directly to heart. Then he will be able to get out of bed and walk around.”

Spehr suffers from cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure, which he believes might have been caused by an adverse reaction to a smallpox vaccine required by the military.

The evaluation team is scheduled to review preliminary test results tomorrow to determine his eligibility for a transplant.

Once he gets clearance, Spehr’s name will be put on the transplant list, his mother said.

Then another wait begins.

According to Lifelink of Florida, more than 95,000 people, requiring various different donated organs, are on the transplant list nationwide. In Florida the list tops 3,400.

Spehr served was discharged from the Navy on Sept. 5, 2004.

Donna Wright, health and social services reporter, can be reached at 745-7049.

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Bradenton Herald, Fla.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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