London transplant recipient shares story of survival ahead of ‘New Canvas of Life’ event

CTV’s Reta Ismail with a preview of the New Canvas of Life event that will benefit LHSC’s Multi-Organ Program.

More than 40 years ago, Heather Fisher and Dr. Bill Wall crossed paths at a critical moment, one that would not only save her life, but help shape the future of organ transplantation in Canada.

Fisher, a former intensive care unit nurse, was facing a grim prognosis in 1983. At the time, liver transplant survival rates were still uncertain, but for her, the decision was clear.

“I was in ICU at that time, an ICU nurse, I knew what the stats were. They weren’t great. But I had no other choice because I was told that I probably wouldn’t survive another year,” Fisher said. “I wanted to take every chance I could, and when Doctor Wall offered that to me, I snapped it up.”

At the time, transplantation medicine was undergoing a major shift.

Dr. Bill Wall, a retired liver transplant surgeon in London, said progress had been slow for decades due to poor outcomes, particularly for vital organs like the liver.

“Transplantation was in the doldrums in the 60s and the 70s because of poor results, especially for vital organs like the liver,” Wall said. “It all changed when cyclosporine — the new anti-rejection drug — was discovered.”

London was among the first centres to adopt the breakthrough treatment, giving patients like Fisher a new chance at life.

“We were fortunate in London to be at the beginning of that curve and to get the drug before most other centers had it, so Heather had her transplant right at the beginning of that curve,” Wall said.

That timing, and the team behind her care, helped make Fisher one of the longest-surviving transplant patients in Canada.

But her story didn’t end with survival.

Fisher returned to her career as a nurse, even assisting in transplant surgeries alongside Wall. She went on to help bring the World Transplant Games to London in 2005 and later climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

“There’s a book at the top of the mountain, and you get to write a message,” Fisher said. “And I got to write first liver transplant recipient to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.”

Now, four decades after her surgery, Fisher says her experience is a testament to the life-changing impact of organ donation.

“I’ve had no problems with my liver. It has allowed me to do so many different things,” she said. “I would not have the life that I’ve lived if I had not had that transplant.”

Her story will be featured as part of New Canvas of Life, a London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF) fundraiser taking place Thursday at 6 p.m. at RBC Place in London.

LHSF says it’s both a celebration of resilience and a reminder of what’s possible through organ donation — a legacy that continues to change lives more than four decades after Fisher’s transplant.

The event will showcase artwork from transplant patients, donors and local artists, while raising funds for the multi-organ transplant program at London Health Sciences Centre.

Organizers say it’s both a celebration of resilience and a reminder of what’s possible through organ donation — a legacy that continues to change lives more than four decades after Fisher’s transplant.

Tickets are still available online.