B.C. bike race supports children with heart conditions

The Triple Crown for Heart bike race took place in Metro Vancouver Saturday, with the goal of raising critical funds for children with heart conditions across B.C.

Among the participants was the father of a 12-year-old who, at less than one-month-old, became the first baby to receive a heart transplant at BC Children’s Hospital.

Addison McArthur, her little sister, and their mom, Elaine Yong, joined the many supporters at the finish line on Saturday.

“I am cheering on my dad who just finished the Triple Crown for Heart,” Addison told CityNews.

“When I was three weeks old, my parents took me to the hospital and within a few hours they realized the only way that I could get better was by heart transplant — they couldn’t fix it with any sort of surgery or medication. And so I got listed on the transplant list.”

At less than one-month-old, Addison McArthur became the first baby to receive a heart transplant at BC Children’s Hospital more than 12 years ago. (Submitted by Elaine Yong)

“We had no idea she had a ticking time bomb in her chest,” Yong added.

The mother recalls the day Addison’s surgeon called her while her daughter’s heart was failing.

“It was the day before Mother’s Day. He called me and said, ‘I have a Mother’s Day gift for you.’ I was like, ‘My daughter is, like, dying — she’s in the hospital on life support — let’s not talk about Mother’s Day.’ And then he said, ‘I have a heart for Addison.'”

The donor, according to Addison, was a baby in Reno.

“She was able to donate her organs and her heart is now mine,” the 12-year-old explained. “I was the first infant heart recipient in British Columbia.”

Addison says the situation makes her feel close to the donor she never met.

“I kind of feel like I have a special connection with her — I feel like her and I have a bond together,” Addison added.

Youg says she is grateful for people who register themselves and their loved ones as organ donors, noting her daughter is alive thanks to one of them.

“It’s amazing that people say ‘yes’ at a time of great tragedy. I’ll never forget that moment. And, here we are, more than 12 years later,” the mom said.

Marie Campbell, who founded the Triple Crown for Hearth, has a been a cardiac nurse for 18 years.

Cyclists wave as they compete in the Triple Crown for Heart bike race in B.C. The event raises money to support children with heart conditions across the province. (Angela Bower, CityNews Image)

She says the money raised by the event goes to support the families of cardiac inpatients, like Addison.

“In 2010, I saw that heart families need a little support when they are going through surgery, the children as well … and also, I was interested in the recovery and making sure that they heal well,” Campbell explained.

Addison McArthur as a baby in the hospital surrounded by health workers after her heart transplant. At less than one-month-old, Addison became the first baby to receive a heart transplant at BC Children’s Hospital more than 12 years ago. (Submitted by Elaine Yong)

Meanwhile, more than 12 years since her transplant, Addison is a healthy, active girl.

She even competed at the World Transplant Games in Perth this past April, in competitions that feature other transplant recipients from around the world.

“I participated in five events — swimming and track and field — and I got a medal in each of them,” Addison said.