Former Athlete Achieves a New Record: 50 year Transplant Anniversary

Maureen Connelly, RN

Toronto in 1972 was an exciting time. Team Canada was celebrating its triumphant return from Russia after having won the Canada/ Russia hockey series. Paul Henderson scored the winning goal in overtime. The Eaton Centre and the CN tower were under construction. A new rising star named Elton John was playing at Maple Leaf Gardens and Second City was in full swing. John Candy, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy and Gilda Radnor were the stars.

1972 also marks the year when Louis Lacroix received his kidney transplant. His transplant was the 9th one performed at St. Michael’s Hospital after the program started in 1969.

Fast forward to 2022 and we are celebrating with Louis this incredible 50-year milestone. Louis kindly agreed to share his memories with us of this remarkable story.

On April 21, 1972 Louis was just shy of his 19th birthday when he received his transplant.

Maureen: Louis, please tell us what you remember as being a teenager with kidney disease. How and when were you diagnosed?

Louis: I did not realize the extent of my kidney dis ease as a teenager until I ended up in hospital. I considered myself a healthy teen playing basketball and track and field. In my early teens I wasn’t sick, but I had a feeling that things were not right. The first changes began with my nipples becoming en larged and painful. When I went to the doctor I was told I would grow out of it. Nothing really changed over the next couple of years. When I turned 17, I be gan to have a lot of indigestion and was told it was probably an ulcer. Before long my stomach began to become distended and I started to experience a loss of appetite and was constantly throwing up. From there things began to move very quickly once I was admitted to the Penetang General Hospital. The next thing I knew I was put in an ambulance and sent to emergency at St Mike’s. This would be my first contact was Dr. Goldstein. Until then I had no concept of how sick I was and that I had kidney failure. The doctors told me they were amazed I was not in a coma with my extremely abnormal lab results.

Maureen: How long were you on dialysis before you received a transplant?

Louis: After the initial diagnosis, dialysis began almost immediately, I don’t remember the number of sessions I had per week as it was all a blur but it might have been two times per week. I remember taking the Greyhound bus from Midland to the old bus terminal in Toronto.

My time on dialysis was thankfully short lived, about 17 weeks. When I was down for my dialysis session, I remember Dr. Ferris coming and telling me that there was a kidney available for me. Looking back now, it may seem like it was a no brainer, but I was pretty much alone making the biggest decision of my teenage life. I had great nurses on my side who helped me to feel so not alone, I still remember a dialysis nurse named Maureen who was especially kind. With their support, I agreed to proceed with the transplant surgery. There are some things in your life that stand out. I always remember with such clarity the moment when Dr Ferris was taking blood as he was smoking his pipe and asked if I was afraid. I replied, “I sure am!” In those early years of dialysis, the unit was pretty small but the upside was I could have my favourite meal of eggs and bacon!

Maureen: How long were you in hospital after the transplant?

Louis: I was at St. Mikes which seemed forever but was about 6-8 weeks (Maureen- note- patients were actually in isolation after transplant for 6-8 weeks! Now patients are in hospital on average 5-7 days!)

Maureen: What things do you think you did to keep your kidney lasting for so long?

Louis: I listened to the doctors, took my meds religiously, kept active and believed in a higher power.

Maureen: What were you able to accomplish with having a functioning kidney and good health?

Louis: I was always very athletic and involved in sports. I played basketball in High school and on a college varsity basketball team where I was named team captain and MVP, I also played in the Simcoe County Basketball League.

In addition to basketball I began long distance running and completed 2 marathons, countless 1⁄2 marathons and 10k races. I was a community runner on the OPP racing team and raced just about every weekend all across Ontario and into Michi- gan. I received a commendation for community involvement as a member of the OPP running club, doing triathlons-sprint level 800 meter swim/ 30 k, bike/5 k runs

I still keep active at the local gym and play tennis.

I have worked a full time job as a Nutritional Manager in Long Term Care for over 30 years until my retirement at 60. My wife Gail and I moved up to our cottage in Muskoka on Skeleton Lake and in the fall, we go to Florida for the winters. It’s a little different this year as we have moved into the town of Bracebridge hope to be going south this winter. Thank you Louis for sharing your memories with us and congratulations on your 50 transplant anniversary, a record for St. Mike’s and possibly a world record!