The 60-year-old Langley resident had a lot waiting for him at home. He is a father of three, stepfather of two and, combined with his partner Janet Keon, they are grandparents to six. The couple also own a yoga and Pilates studio in Langley.
Harvey’s surgery went well and after two and a half weeks of intense recovery in hospital, he returned home. Harvey was one of 481 British Columbians who received a transplant in 2024, 25 of them heart transplants.
In February 2023, about a year before his heart transplant, Harvey set sail on a 14-day cruise through the Panama Canal with family and friends. Unfortunately, he spent most of the time isolating in his room from what he thought were COVID-19-like symptoms. His condition worsened over time and he lost his appetite, felt extremely fatigued and struggled to walk 50 meters without severe nausea.
As soon as he arrived home, they went to an urgent care centre and were immediately told to go to emergency. Within a few days at Ridge Meadows Hospital, Harvey was diagnosed with fluid and blood clots in his lungs, and a weak heart. His left ventricular ejection fraction, a measurement of how much blood the left ventricle pumps out of the heart with each beat, was at 15 per cent. Normal is between 55 and 70 per cent.
Harvey was transferred over to St. Paul’s Hospital. The cardiac care team gave him an initial diagnosis of idiopathic cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle with no known cause. They started Harvey on medication, hoping that would help. Harvey needed an artificial heart pump, known as an LVAD (left ventricular assist device), and then eventually a heart transplant.
Two months later, Harvey had the LVAD surgery, which came with new challenges.
“I had to stay on top of things like charging batteries, changing bandages and tracking vitals every day. There were a few medical complications like hallucinations and hiccups that lasted for four days but overall, it wasn’t too bad. I also needed to remember things like having an extra set of batteries with me at all times, and that taking a shower would take a lot more preparation.”
For the first three months, Harvey wasn’t allowed to be alone. His caregiver during that time had to be trained to manage the LVAD if anything went wrong.
In December 2023, Harvey was placed on the transplant waitlist and three months later, he received the call.
“I was excited to receive the call. Even though my LVAD experience was manageable, I was getting to the point where I felt done with it and I was looking forward to moving ahead with the transplant surgery,” Harvey shares.
In a way, Harvey felt relaxed about getting ready for the transplant. He collected all of his LVAD equipment and his “go bag” and drove to St. Paul’s Hospital. “Because I had gone through the LVAD process 10 months earlier, I felt I had a good sense of what was to come over the next few days.”
Harvey’s first memory post-surgery was four days later when he heard voices and felt Janet squeeze his hand.
“Through the grogginess, it felt great to realize you’ve made it through the surgery,” Harvey remembers.
The next few days were filled with medication adjustments, tubes being removed, tests and doctor visits.
He attributes his journey back to health to his partner Janet, and the amazing health-care team who took care of him.
“I can’t say enough about the nurses, doctors, surgeons, technicians, social workers, pharmacists, dietitians, therapists, and support staff who look after patients and caregivers through this process. These health professionals work together to make the best experience out of what starts out as a nightmare.”
Harvey is focusing on getting back to good health and he plans to write to his donor family at the one-year mark.
“I would like to express my sincere condolences for the loss of their loved one, and my appreciation for their gift of life,” he shares.
Meeting his donor family in person is something he would like to explore in the future, to learn about his donor’s story.
See more of Harvey’s transplant journey, documented in episode four of Transplant Stories, a four-part series on
Knowledge Network following the lives of transplant patients in British Columbia waiting for that life-changing call.
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There is no story without the organ donor. Thank you to all the donors and donor families in 2024 for giving transplant recipients a second chance at life. Individuals like Harvey get to continue making memories and living life to the fullest.
Register your decision on organ donation at
registeryourdecision.ca. More information on BC Transplant’s 2024 statistics:
