Who is Adrianna?
Adrianna is a 21 year old girl who was born with a congenital heart defect. She underwent her first surgery at 2 days old in CHEO. Then another one at 11 days old and the 3rd one in Toronto sick kids at 3 weeks old. Her 4th surgery was at 8 months old in Toronto. Shortly after that she was listed for a heart transplant. She waited almost 2 years for a heart. We had 3 calls in total that a heart was found during that time and the 3rd time was when it happened. She got her heart Aug. 15th 2000 at the age of 2 1/2 years old. Adrianna has had lots of bumps in the road but overall she has done well until March 5th 2017 . Adrianna's heart was failing her and she ended up in the ICU in Perth for 3 days then to the Heart Institute for almost 10 weeks in total. When we arrived at the Heart Institute she needed to be put on a heart support machine called the Impella which was placed into the left side of her heart to help the heart out and take some of the workload off her ailing heart. Her heart function had dropped dramatically and this was our only hope. After 7 days on this heart life support she was able to have this machine removed and she was given several medicinal drugs to help support her ailing heart. She spent 6 1/2 weeks in the ICU at the Heart Institute. Then she spent another 3 1/2 weeks upstairs recuperating. The Doctors believe what caused all of this was antibodies AMR (antibody mediated rejection) which were attacking her heart. We have no idea where they came from but they are there and she will alway need treatments to keep them at bay. These treatments are like cancer treatments in IV drug form. This left her very weak and not feeling good most of the time. Adrianna came home on May 12, 2017. She is in right sided heart failure now but the left side has recovered pretty good but not perfect. The Transplant team decided that this heart won't last for a long time so on June 15, 2017 Adrianna got placed on the transplant list for another heart. Adrianna is stable for now and is currently being followed closely by the Heart Institute. She is also doing some Cardio Prehad to get her as strong as we can so when she gets her transplant she will come through it better. She has really small and battered veins and arteries so her transplant will be complicated but not impossible. Her best friend Brandy Varcoe started Adrianna’s Army when Adrianna became sick in March 2017 at first “Adrianna’s Army” was created to show support in Adrianna’s fight. Adrianna and Brandy have created clothing apparel as another way of getting Organ Donation Awareness out there. Adrianna now spends her waiting time creating Organ Donation Awareness and is determined to make a positive outcome from her health situations.
Where did Adrianna's Army Start?
Brandy Varcoe & her Family from Perth, Ontario
Brandy Varcoe and her family were sitting around their kitchen table brainstorming ideas of a ways to help make things better for Adrianna. Starting with vehicle stickers, then moved onto clothing. This then got people asking the question "what is Adrianna's Army?". After Adrianna got home from the hospital Adrianna's Army then became even larger, designing more clothing, such as wristbands and even hats. From then on the awareness started to become more known!
Our Mission
Adrianna's Army is dedicated to promote the importance of Organ Donation. In this Non-Profit organization we use Adrianna's medical history to show how important Organ Donation truly is.
“Without the organ donor, there is no story, there is no hope, no transplant. But when there is an organ donor, life springs from death, sorrow turns to hope and a terrible loss becomes a gift”
-Unknown
Organ Donation Facts
All Information & Facts is directly from https://beadonor.ca/about-donation
Today, in Ontario, there are over 1,600 people waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. This is their only treatment option, and every 3 days someone will die because they did not get their transplant in time.
But you can help. When you register your consent for organ and tissue donation, you let those waiting know that you would help them if you could.
One donor can save up to 8 lives through organ donation and enhance the lives of up to 75 more through the gift of tissue.
Age alone does not disqualify someone from becoming a donor. The oldest organ donor was over 90 and the oldest tissue donor was over 100. There’s always potential to be a donor; it shouldn’t stop you from registering.
Your current or past medical history does not prevent you from registering to be a donor.Individuals with serious illnesses can, sometimes, be organ and/or tissue donors. Each potential donor is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
All major religions support organ and tissue donation, or respect an individual’s choice.
Organ and tissue donation does not impact funeral plans. An open casket funeral is possible.