Summary
Rockhampton truck driver Johnnie Tumai is extremely grateful to have his life back, 12 months after receiving a life-changing lung transplant.
On October 29, 2024, Mr Tumai received a bilateral sequential single lung transplant at The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane, and he’s had plenty of local support before and after.
He has been working closely with Central Queensland Health’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation service at CQUniversity Health Clinic, and his hero, Senior Exercise Physiologist Julie Price.
When he was aged about 50, Mr Tumai was unwell and breathless and was diagnosed with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a progressive and preventable lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe.
At that stage he was still able to get around, but as the years went on, he got worse and worse.
By the age of 55 he was really struggling. As a long-haul and interstate truck driver it got too difficult to work.
He was on 24-hour oxygen therapy and struggled for five years, unable to work and he basically isolated himself at home.
“Specialists gave me the ultimatum, have a transplant or you will die in a couple of years,” he said. “It was a no-brainer.”
He had to work hard while waiting for the process to qualify for a lung, with rigorous testing to reach eligibility.
In the early days it was a struggle for Mr Tumai to attend the clinic due to breathlessness.
“There was a time I was grumpy and didn’t want to come. I was stubborn, but I’m so grateful for Julie and appreciate everything she has done for me, working on myself and my strength.”
Now, 12 months post-transplant and after almost completing his rehabilitation program, Mr Tumai gets around “like most people that have good lungs”.
“For me it was just fantastic. You get your life back and not many people get that opportunity.
“I’m grateful every day and I appreciate everything everyone’s done. I thank my donor every day. Without them I wouldn’t be here.
“I talk to people now and I tell them I had a lung transplant, and they don’t even know that’s a thing.
“It’s a big process to go through. I see people struggling and I think ‘I used to be there’.”
While Mr Tumai is sad to finish his 12-month program, he’s keen to keep in touch and possibly become a mentor for others going through the same struggle.
He has put in the hard work, doing exercises to strengthen his lungs and cardio, and is now reaping the rewards.
“It’s great just being able to walk and enjoying things with family.”
Mr Tumai has returned to work, thanks to a great workplace which has supported his time off for the three-monthly checks at Brisbane.
He now does local jobs and has been working on the new ring road but is able to be home every night.
While he says it’s been tough physically, financially and mentally, he is now grateful to have his life back.
Senior Exercise Physiologist Julie Price loves getting great results by working with pulmonary rehabilitation patients and is proud of the work Mr Tumai has put in.
She has supported seven lung transplant patients over the years, and says most people aren’t aware of the positive outcomes that come for regional patients.
“We see pre- and post-transplant patients a lot, in the lead-up to rehab here in conjunction with The Prince Charles.
“We’re very proud as a regional service that we can work closely with The Prince Charles to support our patients.”