The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS  

Tribune Staff Reporter  

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

A DOCTOR who urgently needed a heart transplant said she was overwhelmed by the response of residents who came to her aid.

Dr Ajita Wallace, 41, a member of Princess Margaret Hospital’s internal medical team, was airlifted out of the country in July. At that time, her family created a GoFundMe account to raise $200,000. 

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my fellow Bahamians and non-Bahamians alike for your generous support of financial donations, blood donations, and an abundance of prayers,” she said at a press conference yesterday. “All of these things, along with the lifesaving efforts of multiple medical teams, through the grace of God, have allowed me to survive this critical period in my life.”

“I had no idea the Medical Association would get involved. I was overwhelmed by everyone who donated. I heard that many people donated blood on my behalf, and the financial contributions have had a tremendous impact. I am so grateful because you all have helped me get to where I am today.”

Dr Duane Sands, closely involved in Dr Wallace’s care, provided a timeline of her medical journey. He said Dr Wallace first came to his attention when she was suffering from severe heart failure. He noted that the extent of her condition was alarming, as her heart was functioning at less than 30 percent of its normal capacity.

Dr Sands said Dr Wallace’s journey began under the care of Dr Patrick Cargill. She underwent the implantation of a resynchronization defibrillator, which later had to be replaced. Although she was doing well for a time, a few months ago, she faced severe heart failure, and it became clear that a heart transplant was the only solution to save her life.

Dr Wallace currently has an artificial heart powered by a battery pack that supports her left ventricular assist device, or HeartMate 3. She first received Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) support at Doctor’s Hospital and was then transferred to Health City in the Cayman Islands, where the HeartMate 3 was implanted. This mechanical device takes blood from her left ventricle and pumps it into her aorta, while her original heart remains in place, with much of the workload managed by the LVAD.

Her medical team is eagerly anticipating her next step — a heart transplant. While people can live well with assistive devices for years, she will always need to be connected to a power supply, which presents some challenges.

Dr Wallace recounted waking up in the hospital, unaware that three weeks had passed. “I thought I had gone to sleep, and then all of a sudden, I woke up in a strange place. Initially, when I saw my husband next to me, I actually thought he was the one who was in the hospital,” she said.

Dr Sands noted that Dr Wallace is not the first Bahamian to receive a heart transplant, highlighting the success of the United Netwrok for Organ Sharing (UNOS) organ-sharing system. However, he stressed the importance of investing in a robust healthcare system, saying: “We envision a Bahamas where the least among us have access to the very best care, and that doesn’t happen right now.”

Dr Wallace does not have health insurance provided by her employer.

Gemma Rolle, president of the Medical Association of the Bahamas, said: “The consultants that are employed by the public hospitals authority working at PMH do not have insurance provided to us by our employer. Nurses have insurance, other lines of staff have insurance, but the consultants don’t.”

She added: “We are a lucky bunch here in this country. Even though it’s a public hospital, we have our challenges and limitations, but the physicians are bright.”