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Nov 23, 2009 6:45 pm US/Central
Firefighter Dies 11 Years After Getting New Heart
ST. PAUL (WCCO) ―
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"Do I want to get a heart? Yeah. But I don't have any particular gift that makes me think that I'm going to make it. Do I want to? You bet," said Hain before a heart was found for him in 1998.
CBS
Losing a firefighter in the line of duty is always hard to accept, even if it comes 13 years after getting hurt on the job.
Outside St. Paul Fire Station 8, a lowered flag signals a department in mourning, as firefighters remember the long health struggle faced by 50-year-old Ramon Hain. Hain died on Nov. 14, nearly 11 years after receiving a life-saving heart transplant he needed after contracting a potentially deadly disease on the job.
"He was always on the go, always trying to be the first one, the best, giving it 110 percent, he was a fantastic person to be around," recalled Assistant St. Paul Fire Chief Jim Smith.
Smith recalls with joy the booming presence of Hain.
"Ray stood about 6-foot-8 [inches tall], he was a big guy, always had a smile on his face," added the assistant chief.
Smith remembers Hain as an aspiring firefighter during his time at the Recruit Academy back in 1994. Hain had been a firefighter just two years. While responding to a medical call in 1996, he came into contact with a patient's blood. He apparently was performing CPR and had kneeled down into some blood. At the time, Hain had a small cut on his leg that hadn't yet completely healed over.
The accident caused Hain to contract an infection that eventually destroyed his heart.
"We do everything we can to protect ourselves, but there are so many hazards out there and they are hazards that don't have an immediate impact," said Assistant Chief Smith.
As Hain's heart grew more enlarged and weaker, his only hope was for a life-saving heart transplant. The call came in November 1998 when Hain underwent the operation at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.
WCCO-TV's cameras were given exclusive access to Hain's surgery as well as the time leading up to that day. Just days before getting the call that a heart had been found, Hain said, "Do I want to get a heart? Yeah. But I don't have any particular gift that makes me think that I'm going to make it. Do I want to? You bet."
Eventually, Hain got the transplant and a precious 11 more years with his wife and two young daughters. But sadly, from the very beginning he knew the day could come when the transplanted heart would fail. That day came on Nov. 14, when Hain died with his family at his side.
At Hain's memorial service on Saturday, his family made it clear that Hain's strong belief in organ donation never faltered. In fact, even after he took his last breath, he would give part of himself so that somebody else's life could be improved. Hain committed himself to organ donation when he signed his driver's license at the tender age of 16. Hain's final gift was to donate his corneas so that another person could see the beauty of life.
Minnesotans are among the nation's leaders in that regard, as 52 percent of us are signed up as organ donors. The national average for organ donation is around 38 percent. Even still, 104,000 Americans and 2,200 Minnesotans are currently on the waiting list for a life-saving organ transplant.
If you would like to become an organ donor or would like more information about how to help, visit
www.donatelifemn.org.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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