Busselton Jetty Swim: Yallingup transplant recipient to compete in big event

Among the 4000 swimmers expected to take part in the Busselton Jetty Swim on Sunday will be a man who has overcome incredible odds to become the oldest organ transplant recipient in Australia after life-saving surgery in 2021. Less than two years ago, the simple act of breathing was a struggle for Yallingup grandfather John Price. Yet on Sunday, the 76-year-old will tackle the solo 3.6km swim around the iconic jetty in a personal mission to raise awareness about organ donation. No stranger to the event, having completed the epic swim 13 times before, this will be the first time he will take part in a competitive swim since receiving a single lung transplant from an anonymous donor in October 2021. John was diagnosed with idiopathic interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic disease that causes the tissue surrounding the lung’s air sacs to thicken. The disease causes permanent scarring on the lungs, which makes it increasingly difficult to breathe, and claimed the life of his older brother Graham in 2015. “I went from swimming 3km a session without stopping to not even being able to swim 100m and I could barely walk upstairs afterwards, so I had to stop swimming,” John said. He was added to the lung transplant waitlist, but his rapid health decline forced him to withdraw from the 2021 Jetty Swim and other strenuous activities until a donor could be found. “Had I not been fortunate enough to receive a transplant, I know that the only situation for me was probably an early death,” he said. Lung transplant surgery is followed by several weeks in hospital, as well as a strict regime of antibiotics and immunosuppressant medications that prevent the body rejecting the donated organs, which can cause transplant failure. John said the journey since the surgery has been as much a mental process as a physical one. ‘it’s a mental thing, all the way through this process . . . I’ve come out of that really, really well so now I can go forward with a lot of my life with a lot of confidence,” he said. “To my family, medical team, friends, everyone whose shown support along the way of friends, I can’t say thank you enough.” But he knows his biggest debt of gratitude goes to the anonymous organ donor. “Not a day goes by when we don’t say a silent thank you,” John said. “It’s as much the donor’s triumph as it is mine.” John’s health transformation since the transplant has been remarkable. He has gone from not being able to catch his breath or swim even 100m pre-surgery, to swimming four times a week in the Yallingup lagoon post-surgery. He has completed 94km in the water since the transplant in preparation for the weekend’s event and is now looking forward to making a splash. He hopes by competing in the event he can help raise awareness about organ donation, encourage more donors and highlight the important work of the Heart and Lung Transplant Foundation of WA, which supports patients both before and after transplant. “If I get out of the water with a smile on my face, I’ll be absolutely ecstatic,” he said. “It’s been a significant journey for me and getting back in the water felt fantastic. “I’m looking forward to Sunday morning and walking into the water with the suit on and heading off. When I get round to the end of the jetty, it’ll be terrific. When I see the finish line, it’ll be even better.”