David Dirks, from Methven in Canterbury, was born with a heart condition, and by the time he was 13, he was in serious heart failure. He couldn’t run 20 metres without struggling to breathe, and he was always freezing cold. 

After 321 days on the waiting list, his doctor walked into the room with the news David and his family had been waiting for: “I'm pretty sure we found you a heart. We can do a heart transplant.” 

David doesn’t remember much of the ten days around his transplant, but he remembers what it felt like to wake up afterwards. Suddenly, he could breathe properly. His hands were warm for the first time, and he had an energy he’d never felt before. He describes it as feeling like someone had lifted a physical weight off his chest. Seeing footage of his parents feeling his new heart beat for the first time is still surreal for David to watch, and something he’ll always be thankful for. 

Starship had been a huge part of David’s life, and his memories extend well beyond his treatment. He remembers the nurses and doctors, but also the playroom and therapy dogs. The people there didn’t just look after him, they got to know him and helped him feel like a normal kid at a time when, after being in hospital all his life, he really didn’t feel like one. 

It’s something David has carried with him. He doesn’t take things for granted anymore and can now enjoy things that once weren’t possible for him. He can get outside, run and snowboard. 

When he thinks back to the little kid who couldn’t even make it across the field, David reckons he’d probably look at him now and say, “Mate. Pretty good upgrade.” 

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