Mark McNaughton: Life, Death and a Second Chance at Both

It was December 1995 and Mark McNaughton was focused on finishing up the last of his teacher’s college exams at the University of Windsor. Across town, a young woman named Cindy Farris*, a stranger to Mark, was about to succumb to massive head trauma inflicted by a horrific car accident. As her parents confronted the most heart-wrenching decision of their lives, Mark’s life was about to irrevocably change as well. He just didn’t know it yet.

The similarities between both Mark and Cindy are numerous – fateful to a point beyond coincidental. Only a couple of years apart in age, they both lived in Windsor; they shared several mutual friends and for a time – they even both worked for the same drugstore chain (although at different locations). 

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But to be clear – Mark did not actually know Cindy. To his knowledge, they have never met. And whether or not their paths ever crossed before December 1995, no one will ever know. But on December 17, 1995 – their paths did cross.

In fact, Mark owes his very life to Cindy; to the Farris family. Twenty-three years ago, on a mid-December day, Mark McNaughton received Cindy Farris’ liver – and as a result, he got a second chance at life that day.

“Grateful doesn’t do justice for how I feel toward Cindy and her family,” says Mark. “Thanks to the Farris family, five individuals on the transplant list (me included) were given another chance at life. And I have two kids now – they pretty much owe their lives to Cindy as well.”

Mark’s health concerns first began in 1988. He was a Grade 12 student at the time when he contracted a virus that hijacked his immune system – essentially causing his own body to attack both his liver and colon.

Known as auto-immune hepatitis, this serious condition went undiagnosed in Mark for eight months. During that time, Mark experienced severe abdominal pain which doctors struggled to specifically diagnose. Initially believed to be the result of a stomach ulcer, he was treated with antacid.

The following year, Mark underwent a liver biopsy. This was when doctors made the crucial discovery that there was something seriously wrong with his liver – though the specifics were still relatively unknown. It was Mark’s Grade 13 biology teacher who noticed his extremely jaundiced appearance and recommended he see a local liver specialist. This lead to submitting to yet another battery of tests which revealed the severity of his liver damage.

He was treated with a regimen of inflammatory medication and told that his liver problem was something he’d eventually have to deal with down the road. Unbeknownst to both Mark and his medical team, the prescribed medications masked his symptoms of ulcerative colitis (an inflammatory bowel disease affecting the colon and rectum) which he was also unknowingly suffering from.

“Fast forward to 1994,” says Mark. “I’m losing weight and people are starting to notice. My skin was jaundiced, the whites of my eyes were yellow. It was then that my doctor dropped a bomb. I needed a new liver within the next 16 months or I would become too sick to ever recover from a transplant.”

In the spring of the following year, Mark went on the transplant waiting list – which at that time was about 60 people long. This was also when he first learned just how serious the transplant operation was.

“I was told that one out of five patients don’t survive the transplant surgery,” says Mark. “And even if I did make it through the surgery, there were further risks for rejection and infection afterward. Luckily, because of my youth as well as the fact that I was in good general health, my survival chances were increased by double. But still – pretty scary odds.”

Despite the odds being less than optimal, Mark had little choice. He needed a new liver – preferably sooner rather than later.

It was December 17th, 1995 and Mark was immersed in his exams when his father received the phone call they had been waiting for. A donor liver was available – and Mark needed to make the two hour drive to the London hospital as soon as possible.

Despite knowing that the moments leading up to the surgery could very well be his last, Mark was well-buffered by the love and support of his family and girlfriend. He came through the eight hour surgery with flying colours and spent the remainder of the holidays recovering in London. Amazingly, Mark was able to make it back to school in the New Year – only missing one day of classes.

While typically there is a veil of secrecy surrounding organ donation, Mark was able to connect the dots between his new liver and Cindy’s tragic death due to local news coverage of her accident. While his donor liver could have come from anywhere in North America, the chances of it coming from someone like Cindy – who lived in Windsor, who shared so much in common with Mark, was truly extraordinary.

As a poignant side note, Cindy’s parents were able to rest assured that during their grief-stricken heartache, they had made a decision their daughter would have wanted. Only later, while going through their daughter’s belongings, did they discover her filled-out organ donation card. It was obviously something that had been on her mind leading up to her death.

While the 20 plus years of Mark’s post-transplant life have been relatively smooth, there have been a few bumps along the way. In 2001, he suffered a major setback when his ulcerative colitis flared up resulting in surgery to remove his colon. Three subsequent surgeries followed.

“While my liver issue was life-threatening to me, the ulcerative colitis I experienced was much more debilitating,” says Mark. “That was definitely a low point in my life – I had just started my teaching career and was newly married. Luckily, my wife was very supportive of me and everything worked out.”

In 1996, Mark shared his story with The Windsor Star – not only to thank the Farris family for their selfless generosity but to raise awareness for organ donation.

In Ontario alone, more than 1500 people reside on the wait list for lifesaving organ transplants. Every three days, a person will die – not having received the life or death transplant in time. One donor can save up to eight lives – with an additional 75 lives being further enhanced with tissue donations.

While 90% of Canadians support the idea of organ and tissue donation, less than a meagre 25% have actually put their money where their mouths are – and have made specific plans to do so.

It does not matter how old you are or what your condition of health is like – anyone can be a potential organ and tissue donor.

Today, Mark doesn’t take for granted all that he has in his life. He is a single father to his two sons – Mitchell (16) and Marshall (14); he just reached his 20th anniversary as a teacher for the Greater Essex County District School Board; and he remains active and healthy – running 25 km per week.

“Looking back at my earlier health issues, I’ve never asked ‘why me?’”, says Mark. “Due to my circumstances, I was made aware of my own mortality at a younger age than most. And this is something that has definitely impacted on how I live my life and what I try to teach my children. Yet I never look back on this with self pity. Even though my liver transplant was also a close brush with death for me, I honestly cherish the entire experience. I learned a lot about myself, about my family, my friends. A lot of positivity came out of such a difficult situation. I definitely believe I have a heightened appreciation for all the good things in my life – and I never take my good health for granted.”

To register as an organ donor in Ontario – you must be at least 16 years of age, provide your date of birth as well as valid health card information. Head over to ontario.ca to sign up. If you live outside of Ontario, please google organ donation in order to complete the sign up process in your area.

*Out of respect for the Farris family and due to the fact that I have not asked their permission to share their story, Cindy Farris is a pseudonym.

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