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It turns out another local son is in a Boston hospital, looking for a new heart. Two weeks ago, The Herald ran a story about Gary Larocque of Randolph, who has been at Tufts New England Medical Center since early February awaiting a heart transplant. Last week, Donna Harrington of South Royalton advised The Herald that her nephew, Mason Estabrook of Braintree, has been at Brigham and Women’s Hospital since late February, and is also a heart transplant candidate. Estabrook, who is 47 and has been suffering from a hereditary heart problem for many years, was taken to Brigham & Women’s by ambulance in late February as his condition worsened, according to another aunt, Jane Turner of Pittsfield. He, like Gary Larocque, was put at the top of the list for a heart transplant. However, because Estabrook’s condition was seriously deteriorating, he was additionally scheduled for surgery last Tuesday, March 6, to have a mechanical pump put in his heart. The Thursday before that scheduled surgery—afters a massive snowstorm buried the northeast-– there was word that a heart was available for Estabrook. However, weather conditions made it impossible to get that heart to Boston, and it ended up going to someone else near Albany, N.Y., according to Jane Turner. Estabrook and his family accepted that turn of fate with equanimity, she said. "He said he really wasn’t that disappointed, and that maybe there was a good reason why," Turner related. New Pump One good reason is that the heart pump he received last week has notably improved Estabrook’s condition. Debbie Estabrook, who is down in Boston with her husband, reported via cellphone from his hospital room that Mason now has the strongest pulse he has had in a long time, and is breathing much better as well. Estabrook is temporarily off the waiting list for a heart, for about a month, while he recovers from the heart-pump surgery, Debbie Estabrook said. Doctors tell her that, thanks to the pump, Mason will be in better condition to face heart transplant surgery in the future. Jane Turner noted that her nephew has been unable to work—he was a tool-and-die maker—for many years, but has regularly volunteered at Gifford Medical Center as a cafeteria cashier. He "thoroughly enjoyed" the volunteering, which gave him an opportunity to visit—"he loves to talk"—and to give something back to the medical community for the care he has received. Estabrook and his family were featured in The Herald a number of years ago, when he burned down his old East Braintree house—with the permission of the fire department. He was tired of fixing the old place, he said, and decided to make way for a new, pre-built home. The Gifford kitchen is also where Debbie works, and this week she extended thanks to her boss for giving her an extra week off to stay in Boston with Mason. All three of the Estabrooks’ sons are in the military. Kirby, the youngest is returning back to his Air Force base in Idaho after being home 30 days to help with his dad. Thomas, a sailor who has been on a ship near Africa, is now in Boston, and it is hoped that Westley, who is in the Army and living in Georgia with his wife and child, will make it to Vermont soon. Cards may be sent to Mason Estabrook at: Brigham and Women’s Hospital; 75 Francis Street; Room 19, 8th Floor-A; Boston, MA 02115 Larocque Online! Any one wishing to send Gary Larocque a message may do so by going to www.carepages.com. "We have a website set up for him where we post updates on his condition," his daughter Amy Button reported. After pulling up the site, they just have to set up a quick password, then they click on patient Gary Larocque," she explained. "There is place people where people can send him a message." Button noted that her family had only learned about Mason Estabrook after the article on her father was published. "The Larocques are keeping him in our prayers," she said. |
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