Transplant recipient Jonathan Fowler 'inspiring'

TARANAKI DAILY NEWS

TRANSPLANT MAN: Jonathan Fowler, 27, died this week nearly one year to the day since his transplant.

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Jonathan Fowler was the kind of man who always made others want to get more out of life.

The double-lung transplant patient from New Plymouth gave inspiration to his family, his friends, and most importantly, other cystic fibrosis sufferers not as fortunate as himself.

Mr Fowler, 27, died this week nearly one year to the day since his re-birth, as he liked to call his transplant, on December 19 last year.

His death, caused by pneumonia, comes as a shock to those close to him as Mr Fowler had lately been in good health and good spirits – competing in the Taranaki Around the Mountain relay six weeks ago.

His mother Julie Fowler said she was still struggling to come to terms with losing her son.

"There has been so many times he hasn't been expected to make it. You know, we have spent so much time in ICU we know the furniture, " Mrs Fowler said.

"He's been given the last rites before and pulled through. We just expected him to bounce back again but this time he didn't."

Mrs Fowler said the two things she would always remember about her son was his courage and his ability to be positive no matter what."He could have a temperature of 40, be vomiting and have no meat on his bones and still be expecting to make it."

"It kind of made you feel pathetic when you had a problem," she said.

Having Jonathan in her life had been a privilege, Mrs Fowler said.

"I think most parents of a chronically ill kid that I've known feel the same. You get so close. You're watching the evolvement of the illness and watching them go through the normal milestones, even if they don't always make it."

Mr Fowler, however, had made so many milestones, such as completing university study and reaching his 21st birthday.

It had made the family extremely proud, Mrs Fowler said. A service will be held on Saturday at 10.30am at the Abraham chapel.

The family says donations can be made to either Cystic Fibrosis Taranaki or Transplant NZ in lieu of flowers, so more patients like Mr Fowler can be helped.

- © Fairfax NZ News