Ontario man hopes to become first heart transplant recipient to summit Mount Chimborazo
An Ontario man hopes to become the first heart transplant recipient to reach the summit of a peak in Ecuador.
When Dale Shippam, 71, of Thunder Bay, Ont. was brought to Toronto General Hospital 25 years ago, he feared he was going to die. He was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy and needed a new heart.
"Every day when you go to sleep, you don't know if you're going to wake up," says Shippam. "It was very serious."
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
At one point, Shippam went into cardiac arrest.
"We were doing chest compressions in the elevator on our way into the Coronary Care unit. It was like something you might have seen on a TV show, but it truly happened," says Dr. Heather Ross.
And that was Ross's introduction to the patient who would one day become her partner in adventure.
Shippam got his new heart in 1999. Seven years later, in 2006, Ross and Shippam went to Antarctica, marking their first of 10 excursions they would take together.
They explored the North and South poles, biked to Mount Everest's base camp, conquered one of the world's most challenging trails - the Snowman trek in Bhutan - and more.
They will climb Mount Chimborazo during their upcoming journey to Ecuador. Its position along the equator makes it the closest point to the sun on Earth.
During this trek, Ross and Shippam will have to climb during the night hours, in part because the heat of the sun during the day makes the snow soft and prone to avalanches.
How does a 71-year-old man with a heart transplant manage such a high-altitude climb? With good training, good equipment and good teammates, say Shippam and Ross.
With this trip to Ecuador, Shippam is trying to become the first heart transplant recipient to reach an altitude of 6,310 metres.
Like their other excursions, the climb is part of Test Your Limits, an organization to raise awareness and funds for cardiac research.
Ross, who heads the Department of Cardiology at the University Health Network, says they've raised about 4 million dollars over the years for pioneering technology to help cardiac patients.
In 2006, when Health Canada had approved but not yet issued funding for mechanical hearts, Test Your Limits helped purchase the device for patients.
"Since that time, Test Your Limits continued to fund innovative and disruptive technologies that can sometimes have difficulties getting traditional funding," says Ross.
This year's climb aims to fund the development of wearable, artificial intelligence-driven devices that can predict cardiopulmonary performance, especially in patients with heart failure.
She points to Shippam as evidence of the progress that research and technology can lead to.
"Dale is just an incredible human, right?" she says. "But it also speaks to the wonders of science."
As for Shippam, his message is simple: "Organ donation works. That's what Test Your Limits is all about."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members today during a ceremony at British Columbia's legislature cenotaph commemorating the Second World War's Battle of the Atlantic.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
As storms moves across Texas, 1 child dies after being swept away in floodwaters
A child in Texas died Sunday after being swept away in floodwaters as storms swept across the state.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.