THE first patient in the region to be fitted with an artificial heart pump outside his body is doing well after undergoing a transplant.

Terry Purchase, 60, from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, was kept alive by a Berlin battery-powered portable pump on wheels for nine months until a donated heart could be found.

On February 20, the father- of-two was rushed to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle where surgeons removed the artificial heart pump before giving him a new heart.

Last night, the former computer engineer, who was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy 11 years ago, said: “Things were going downhill so the timing was perfect. I got home on March 14 and have been feeling great.”

Back in May, Mr Purchase, who is married to Carol and has two grownup children, Louise, 29 and Simon, 27, became the first heart patient to be allowed home by the Freeman Hospital connected to an artificial heart pump. He said it was “nerve-racking” at first, but he soon got used to it.

“I managed to go for short walks, visit family and friends and go shopping.

“When I went to a local restaurant I always asked them to put me near a socket so I could plug it in,” he said. “It was a bit like pulling a shopping trolley around with you, but you had to remember you were connected to it by tubes.”

A shortage of donated hearts has forced specialists at the Freeman to fit more and more people with artificial pumps designed to keep patients alive until a suitable heart can be found.

More than 25 have been fitted so far.

“The artificial heart pump was fantastic. It was a bit noisy, but it did the job,” said Mr Purchase.

He said he was pleased that there was no sign of his body rejecting his new heart.

“I feel better now than I have felt for years,” he said.

Mr Purchase said he intended to contact the donor’s family and express his thanks in due course.

“We don’t have any details about the donor at the moment, but our thoughts are with the family,” he added.