“Not everybody gets second chances,” Gloria Michayluk says, knowing her husband Ed is one of the lucky ones.

It was a foggy Jan. 31, 2007 in Vancouver when Ed got that second chance thanks to a heart transplant.

“I’ve had a change of heart, and I’m not looking back,” Ed says.

Ed and Gloria have both been door-to-door canvassing co-ordinators for the Heart and Stroke Foundation in the Merritt area for years.

That’s fitting, as the couple has also benefited from the foundation’s research and education.

The couple has dealt with Ed’s heart issues for decades. Ed, a retired RCMP officer since 1986, came to Merritt in 1974. Since the early ’90s, Ed has had three open heart surgeries.

Ed has a history of heart disease in his family, which means there was a hereditary and uncontrollable risk factor in his heart disease.

Two of his brothers had heart attacks, one at age 47 the other at age 58.

Some of Ed’s risk factors for heart disease included smoking, working in a high-stress job and being overweight.

“And doughnuts the policemen eat,” Gloria joked.

Today, Ed’s eating habits have changed.

“Once in a while I have a doughnut,” he said.

In 1991, Ed had a quadruple bypass surgery at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver to treat his severe coronary artery disease, which is caused by plaque build up along the inner walls of the arteries.

Prior to the surgery, Ed was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma – cancer of the lymphocytes.

He underwent chemotherapy a week later and in 1996 was declared cancer-free.

But Ed’s heart issues continued and in 1998 he had another heart surgery, this time to replace a mitral valve.

Gloria said the surgeon who performed that surgery thought Ed might be a candidate for a heart transplant.

“They don’t like to do repeat surgeries because of scar tissue,” Gloria said.

In 2002, Ed was referred to a pre-heart transplant clinic at St. Paul’s Hospital for treatment of his heart disease.

“We’d go down there about twice a year,” Gloria said.

In 2006, Ed’s condition deteriorated to the point where a heart transplant was unavoidable.

Gloria said doctors told them without one, Ed wouldn’t live longer than two more years.

Gloria said they were told it could take six weeks to two years to receive a heart.

His name was put on the list for donors on Jan. 25 and in a matter of days he got a very important phone call informing him there was a heart for him.

Ed’s blood type is one of the less common ones of A-positive, but he was also the only one on the hospital’s list with that blood type.

Ed said he wasn’t worried when he was faced with major surgery.

“I figured [if] my time comes, it comes,” Ed said.

“We were familiar with the people at St. Paul’s – the doctors, the surgeons – and I think we felt as if we were amongst friends, and because he had previous surgery we trusted them,” Gloria said.

He was 68 when he received his new heart.

During his golden years, he’s had to overcome serious heart issues. While many men don’t walk away from heart issues, Ed did.

He was even able to run a bit a few days after the transplant, while still in hospital.

Ed’s recovery time was quick.

“He didn’t have any complications. Some people do, but the new heart started very well and kept on beating without any problems. It’s incredible,” his wife said.