Widow's anger after father-of-two, 34, died when he was given a double lung transplant 'from donor whose organs were infected with bacteria and pneumonia'
- Malcolm Duffy, 34, was told that a transplant would help fix breathing problems
- However he died two weeks after an operation at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle
- A report later found a Klebsiella bacterial infection and pneumonia in the lungs
- His widow Rachel, 34, revealed that his last words were 'I love you, see you soon'
Malcolm Duffy (pictured) died in April 2018, two weeks after an operation to remove and replace two lungs
A father-of-two died after he was given a double lung transplant from a donor 'whose organs were infected with bacteria and pneumonia', his widow claims.
Malcolm Duffy, 34, was told that the transplant would help him breathe properly for the first time since he was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension in 2004.
However he died in April 2018, two weeks after the operation at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, without ever regaining consciousness.
A medical report later found a Klebsiella bacterial infection and pneumonia in the lungs.
His devastated widow Rachel, 34, revealed how a teary Mr Duffy's last words to her were 'I love you, see you soon' as he was wheeled into the operation theatre.
She added: 'We never spoke again. Mal died. I'd deliberately decided not to say goodbye as they took him to theatre. Now I can't get his face out of my mind.
'Mal was trying to be brave. But he was scared and crying. Neither of us could have known he was going to be given lungs that were not good.
'If we had known there was any sort of risk and the lungs being offered were not as good as they should have been we would never have gone ahead.
'He would never have taken a risk that meant he might not survive.'
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Mr Duffy was diagnosed in 2004 with pulmonary arterial hypertension, which causes high blood pressure in the arteries that fed his heart and lungs.
He was told that he could not remain on medication forever but was not 'at death's door', said Rachel, from Middlesbrough.
In records, the consultant cardiothoracic surgeon stated: 'They were not in an optimum or expected condition when we received them in theatre.'
He added: 'We were told they were usable and good organs at the time of retrieval but turned out to be not so good on arrival.'
Mr Duffy never woke up from the transplant and for the next two weeks his body battled septic infection.
He also had a hole in his heart larger than surgeons had expected and he suffered bleeding and blood clots, leading to one of the transplanted lungs being removed.
At the inquest into Mr Duffy's death, it was revealed that bacteria had been identified on lung tissue.
Mr Duffy's medical records state the Klebsiella bacterial infection was 'the cause of his final severe septic episode'.
A pathologist told the inquest pneumonia was also found in the remaining transplanted lung.
After the transplant, blood clots were found in the veins of the new lungs - something the surgeon had never seen before.
The Freeman hospital's consultant revealed Mr Duffy had become infected with what he described as 'bad bugs' and confirmed they had come from the organ donor.
Despite undergoing rigorous medical tests before being given the all-clear for transplant, the inquest was told Mr Duffy also had a narrowing at the junction of his heart which had not been spotted.
The Freeman surgeon said: 'If we had known before the transplant, he would have either been taken of the list or dealt with separately.'
Mr Duffy's cause of death was ruled by the coroner as multiple organ failure after bilateral lung transplantation for pulmonary hypertension.
Rachel added: 'Mal had trusted the staff at the Freeman because they'd treated him for years for pulmonary hypertension.
'I still can't look at all his medical records or talk about his last two weeks without breaking down.
'He should be here with us this Christmas. Instead he's gone and we have this huge hole in our lives.
'I have to keep going for the sake of our kids, but I don't know where to find the strength some days.
'After the operation, the surgeon couldn't look me in the eye. In that single moment, in my heart, I knew something was terribly wrong.'
The Freeman hospital refused to answer questions about whether Mr Duffy's lung donor was suffering from pneumonia or bacterial infection.
But the trust's medical director, Andrew Welch, said: 'All of the necessary protocols in relation to Mr Duffy's transplant were followed and the inquest confirmed that these complications could not have been anticipated.'
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