Mr. Gary Blinn This is Me

Education

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1. 1. Distributor Media Outreach

   www.nbwa.org/Nbwa/Responsibili - [Cached]

   Published on: 11/17/2007   Last Visited: 1/24/2008

   Gary Blinn of Norfolk Beverage Company in Norfolk, Nebraska , submitted a "letter to the editor" of his local paper, Norfolk Daily News, containing tips for making a holiday party a safe event for everyone.

2. 2. Lincoln Journal Star Online

   www.journalstar.com/articles/2 - [Cached]

   Published on: 10/2/2004   Last Visited: 10/2/2004

   Fred Lockwood, a Scottsbluff accountant who has been chairman of the board since it was created in 1984, and Gary Blinn, owner of Norfolk Beverage Co., generally argued for low revenue forecasts, ones that fell below the midpoint of the estimates made by the computer-driven economic models.
   ...
   Neither Lockwood nor Blinn could be reached to comment.

3. 3. Mayo Clinic Patient Stories

   www.mayoclinic.org/patientstor - [Cached]

   Published on: 7/28/2005   Last Visited: 7/28/2005

   Gary Blinn
   ...
   Gary Blinn lives life to the fullest after a heart transplant at Mayo Clinic. Read more ...
   
   Gary Blinn
   ...
   Gary Blinn
   
   In his recently published book, Gary Blinn recounts the year he was engaged in river warfare in Vietnam. The book, "Confession to a Deaf God," was sent to the staff and coordinators of Mayo Clinic's transplant center. His 1992 New York City Marathon medal sits on display in the cardiovascular unit of Saint Marys Hospital. Without a lifesaving heart transplant in 1990, Blinn wouldn't have completed the marathon or the book, an intimate portrait of his struggles as a naval officer in combat.
   
   Overcoming struggles
   
   "Vietnam wasn't the only struggle in my life," explains Blinn, the 58-year-old chairman of Norfolk Beverage Company in Nebraska. "Back in 1989, I began struggling to catch my breath while jogging. I felt tired and weak." Subsequently, Blinn was seen at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a condition that attacks and destroys the heart. "It's a strange and random disease," says Blinn, "for which there isn't a cure, except for a heart transplant. Suddenly facing a failing heart in your mid-40s is scary."
   
   After waiting several months for a suitable organ and following a successful transplant, Blinn became more active than ever. "I work a full-time job and my distribution company was recently named Nebraska's ‘Business of the Year' by the Small Business Administration," he says.
   
   Blinn runs for exercise, competes in marathons, climbs rocks, skis downhill and plans to go on an archaeological dig and take an underwater photography course. "And in my spare time I give testimonials about the tremendous benefits of organ donation and lobby for my industry in Washington, D.C.," he says.
   
   Blinn and his wife raised one of their child and a nephew who tragically lost both parents. "We were able to guide our nephew through high school, put him through college and he's now serving in the Peace Corps," he says. "If I hadn't been healthy, we couldn't have taken him in," says Blinn.
   
   Advancing treatment
   
   "It's unknown why Mr. Blinn developed cardiomyopathy," says Christopher McGregor, M.D., director of the William J. von Liebig Transplant Center and Blinn's transplant surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. "At his age and the condition of his heart, a transplant was the only option for survival," says Dr. McGregor. Mayo Clinic's transplant programs have grown significantly over the 14 years since Blinn received his new heart.
   
   "The volume of transplants and our knowledge about transplantion have increased, resulting in improved survival rates," explains Dr. McGregor. "In addition, research has transformed the outlook for cardiomyopathy with the use of beta-blockers and ace inhibitor. Our research team is actively searching for non-transplant options to heart disease."
   
   "Most patients live 10 years or more post-transplant, but Mr. Blinn has done exceptionally well," Dr. McGregor notes.
   ...
   Blinn was very fortunate to have waited only five months for a compatible donor heart.
   ...
   Blinn recently acquired an English bull terrier, which he and his wife enjoy walking every day. "His name is Argo, which is probably the oldest dog name in history. Argo was the name of Ulysses' (aka Odysseus) dog, which faithfully waited for him during the Trojan War and his 10-year odyssey returning," notes Blinn.
   
   For Blinn, as the beat of his second heart goes on, he reaps joy from life and gives back whenever he can. "Writing my book was therapeutic for me, but I also intended it to be a gift of understanding for others who went through combat or wanted to better understand those who did," explains Blinn.
   
   Blinn says he feels obligated to speak to groups on the importance of organ donation. "I also met with legislators to discuss how to get donor information to show up more prominently on the driver's license," he says. "I owe so much to the medical community and to the families of donors. What I've done is a tiny price to pay for the second chance at life I've received."
   
   In addition, each year through an anonymous channel, Blinn writes to the family whose loved one's heart he was given. "I thank them for the gift of life and assure them I am living each day to the fullest. The day I pen that letter is really the anniversary of my new life."
   
   "The way I see it, the past 14 years of my life have been a huge bonus," says Blinn.