Nicholas Sidorenko, Lives Lived April 18/11
Son, brother, friend, hero. Born Aug. 22, 1984, in Montreal. Died Oct. 10, 2010, at Lac Notre-Dame, Que., of heart failure, aged 26.
In the fall of 2001, during his first semester at John Abbott College, Nick Sidorenko was rushed to emergency. The previous school year, he had left Beaconsfield High School with an award for being outstanding male student of the graduating class for his scholarship, citizenship and sportsmanship.
At Royal Victoria Hospital, he was told he had viral cardiomyopathy. Doctors surgically inserted a defibrillator to regulate his heart's rhythm. In February, 2002, his name was added to the heart transplant list. With so few donors in Canada, he had no other option but to go on a mechanical heart.
Then, after waiting 15 months, he got the call on May 11, 2003, that a potential donor match had been found. The surgery was a success and Nick was able to get back to playing sports and living a normal life. That September, he returned to college to study sciences.
Nick promoted organ donation in the community and in schools, telling his story to all who would listen. The hospital called him regularly as a mentor for patients on mechanical hearts and those going through the transplant process.
Nick and his older sister, Alexandra, were raised in the West Island of Montreal by their parents, Alex and Cathy Sidorenko. Nick enjoyed a variety of sports and was a techie from an early age. As a toddler, he was fussy about the clothes he wore. It was no surprise that in later years he fancied Armani, Hugo Boss and Burberry.
After graduating from John Abbott College, Nick pursued a degree in physiology at McGill University. He joined the university's Ex-Yugoslav group, which led to learning the Serbian language and a six-month study excursion in Belgrade.
Unfortunately, six years after the transplant, Nick's heart began to show signs of deterioration. His only option for long-term survival was to receive a new heart. He was placed once again on the transplant list. Knowing this, he decided to travel - to Chicago with his parents, to Las Vegas and Kelowna, B.C., with his uncles and on a tour of Europe with family and friends.
Nick was always surrounded by the best of friends. Despite his health challenges, he remained courageous and actively pursued a variety of interests: basketball, golf, travel, video games, cars, music and gourmet food. He died at the family chalet in the Laurentians with his parents by his side.
Quiet but charming, Nick was an exceptional patient who created a special bond with his medical team. Many days his energy level kept him home surfing the Net, watching movies or listening to music. His desire would have been to finish his degree, train as a medical professional, travel the world, enjoy good food and wine and designer clothes and, of course, play golf and basketball.
By Catherine Sidorenko, Nick's mother