Nola Vlatkovich will never forget the moment her son Antony called to say a liver was available and he needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible for transplant surgery. She was in the middle of a manicure.
“I told the girls, ‘Stop the nails!’ and I was on my way,” remembers Nola, 66.
The life-changing November 2023 call came as the close-knit family were already juggling grief, distance and uncertainty. Just two days earlier, Nola’s beloved 97-year-old mother Matija, the backbone of the family, had passed away. Her daughter Katija, now 39, who was often raised by her nana while Antony, now 38, was in and out of hospital as a child, had also just moved to Berlin.
A life-changing operation
Throughout everything, Nola’s thoughts turned to the donor’s family.
“I had to think of the other family who had lost somebody, but given my family life,” she says.
“We don’t know who they are, but I still thank them every day.”
Eight hours later, Antony was wheeled in for surgery.
“It was one of the most nerve-wracking times I’ve ever felt,” shares Antony, who was first diagnosed with a liver tumour at just three years old.
On the other side of the world, sister Katija woke up to 103 missed calls, with the shock news that her brother was undergoing an organ transplant and a long wait ahead to know the outcome. After seven hours in the operating theatre, much to Nola, dad Tony and Katija’s immense relief, the surgery was complete and so far, successful.
“Getting up and walking was the hardest part… but I kept pushing myself,” says Antony of the gruelling rehabilitation afterwards.
From recovery to the world stage
It was during this time that he spotted a poster for the World Transplant Games, an annual international event where transplant-recipient athletes from more than 60 countries compete on a global stage.
He felt an immediate surge of inspiration but was advised to focus on recovery for a year first. Resilient as always, Antony clung to his goal and in January this year, 13 months post-op, started playing pétanque, a sport he’d enjoyed as a child with his nana.
He tells, “I wasn’t born a runner or athlete, but I’ve always had good hand-eye coordination for ball sports and it’s something I have an emotional attachment to.”
Now Antony trains three times a week at an Auckland bowling club for three hours at a time.
“I love it – the sport and the people,” says Antony, who also works out three times a week with personal trainer and friend Alex Flint.
“The whole pétanque community has been very supportive of me and what I’m trying to achieve.”
And it’s all paying off – as Antony proudly tells the Weekly this month, he will represent New Zealand at the World Transplant Games in Dresden, Germany. Being part of the national team of 12 athletes has given Antony a real sense of belonging.
“It’s like an unspoken word. You don’t have to explain what you’ve been through – you just have this connection straightaway.”
After 35 years of adversity, Nola and Katija – ready to cheer Antony on at the Games – beam with joy as they watch him thrive.
Overcoming obstacles from an early age
“He’s had some major trials and tribulations,” shares Nola.
“To see him now, it’s so emotional.”
Looking back, she says Antony’s health battles started when he struggled to bounce back from flu-like symptoms as a toddler. After repeated doctors’ visits, Nola explains they finally got some answers when Antony fell from a bike at pre-school and couldn’t get up. Several days later, doctors in the hospital diagnosed him with a tumour on his liver.
“It was exceptionally serious,” remembers Nola, who at one point was told it was unlikely he would live past the age of five.
Chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumour and right lobe of his liver followed, but when it grew back, it had cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), which causes ongoing issues. Against the odds, Antony never gave up.
“His story is so powerful to show that no matter what, if you keep going, things can get better,” says Katija.
“I just know he’s going to achieve amazing things.”
Antony adds, “I tried to make the best of the situation. A lot of things I didn’t see as a disadvantage but as an advantage… like my determination. If people say I can’t do it, I’ll find a way to do it.”
Having received the ultimate gift, he hopes his story will inspire others to consider organ donation.
“I just want to thank my donor for giving me the chance to be here, to be with my family and do this great thing I’m doing.”
To find out more about the Games, visit transplantnewzealand.org.nz
