“Why not help somebody else? I think it’s the greatest action anyone can do. Josh works with Donate Life ACT to raise awareness on the importance of organ donation, and as National Donate Life Week approaches, he encourages others to register as an organ donor. It’s my greatest way of giving back and honouring the donor and their family,” said Josh. “I’m doing everything I’ve wanted to do previously but that my heart wouldn’t allow me to. After almost six weeks of recovery, he was able to go home to live life with his new heart. Josh underwent heart transplant surgery at the age of 38.
Josh went from mountain bike riding one week to the ICU the next. “Along with multiple episodes of a fast and abnormal heart rate, I was having bad arrhythmias which put my heart at its worst,” Josh said. When it became evident that his condition would be damaging for him long term, Josh was assessed for a heart transplant in May 2021 and went onto the transplant list a couple of months later. In 2016, the active physiotherapist started to experience heart arrhythmias causing his heart to beat irregularly, and he had a pacemaker installed after numerous surgeries to try and improve his rhythm. Josh was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in his mid-20s – a heart disease which makes it harder for the heart to pump blood around the body.Īfter his diagnosis Josh’s fitness level slowly declined. Canberran Josh Lindenthaler is alive today thanks to the generosity of organ donation.