Indian actor Will Sampson gets new heart and lung

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Hollywood actor and Cree Indian Will Sampson who is noted for his portrayal of a silent Indian mental patient in the highly successful move, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is recuperating in hospital after undergoing a heart and lung transplant at a Houston, Texas hospital.

The 53-year-old Sampson whose immense frame extends to six feet, seven inches suffers from a persistent disorder called scleroderma which is distinguished by swelling of the skin. At press time, we at Windspeaker had not heard of any adverse effects resulting from the operation on Sampson. On April 27 we managed to make contact with another well know Indian actor, Iron Eyes Cody.

In a brief telephone interview Cody said, "He'd been waitin' an' waitin' an' waitin' and we were all praying for him and everything and, he's got it (a new heart and lung). They say he's doing all right."

The fact that Sampson had only one lung was unknown to Cody until two years ago when he was riding horseback in a parade as the grand marshall. It was a long parade, commented Cody, who said that he noticed Sampson was breathing heavily after he had been riding for some time. Sampson tried to cover up the ailment by blaming it on the high altitude.

Eventually, "they had to take him downand give him oxygen," said Cody. "He's a very proud person," said Cody who plans to present Sampson with a humanitarian award for his involvements with the handicapped. The award is made annually on behalf of the Hollywood Appreciation Society.

Cody figures that Sampson will likely do some painting and take it a little easier once his is released from hospital. "He's not supposed to ride horseback anymore," he added.

While heart transplants are considered to be a high risk, it is usually the first day and a half which is most critical after such an operation. Five days have gone by and Sampson is said to be in stable condition.