Tiffany is the caregiver to her 15-year-old son, Devin, who received a heart transplant in December 2017. Their journey began when Devin was an infant – he went through five open-heart surgeries by the time he was eight years old. Devin was born with hypoplastic right heart syndrome. He also developed a condition called plastic […]
Power Player – Vernell
In 2015, Vernell received news that he needed a heart transplant. His doctor told him to pack his bags – he required hospitalization while he waited for a new heart. He suffered from congestive heart failure and spent six months in the hospital waiting for an organ donor. The wait was difficult for Vernell and […]
Power Player – Alin
On December 21, 2018, 30-year-old Alin’s life changed forever. After having episodes of dyspnea for several days, she decided to go to the emergency room. She became critically ill during her first night in the hospital, and by the third day, she was told that she would likely need advanced heart failure therapy since her […]
Power Player – Kevin
After some health issues, Kevin found out he needed a heart transplant. In July 2017, he was added to the transplant waiting list. Kevin said waiting was the hardest part of his journey. “I prayed every day while I was on the waiting list,” Kevin said. “My condition got worse during the wait, so I […]
Power Player – Hailey
Hailey was born with a heart defect and required surgery as a baby. She didn’t remember the surgery and never expected to hear the words “you need a heart transplant” when she was just 16 years old. “I never knew I would need a transplant, so it was a big shock when I found out,” […]
Power Player – Ixel
Ixel was just eight years old when she found out she needed a heart transplant. Her story began when her mom brought her to Urgent Care, for what she thought was a cold. She was sent to the hospital by ambulance. At the hospital, it was clear there was something wrong with her heart, so […]
Power Player – Sarah
My name is Sarah Bradley, and I am from a small town called Roswell, NM. I’m a proud momma of two boys. I am also a heart transplant recipient. A lot of times, when you hear the words heart failure, you think of the elderly. As a healthy 25-year-old, never did I expect to hear […]
Power Player – Dave
Written by: Dave R. My transplant journey began at birth – I just didn’t know it until I was in my 50s. I was born in 1956 with a hole in my heart, and of course, it was undiagnosed because the technology was just not available in the fabulous 50s. The amazing thing is I […]
Power Player – Anne Marie
I was born in Ottawa, Canada with a congenital heart defect. I had 3 heart surgeries as a child, the first one being the day after I was born. Doctors had warned my parents that these surgeries were palliative: problems would eventually start to arise because my heart would start to fail. Although I couldn’t […]
Power Player – Tatiana Benitez
When I was 5 years old, I was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, and my only hope of survival was a heart transplant. My case was the first pediatric heart transplant in Paraguay. The surgery was performed by Dr. Jorge Jarolin at the Bautista Medical Center. Today, I celebrate 10 years with my heart transplant. I live […]
Power Player – Jordan
Jordan received a heart transplant as a child. He has been living life to the fullest – with a goal to be the first transplant recipient to visit every country in the world. Written by: Jordan D Marcia Follow him on Instagram and Facebook I was born with a rare, congenital heart defect known as transposition […]
Power Player – Tony
Written by: Tony Alfredo Leon Luna I am from Venezuela. I was diagnosed with myocardiopathy when I was 5 years old. I had my first pacemaker in 2005 and received another one 2011. After the second pacemaker, my heart was growing more and needed more stimulation. Since that the generator ran out faster, I received […]
Power Player – Brandi
In 2014, I was living in Austin, Texas. I loved to exercise and lift weights. I enjoyed watching and playing sports. One day I notice my throat was sore so I went to the doctor. I was diagnosed with strep throat and prescribed antibiotics. After I finished my antibiotics, I noticed it was difficult to […]
Power Player – Miguel
Miguel was living a full life before his heart transplant. He had graduated dental school, started his own practice, and gotten married. In 2012, he began to feel sick. His face started to feel numb, so he went to see his doctor for tests. However, nothing was found in these tests, and he went back […]
Power Player – Christine
On October 24th, 1998, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Christine Galan became the first heart and liver transplant recipient in the Western United States. It was a new procedure, but Christine never doubted that it was for the best. Christine was born in Jamaica and moved to San Diego as a child. When she was a […]
AST President Featured in USA Today
The President of the American Society of Transplantation (AST), Ron Gill, has been featured in an article published by Media Planet and included in USA Today. The article highlights the challenges that transplant recipients face such as organ rejection, medications, and the long waiting list. In addition, the article touches on the importance of the upcoming […]
22 Years After His Death, Nicholas Green’s Heart Stops Beating
By Reg Green In 1994, The Green family was on vacation in Italy when tragedy struck. Their son, Nicholas, was killed by highway robbers. His parents, Reg and Maggie, decided to donate his organs, which saved the lives of seven people and tripled organ donation in Italy. Today, Reg Green continues to speak out about […]
