I found your page while doing "researh". I'll expand on this story later but I'm an older student (56!) and having to do a powerpoint on a body system for my human biology class. I picked cardiovascular/Heart. Meg was 23 yrs old when diagnosed in spring 1989 with PPCM (after birth of second child). She was in the Army and the docs thought she had bronchitis or maybe pneumonia and/or maybe she was depressed. Well her symptoms got worse and worse and by the time they took her seriously she was in CHF. She was discharged in 1990 and had a heart transplant on Mother's Day 1992 to replace heart #1 (the one she was born with in 1966). #2 heart lasted 18 years! As her condition deteriorated she was medivaced to several hospitals for evaluation to receive heart #3. Ultimately she ended in Richmond VA and Virginia Commonwealth University hospital. Heart #3 was "Big Blue" the syncardia artifical heart (the cover photo is my sister & her husband holding hands in 2011! https://www.facebook.com/191245900926019/photos/a.354759881241286.101227.191245900926019/432851873432086/?type=1&theater/) And then she was transplated Sept 2011 and I'm fairly sure the donor was a woman a few months older than me so now my baby sister is my big sister! Below are links to some articles that feature her success and that of other patients in the program.
http://richmondmagazine.com/life-style/health/life-savers-05-09-2011/
http://richmondmagazine.com/life-style/health/vcu-heart-program-grows-12-04-2013/
http://www.hearts.vcu.edu/
I am moved beyond wordsto tears by your stories and tributes.
My Details
- Date Diagnosed: 18/02/2014
- Child: 2
- Initial EF: 32
- Current EF: NULL
Story By Kelly Behen