By Sarah Blackmore
Bonita and Dex Pelley stand in Bridie Molloy’s, a lively pub in downtown St. John’s, wearing a wedding dress and a suit. These are the same outfits they wore 24 years ago, the first time they said, “I do.”
Now they’re doing it all again, but this time, with a change of heart. Read the article in CBC News.
Sharol Lucey, one of the longest-living heart transplant patients in Oregon, honors her donor by living life to the fullest, helping others along the way
By Christine Torres Hicks
Grandkids, beach trips, family-filled Christmases and fresh cinnamon rolls are just some memories Sharol Lucey has been making the past 26 years — thanks to a heart donated in 1997.
Lucey is among the longest-living heart transplant patients in Oregon. As she has for many of the past 26 years, the 76-year-old Vancouver resident joined others who have benefited from organ transplants during an August event at Oregon Health & Science University to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation. Read the full article in OHSU News.
Katherine Herrmann, 21, received a heart transplant in July 2022 after she was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition. Darrell Conner is the father of the deceased donor. The two met for the first time in St. Clairsville, Ohio. Watch the video on Fox News here.
By Katie Shatsby
ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio (WDTN) — An Ohio woman who received a heart transplant got the chance to meet the father of her donor in an emotional gathering.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Katherine Schroeder-Herrmann was born with a rare congenital heart disease, requiring more than 20 heart procedures before the age of 22. Check out the full story in WDTN News 2.
By Jasmine Youngblood
PADUCAH, KY — It’s a celebration of a second chance at life.
One Paducah man, Michael Grief, has made history as the longest living heart transplant recipient in the country, according to Vanderbilt University.
Friday, he and his family and friends celebrated the 40-year anniversary of the surgery that saved his life. Check out the full story in WPSD Local 6 News.
By Zulekha Nathoo
A 23-year-old woman in Akron, Ohio, was moved to tears after meeting the family of someone who saved her life.
“Just absolutely amazing and breathtaking, emotional, but also gratifying,” said heart transplant recipient Katherine Herrmann.
Herrmann had undergone 20 surgeries and procedures on her heart before even reaching the age of 20. When she suffered heart failure while still in college, her doctors told her a transplant was the only option to keep her alive. Read the full story in USA Today.
By Brigid McCarthy, Laura Kwerel
This story is part of the My Unsung Hero series, from the Hidden Brain team, about people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else.
A few years ago, Andy Davis and his wife decided to ride their bikes across the country. They spent months training and planning for their adventure.
But one day in February of 2020, just a few months before they were going to start, Davis felt an intense pain across his chest. After two Medevac flights and some time in the hospital, he was diagnosed with heart failure, a serious condition in which the heart can no longer pump blood efficiently. Read the full story from NPR.
By Laura Williamson, American Heart Association News
When Dawn Mussallem was little, she dreamed of having her face on a Smucker’s jar – the recognition the “Today” show gives to people who reach their 100th birthday.
So, she committed herself to eating a healthy plant-based diet, eschewing junk food and many childhood staples, like chocolate milk and sugary cereals. She also stayed physically active – becoming a competitive gymnast and running on the weekends.
Read the full story in American Heart Association News.
By Laura Williamson
Melanie Wickersheim has no memory of the first time her heart gave her trouble. She was an infant, and her pediatric myocarditis – an inflammation of the muscular walls of the heart – resolved before she was old enough to know anything had ever been wrong.
She spent the first 10 years of her life like any other kid in Los Angeles, believing she was perfectly healthy. Until suddenly, she wasn’t. She couldn’t hold down food. She felt so weak, she could barely walk. “I remember trying to walk across a parking lot. I had to stop at every light pole to take a breath, panting for air,” she said. Read the story in American Heart Association News.
MADISON, Wis. – On Dec. 13, 2022, at seven-and-a-half months pregnant, Susan Siegenthaler went to an emergency department in Madison.
She was an otherwise healthy 38-year-old, but her gut told her something was wrong. She was experiencing shortness of breath, a persistent cough and significantly swollen feet.
Read more in WisBusiness.