Stories of Hope
Heart patients
Miracles do happen
On July 18,2019 I received a heart and double lung transplant and it has been the best thing that has every happened to me. Also knowing that I was the first person to receive a heart and double lung transplant in San Diego in 2019.
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Jameson’s story: The transplant that came out of left field
Jason Finney watched his family open gifts together through FaceTime with his wife, Sarah, on Christmas Day in 2017. Jason traveled out of state the day prior to support his father who required breathing assistance from a ventilator at the time. “Um – Jameson just...
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My second heartbeat
Monique Acosta House was your typical college student 20 years ago with the daily schedule filled with work and classes. She began to notice that she was feeling more tired than usual and had left arm pain. Her friend suggested that she should get that checked out by...
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I only had a 2% chance
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 those two words. And never did I ever expect to heart those two words while pregnant with my second. Peripartum Cardiomyopathy. After...
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A heart transplant is a miracle
My name is Jose Calderon. At the age of 35, I was in the prime of my life. I had a beautiful family – my wife, my daughters (ages 14 and 11) and my son (age 3 at that time). I was running a brand new business and I was on top of my game. And this business was allowing...
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Life is a gift
What motivated me to get involved and become a DonateLife Ambassador? Through UNOS’ intervention, my brother Jose was able to receive a heart transplant. In my community, there have been two organ recipients: one received a kidney and the other a liver transplant....
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Philip Rostek of Pittsburgh, PA
When i was very sick i came to a place where i met incredible people who were so inspiring that i will never forget their kindnesses, their expertise, and the drama of just meeting and then knowing them. My background is in personal expression. I became a masterpiece...
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Kim DeAngelo of Columbus, OH
September 14, 2011 is the day I refer to as “the day I got my smile back.” On that day, I underwent brain surgery to help alleviate symptoms of a Chiari Malformation, which occurs when the cerebellum (at the back part of the brain) slips from the skull and into the...
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Jhett Skaggs of Lexington, OK
My son was 10 months old when he received a heart transplant. It could not have come at a better time... he was dying. His heart was on the verge of giving up because he had unknowingly suffered with his heart condition since birth. He was placed on a device that...
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Merle Zuel of Bonner Springs, KS
Despite having an implanted pacemaker/defibrillator my health was still bad and I began experiencing more lethargy and more ventricular tachycardia, as I became weaker and weaker. It was determined by the heart failure team that a valve replacement would be my best...
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Jill Thorne of Rescue, CA
I received a heart transplant 22 years ago. I was born with a heart defect and after a couple of heart surgeries-the surgeons just decided to replace it :) I was 17 when I received the transplant. Since then I have gone on to graduate highschool, obtain a...
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Don Salamone of Fountain Hills, AZ
I would like to share my story for all of you out there who think life is over when you have been told you need a heart transplant or any transplant for that matter. I have been a hardcore competitive runner all my life and have taken excellent care of myself my whole...
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