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Stories of hope

Celebrating a second birthday

Andrade

It all started on a Monday in September of 2023. Who knew our lives would change that day?

My husband of 32 years had a mild heart attack and ended up in the hospital. Three days later he was released to come home, but two weeks after that he ended up in the hospital again, then was rushed to another city and another hospital, where they did all they could, even giving him a LifeVest to wear at home, with a PICC line as well.

We came home a day before Thanksgiving day, 2023. We didn’t even last 8 hours out of the hospital. My husband coded and was rushed back to the hospital. They placed a balloon to help with his heart, but it was not working—this was on the 28th of November, 2023—and they advised us that he would need a heart transplant.

Twenty-four hours later, they let us know they had found a heart, and they would transplant on the 2nd of December, 2023. That day my husband was reborn, and now he has two birthdays, and I’m blessed to have him with us. I understand, and I’m so sorry, that my happiness was at the pain of the donor’s family.

Hand-drawn heart
Heart, Stories

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