Anna’s Story of Resilience and Gratitude

Anna Henderson's resilience became apparent even before her birth. During the pregnancy her parents, Melissa and Daniel, received the news that Anna had hypoplastic left heart syndrome. From that prenatal diagnosis to her 13th birthday celebration last year, Anna has undergone five open-heart surgeries. She has also faced complications resulting in paralysis of her vocal cord and diaphragm, recovered from a ruptured aorta and a stroke, and endured numerous procedures along with an extensive regimen of medications.

Devoted Family Man Saves Life Through Donation

Puerto Rico native Jose Lugo was a hero to his family, and when he passed away in 2017, they were devastated. Thanks to his decision to register as an organ donor, Jose became a hero to another family as well, when he saved a woman’s life through the gift of his liver.

Donation Provides Glimmer of Hope After Devastating Loss

Kelly Sawyer Jr. always had a kind, encouraging word and could often be heard telling someone, “You got this!” After he passed away following a medical emergency, his wife, Donna, was devastated, but she knew Kelly would want to help others. So far, his gifts have changed nearly 150 lives through tissue, cornea, and research donation.

The Ross Procedure

The Ross Procedure is a specialized cardiac surgery technique primarily used to treat aortic valve disease. The Ross Procedure involves the transplantation of a patient's own pulmonary valve (known as an autograft) to replace a diseased aortic valve. A donated human pulmonary valve (known as a homograft or allograft) is then used to replace the patient’s removed pulmonary valve.

Heart Transplant Gives Mother of Two a New Lease on Life

Janell Hull was diagnosed with a serious heart problem a few days after giving birth to her second baby. This was the beginning of a difficult journey that ended just over two years later with the miracle of a heart transplant. “Now I pretty much have all good days,” Janell said.
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