Three Heart Transplant Patients Go Home For Holidays

Three South Florida families will have something extra to be thankful for when they sit down for their Thanksgiving Day feast: Their loved ones will be next to them at the table with full bellies and new hearts.

Memorial Transplant Institute announced this week that three heart transplant patients are being sent home for the holidays, bringing the total adult heart transplants to 34 since 2014 -when the program first started.

The team conducted a total of 12 transplants since July.

All three recipients expressed their gratitude to their donor families and to the staff of Memorial Cardiac & Vascular Institute.

Harold, 37, got his new heart on November 7. The young man said he was looking forward to the holidays and his new chance at life. He is scheduled to go home sometime this weekend.

Days later, Adam, 57, received his new heart on November 12. Adam was discharged from Memorial Regional Hospital on Tuesday.

Albert, 54, received a transplant on October 28. After his transplant, Albert underwent rehabilitation services at Memorial Rehabilitation Institute.

He got to go home Wednesday. All together, Albert lived in a Memorial facility for 92 days.

"This has been an incredible gift," he said on Wednesday. "My family wasn't going to have a Thanksgiving dinner until I got home."

Thanks to Memorial, that dinner will be held according to schedule.

 

Adam with his heart transplant surgeon Steve Bibevski, MD