Ludnie Has A New Heart Story

For Ludnie, a “regular cough” indicated she had more severe health issues.

“I remember going to the ER with my mom. They told me I had an enlarged heart, and I had fluid in my lungs,” said Ludnie. “Hearing that I had heart failure was surreal.”

“Ludnie is a very special young lady,” said Frank Scholl, MD, Chief, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Heart Institute, Chief, Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery. Dr. Scholl explained that Ludnie’s heart condition could not be treated with medications, so her next step was heart transplantation.

She was placed on a heart waiting list. When she received the phone call that a heart was available, Ludnie was asked if she wanted it. She said, laughing, “Yes, of course.”

“Overall, her prognosis is great, and she is doing really well,” said Priyanka Gosain, MD, Acting Chief, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplantation Services, Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute.

Ludnie is back to leading an everyday life. “You never think something this drastic will happen to you,” said Ludnie, yet she hopes her heart transplant story brings hope to other families.

She says being able to trust your care team is very important. Ludnie summed it up, “I was greeted with the best patient care anyone could ask for.”