Stories of Hope
Dustyn
“He had a heart of gold. He would do anything for anybody,” recalls Laura, remembering her son Dustyn, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 30. Those who knew him best describe Dustyn as kind, warm, and endlessly generous. He had a deep love for animals and a spirit that made people feel […]
Steve
In December of 1995, Steve went to see his doctor after feeling extremely ill. Early in the New Year, he was diagnosed with not one but several chronic conditions—lupus, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis and recurring asthma. Before these medical tests, Steve was unaware that he had been born with only one kidney. Lupus was […]
Bill
On December 5, 2009, Bill had a “widow-maker” heart attack. But Bill didn’t think that’s what was happening. If it had been a heart attack, he would have died, he thought. But five days later when he finally went to the emergency room, doctors told Bill that he had suffered a massive heart attack and […]
Judy
Before Judy found out she needed a transplant, she lived an active, healthy and normal life. Judy grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and attended the University of Illinois. She wanted to be a teacher, but when she had trouble finding a full-time teaching position she became a flight attendant instead and enjoyed traveling […]
Connor
When Connor’s mom took her three-month-old son to the doctor for a cold, she learned that Connor had a condition called cardiomyopathy, a deadly heart disease that could only be remedied by a heart transplant. Connor spent nine weeks on the waiting list and received a transplant on Mother’s Day in 1992. Ten years passed […]