02/03/2026
February is Heart Month—a month that will always be especially meaningful and close to my heart. ❤️
In May of 2011, I entered the emergency room at Brookwood Hospital and was later admitted. Several scans later, my diagnosis pointed to Dilated Cardiomyopathy - a form of end-stage heart failure. I was only 18. Months previous, I had struggled with nausea, an elevated heart rate, and the feeling as if an elephant was sitting on my chest every night when I lay down to go to sleep. In that hospital visit, I was told that life as I knew it would come to an end within the next year if I did not receive a heart transplant. My family and I were in complete and utter shock - I thought I was a healthy 18-year-old girl who was ready to go off to college and start the next stage of her life.
On March 9, 2012 - the greatest birthday gift of my life came - A NEW HEART! I still vividly remember being wheeled into that operating room full of unfamiliar faces. I remember being asked if I was scared. How could I be scared when I knew God was so ever present in that room? 9 months post-transplant, I faced another speed bump in my path of recovery. I was diagnosed with PTLD - post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder — a form of cancer that can occur in transplant patients due to their severely weakened immune systems. 6 rounds of chemo later and I was declared cancer free!!
I reflect back on that stage of life - so challenging and so full of many ups and downs. I tell people that despite the challenges, I would never change my story because it has truly shaped me into who I am today.
Over the last 10 years, I have worked alongside the American Heart Association as an advocate for better heart health. I advocate because I carry my story - and my donor’s legacy - with me every day. I advocate because awareness leads to prevention, research leads to breakthroughs, and advocacy leads to lives saved. If sharing my experience helps even one person seek care sooner, support organ donation, or take heart health seriously, then my voice matters. This is my way of giving back - for my second chance, for those still waiting, and for a future where more hearts keep beating strong.
