UW Health Heart Transplant: Heart-stopping Drama with a Happy Ending
When Patti's family got a phone call from the emergency room nurse at UW Hospital and Clinics, they assumed it was Patti's husband David who was in trouble. Because he had been born with a bicuspid, not the normal tricuspid heart valve, the family all knew that David would eventually need surgery to repair his heart.
But on this dramatic day, the nurse was calling about Patti, who had collapsed and was critically ill.
The Sickest Person in the Hospital
Patti, who was just 38 years old, had suffered a rare spontaneous coronary artery dissection that caused a "shredding" of her arteries and multiple blood clots. In a matter of minutes, Patti had gone from a busy mother of three who was managing the family farming business to a patient her doctors described as "the sickest person in UW Hospital."
Her Only Hope
The high-risk heart failure cardiothoracic team at UW Hospital and Clinics, led by Dr. Maryl Johnson, worked to keep her alive, informing the family that a heart transplant was her only hope. The wait for a heart began, and Patti's family prayed for a miracle knowing that survival for Patti meant someone else would have to pass away and donate their organs.
Kept in a drug-induced coma to prevent further complications, Patti's family was amazed that after only two weeks a donor heart that matched Patti was available. Ten days after she received her heart transplant, Patti was home with her children and back to managing their busy farm.
And David, Too
When it was David's time for surgery, he turned to the same expert team who saved Patti's life. Under the expert care of Dr. Niloo Edwards, Dave survived extremely complicated heart valve surgery and is now feeling stronger than ever.
Patti and David never imagined they would endure so much and are grateful for their second chance at life. Everyday occurrences like watching their children graduate from high school now have special meaning, and Patti and Dave take time to celebrate their health and special, loving relationship.
A Special Night
To celebrate their successful journeys, Patti and David came to UW Hospital and Clinics and let us capture their story on video and in photographs. Join them as they prepare for a big night out on the town, and watch their heart-stopping drama (with a happy ending.)