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Jason's Heart & Liver Transplant Journey

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Chesterfield, VA
Jason's Heart & Liver Transplant Journey

Cancer survivor, Stroke Survivor, Heart & Liver transplant recipient 1/28/19, motivational speaker

08/20/2025

Us CHD kids be like…!

08/09/2025

Do I Miss My Old Heart?
People keep asking me if I miss my old heart, like it was a favorite car I traded in or a dog that ran away. Let me be clear, my old heart and I had a complicated relationship. Sure, we were together for decades, but toward the end, it was kind of a one-sided deal. I did all the work, and it just sat there sulking, skipping beats, and threatening to quit at the most inconvenient times.

Do I miss it? Not really. I mean, I don’t keep a picture of it on the mantel. Although, yes, I do actually have a picture of it. I asked the surgeon to take a photo of my old heart and my new one, side by side. I keep it on my phone so I can gross people out… I mean, show people. There’s nothing like pulling up that shot at the dinner table when someone asks how I’m doing.

If anything, I remember the years of huffing and puffing like I was climbing Mount Everest when I was just trying to bring in the groceries. Now, with my new heart, it’s like dating someone who actually likes me back. We’re still figuring each other out, of course. It has its moods, and I have to keep it happy with a buffet of medications every day. But it beats on time, doesn’t pass out on me, and hasn’t once said, “I’m done here.” That’s a big step up in my book.

Sometimes I wonder where my old heart ended up. Did it go out in a biohazard bag? Is it in some medical school fridge with a label that says “Don’t eat”? Either way, I wish it well, but I’m not writing it love letters. It had its shot, and it took early retirement.

So no, I don’t miss my old heart. I’m too busy getting to know this new one, enjoying the fact that I can walk across a parking lot without feeling like I need a nap. That’s not nostalgia, that’s progress.

Frederick M Hueston, Author, My Heart Journey, The First 90 Days: What They Don’t Tell You About Recovery (But I Will)

08/07/2025

Because of my transplant, I was able to see my son buy his first home!

08/02/2025

Well this sucks. No, it’s not a scam, I called the phone number on the back of my insurance card.

07/27/2025

I agree.

07/15/2025

Yesterday I re established my transplant care back at Stanford. I’m so delighted to be back home. Dr. Tutenberg met with me and was still so pleased at my outcome. He said my echo looked great and to come back at my annual. I’ll now be seen twice a year, my annual and 6 months later (via video visit).

While there I dropped in to finally meet Sara. We have been talking alot over text and phone about the whole transplant process. I have shared with her my experiences and answered her questions As of today, Sara has been waiting 6 months in Stanford for her heart & liver transplant. Although a bit discouraged, she certainly has the same thrivers drive I did which means she will do very well. I ask for prayers that she gets her gift soon as I know very well she is ready to live.

06/09/2025

Today I was so honored and excited to finally see my friend Jeni Busta. Jeni had her heart & liver transplant on March 2, 2025. She followed my journey and reached out to me very early on in my journey. I later discovered she lived only a mile (or so) down the road from my grandmother so naturally I had to meet her and her husband Nick. We all became immediate friends and have had some wonderful get togethers the most recent was last September Jeni was my roommate in St. Louis for the Fontan Outcome Network Confrence. Jeni had her Fontan at UCLA (Same as me) and has always been in awe of the fact I was the first Fontan patient at UCLA. In fact we share many of the same physicians down to our pediatric cardiologist Dr. Fredric Leong.
Jeni called me the day we were boarding our cruise this year to tell me she had gotten the call. Finally today we got to check up on her in person. I’m so grateful she is doing well. I continue to pray (and ask you to also) her kidneys wake up and begin functioning on their own.
Love you Jeni, glad I can help mentor you through this incredible process.

06/08/2025

It was so fantastic and amazing to see Aunt Lupe and Uncle Marcos again. They treated us to a perfect lunch and the best pizza I have had in over 3 years for dinner. Thank you both for making time to entertain us.

04/09/2025

It's National Donate Life Month! Here are a few quick facts.

If you're seeing this, you likely support organ, eye, and tissue donation. This month, you can make an even bigger impact—help us spread the word by sharing our posts with your Facebook friends. 💙💚 We'd like to see if we can reach 10k followers by May!

03/25/2025

Get registered as an organ donor today! Www.donatelife.net

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Fundraising for a transplant? But I have insurance!

I’m an American Red Cross Disaster Services Volunteer who has been deployed to nearly every major disaster in the US since Hurricane Katrina. I have been fortunate enough to help thousands in their greatest time of need, and now I am the one who needs the help...

In this journey, I hope to raise enough funds to cover the costs of transplant related expenses. More importantly, I hope to show you exactly what goes into getting a transplant. Dispel any myths, answer any questions and take you along for the journey. I want to help people understand the full impact of a transplant, not just on me but my family as well.