A Special Christmas

Doctors at Emory University Hospital recently achieved a first for a hospital based in Georgia - a triple organ transplant. In doing so, they gave 38-year-old Stephanie Lindstrom an opportunity to spend another Christmas with her family.

Diagram of the human heart 1. Superior Vena Cava 2. Pulmonary Artery 3. Pulmonary Vein 4. Mitral Valve 5. Aortic Valve 6. Left Ventricle 7. Right Ventricle 8. Left Atrium 9. Right Atrium 10. Aorta 11. Pulmonary Valve 12. Tricuspid Valve 13. Inferior Vena Cava (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Stephanie was born with a congenital heart defect. Her heart did not have a tricuspid valve, which keeps blood moving through the heart in the right direction. As a girl, she had four surgeries to correct the problem. Then, after college, she developed an additional heart valve problem - mitral valve regurgitation. Doctors determined that the mitral valve problem needed to be corrected, too.

Stephanie's multiple heart surgeries had failed to correct her heart problems. It was determined that she needed not only a heart transplant, but also a liver transplant, because her heart failure had caused liver failure. On top of that, Stephanie had become septic which resulted in kidney damage and the need for a kidney transplant.

Stephanie received the life-saving heart and liver transplants she needed on July 7, 2012 and her kidney transplant the next day. After spending three months in the hospital, she went home in October and spent a special Christmas with her family. She said, "The holiday season has truly taken on such a special meaning to my family and me this year because of the many gifts we have been given."

Interestingly, Stephanie's new heart, liver, and kidney all came from the same donor who is a hero that The Lindstrom Family will be forever grateful to. For more information about organ and tissue donation, including how to register as an organ and tissue donor where you live, please visit the Tennessee Organ Donation Foundation, Inc.'s website by clicking here.

Read more : article on news.emory.edu titled "Emory Performs First Triple Organ Transplant in Georgia"