Heart transplant patient: ‘My donor is my hero’

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Donna Stout a heart transplant survivor shares her story on Thursday afternoon at the Northern Fox Valley Chapter of Women in Management at Elgin Country Club in Elgin. | Karen Naess ~ For Sun-Times Media

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Updated: March 16, 2012 8:03AM

ELGIN — In recognition of American Heart Month, the Northern Fox Valley Chapter of Women in Management invited heart transplant survivor Donna Stout of Batavia to talk about her experience at their February meeting at Elgin Country Club, 2575 Weld Road.

Stout, 53, received a heart transplant at age 49 on Nov. 24, 2007, due to dilated cardiomyopathy.

“I never had a medical issue in my life up to that point,” Stout said. “It was a mind-blowing experience.”

By the numbers

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease kills nearly 500,000 women each year. Since 1979, the death rate for heart disease in men has declined by 17 percent, but it has slightly risen for women.

The symptoms of a heart attack include chest discomfort, discomfort in other areas of the upper body, shortness of breath, and other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or light-headedness.

Stout’s first indication of trouble was the fact that she was overly tired, just did not feel well, and could not sleep at night.

“An electrocardiogram showed a rapid heartbeat,” Stout said. “I made an appointment for six days later. When I couldn’t walk and felt like my feet were cement blocks, my husband took me to the emergency cardiac unit at Delnor Hospital.”

Stout woke up in Loyola University Hospital. She had lost five days of memory.

“The fact that my daughter, Heather, was there from Florida told me something was wrong. I heard that I needed a heart transplant.”

Family support

Stout was put on an intra-aortic balloon pump and a feeding tube.

“I had to lie on my back and not move,” Stout recalled. “I was mostly in shock. I had gone from a healthy state to gravely ill. I was trying to decide how I had gotten there. I could see my family was trying to stay calm and upbeat. Everyone tried to be brave for each other. We had a lot of trust and faith that I would come through.”

During the 29 days that Stout waited for surgery, her doctors evaluated and decided against two possible donor hearts. Two days after Thanksgiving, the doctors told Stout that they had found the right heart for her.

“I don’t know if the previous two hearts had saved other lives,” Stout said. “I was not in pain when I woke up from the surgery. I was relieved that this chapter was over, and I was moving on to the next chapter. I was ready to get going again. I was back home 12 days after the transplant.”

Today, Stout has to take 34 pills a day. She uses her cellphone with alarms to remind her when she needs her medication.

“It’s a lot of pills,” Stout admitted, “but taking pills is nothing compared to what could have happened to me.”

Complications

Due to the medications she has been taking, Stout has become diabetic. She is taking cholesterol and high blood pressure medications. She is also more susceptible to skin cancer.

Stout said that she is grateful for President Obama’s health care plan.

“When I left the hospital after the transplant, my bill was $423,000,” Stout said. “I had a lot of follow-up visits in the beginning such as a biopsy every two weeks and bone density tests. There was a $1 million limit on my health insurance. Because of the new health care plan, I don’t have to worry about losing my insurance when I reach the limit.”

After the transplant, Stout’s six siblings were checked extensively. Three of the siblings and her niece are currently under the care of cardiologists.

Stout said she does not have any information about her donor, but she has written to the donor’s family.

“They are the people who saved my life,” she said. “Thank you just doesn’t cover it. They accepted my letter in January 2008. Hopefully, someday we will be able to meet each other.”

Stout travels with Margaret Shannon, northern Illinois regional coordinator at the Illinois Secretary of State Organ and Tissue Donor Program, to high schools to talk about her experience.

10,000 on list

Shannon said there are 10,000 patients in need of a transplant. Only 30 percent of these patients find a match with a member of their family. Shannon said there are at least 70 diseases that can be treated by blood and marrow stem cell transplantation.

“My goal is to educate and inform people regarding the importance of organ, tissue, marrow and blood donation,” Stout said, “and to increase the number of donors on the registries. I hope my donor family knows that I am honoring my donor. My donor is my hero.”