It was slightly more than a year ago when, Lauren Mahoney was given a second chance at life.
 

It was in 1999, when she was diagnosed with heart disease: a cardiomyopathy, ”heart muscle disease” in layman’s terms and when the myocardium – the actual heart muscle – is deteriorating, bringing about dangerous arrhythmias.  When this happens, the heart beat may be too fast or too slow and it may be regular or irregular. 

 For ten years she lived with a deteriorating heart struggling to eat, sleep, and walk.

Come May 2008 and she was referred to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts where she had an evaluation done and was told by her doctor that she qualified for the heart transplant list.  Lauren was quite prepared to go on the list and need time to think about it. 

She went home, spending the summer trying to live as normal a life as possible, but found every day was a struggle. Finally, she realized she could no longer continue living that way and so decided to add her name to the transplant list.

In February 2009, she wasn’t feeling at all well and went back to the hospital and that was the beginning of a three-month hospital stay whilst she waited for a donor heart. May 21, her cardiologist walked into her room and said: “How about a new heart?”  Apparently with no drama; he said just that!.  By now, Lauren was truly ready for it.  The time had arrived.

She received her new heart at 2 a.m. on May 22, 2009.

The operation was a success. her recovery was hard at first, but day-by-day it became easier thanks to the great support she received from all those around her. After two weeks, she was able to return home a touch apprehensive at leaving the world to which she’d become accustomed leaving behind the hospital care and continual monitoring.

Today, Lauren is enjoying the life of a healthy 27 year old woman, bike riding, walking three miles daily and socializing with her friends; basically, being able to do all that she could not do in previous years.  She had forgotten what it was like to feel healthy and now she has the chance to do so again.

Grateful for the sacrifice of her donor and in their honor, Lauren participates in AHA fund raising  The donor is of course anonymous but will always be a part of her. She is also walking to raise money for Brigham and Women’s Hospital to thank them for the support that they gave her. The Shapiro Center does wonderful work and it is Lauren’s desire to help other people finding themselves in the position of having heart disease.