Mandra and Brad: Heart Transplantation

“Not many people our age come face-to-face with possibly having to say goodbye.”

This scenario is what Mandra and her husband Brad, both in their 30s, faced upon learning that complicated heart transplantation was necessary to save his life.

For Brad, a warm and witty guy’s guy, dealing with complex cardiovascular issues was, unfortunately a lifelong battle. “Brad was born with a congenital heart disease that was fairly well managed most of his life,” said Mandra. “In 2007, the symptoms started getting worse and more serious.”

Referral to Brigham and Women’s

All of his life Brad had received his care at Children’s Hospital Boston. Because his symptoms were worsening and he was now an adult, his doctors recommended that he transition his care to Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s collaborate on a “bridge” program called the Boston Adult Congenital Heart (BACH) Service that is dedicated to long-term care for patients with congenital heart disease.

As he became more fragile, doctors spoke with Brad and Mandra about the possibility that he would need a heart transplant at some point in the future.

Transplant becomes necessary

A few short months after they were told he may need a heart transplant, Brad and Mandra found out that the possibility had become reality – transplant would be necessary.

Brad was scheduled to meet with the Brigham and Women’s transplant team but the evening before his appointment his condition had deteriorated so much that he needed to be brought to Brigham and Women’s Hospital by ambulance and was admitted to the hospital.

Mandra said, “Soon after being admitted, and after several meetings with the transplant team, Brad was placed on the transplant list. We were told that he would need to be hospitalized until the transplant.”

Because she was not able to bear the thought of Brad being alone, Mandra spent each night by his side – commuting back and forth between the hospital and work. When she could not stay at the hospital with Brad, her sister Serra – whom they were both extremely close to – filled in and kept Mandra up-to-date.

Personalized plan

With Brad’s heart functioning poorly, it became clear he could not wait too much longer for a new heart. He began having complications and his name needed to come off the transplant list.

“Brad’s doctor came in to our room with a plan. It would require jumping through hoops and filling out detailed paperwork, but he wanted to make the case for us,” said Mandra. “We got the sense that the transplant team was discussing my husband’s case and that they were going to come up with solutions and options to a very scary and complicated situation.”

Brad’s transplant team initiated an exemption process where they would go before a consortium of transplant directors to explain the case and hopefully get him back on the list. The emergency exemption was granted, Brad was back on the list as a priority, and shortly thereafter a donor heart became available.

Mandra said, “Now we had a shot at more time together and the chance to live a very different life.”

Above and beyond the risks associated with transplantation, Brad’s surgery was complicated by other health factors that the surgeons needed to address. After transplantation and a few weeks of “ups” and “downs”, Brad – with Mandra by his side – made it through recovery with his new heart.

“With a lot of work and a lot of great medical attention, Brad was finally able to come home,” said Mandra.

Back to living their lives

Brad enjoys his life with Mandra once again. Without the fear of “something happening”, his healthy new heart enables him to walk the dog, take a hike and even resume his part-time job as an on-call fireman in his town.

Brad and Mandra also are planning a trip to Florida to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary…and the beginning of the rest of their lives together.

“The Brigham and Women’s doctors and nurses went above and beyond the medical aspect of what they needed to do and that was what got us through the hardest experience of our lives,” said Mandra.