Georgia Woman Becomes First in the State to Receive New Treatment After a Heart Failure Diagnosis at 37
Key Points:
- Monica McFarlan lived with heart failure for 15 years, enduring multiple surgeries including two Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) and emergency brain surgery, which left her legally blind.
- She became ineligible for a traditional heart transplant due to high antibody levels, giving her only days to live by 2023.
- Doctors performed a groundbreaking Heart-After-Liver Transplant (HALT), where a liver transplant resets the immune system to allow a subsequent heart transplant, saving her life.
- The 16-hour HALT surgery offered a second chance to McFarlan, who described the experience as moving from the lowest point of saying goodbye to her family to the highest of highs.
- Grateful for her survival and renewed faith, McFarlan credits the innovative procedure and her strong support system for giving her multiple chances at life.