Meet Frank!

Frank is celebrating 21 years as a heart transplant recipient, a milestone he never imagined possible. Growing up on Long Island, Frank was always active, playing baseball and football. By his mid-30s, he had built a full life with a career and a home of his own. But at 36, everything changed.

One evening after work, Frank experienced a frightening episode- his heart raced uncontrollably, his chest felt unbearably heavy, and dizziness left him shaken. At Stony Brook Emergency Room, doctors discovered he had an enlarged heart and atrial fibrillation. Further testing confirmed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. He was fitted with a pacemaker and defibrillator, and placed on medication, but his health continued to decline.

For eight years, Frank lived with severe limitations. Once active and independent, he now struggled daily with shortness of breath and exhaustion. Eventually, doctors told him there was nothing more they could do and referred him to Dr. Alan Gass at Mount Sinai Hospital.

When Frank finally made the trip into Manhattan, his condition was so severe he couldn’t even walk from Penn Station to the hospital. Transit police called an ambulance, and the next day, doctors urged him to stay and wait for a transplant. Four months later, Frank received the call that a donor heart was available.

His recovery was remarkable. Just two weeks after surgery, he was walking two miles a day, and within eight weeks, he had returned to the gym. Thanks to the care of Dr. Landsman and the Mount Sinai team, Frank got a second chance at life.

Determined to give back, Frank began volunteering and founded New Hearts, a Facebook support group for transplant patients. The community became a lifeline for many—and it also led him to his wife, Alisa, whom he met through the group. They married a year later, a love story made possible through organ donation.

Today, Frank continues to live life to the fullest, grateful for every moment. He credits not only his doctors and his donor but also organizations like Harboring Hearts, which have supported him and his wife with hotel stays and resources during follow-up visits and procedures.

“Organ donation not only saved my life—it gave me a future I never could have imagined,” Frank shared. “From the doctors and nurses, to my donor, to Harboring Hearts—each of them played a role in giving me 21 incredible years.”