Meet Julene!

At just 8 years old, Julene’s family had no idea anything was wrong with her heart. One day, she came down with a fever, and her parents rushed her to the ER. At first, doctors didn’t share much, but by early afternoon, a specialist was called in—and the news was devastating. She was in heart failure and diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. She was quickly transferred to Cohen Children’s Medical Center and later to Columbia, where her care team got to know her story.

Her heart was functioning at just 17%, and she was added to the transplant list. At first, due to changes in allocation rules, she was bumped to a lower priority. But her doctors fought for her, and within days she was re-listed and received her first donor heart. She was discharged shortly after surgery and began the long road to recovery.

In 2020, she faced her first episode of rejection but pulled through. Then, in 2022, she experienced a serious blockage in one of her arteries. Her doctors discussed implanting an artificial heart—something new at the time, and an intimidating prospect for the family. On November 15, 2022, she became the first patient at her hospital to undergo the procedure, and just months later, in April 2023, she received her second heart transplant.

The journey has not been easy. She continues to face challenges, including fatigue and limited mobility, but she remains strong and surrounded by the love of her family—including her mom, dad, and younger sibling.

Her parents still remember what it was like receiving the call for her first transplant. They had just gone out to dinner when the phone rang with the life-changing news. Shocked and overwhelmed, they were also deeply grateful that their daughter had been given a second chance at life.

Harboring Hearts has been an important part of their journey, helping the family with groceries, rent, and support during difficult times. Her mom shared how thankful she is: “What Harboring Hearts does is amazing. You understand what families like ours are going through, and that means so much.”

Today, though the journey continues, her family is grateful every day that she’s here with them.