Meet Kevin!

When Kevin received a heart transplant, he knew the road to recovery would not be easy, but he could not have anticipated just how difficult the battle would be. His transplant was his fourth open-heart surgery, each one carrying greater risk and a harder recovery. But he made a promise to his wife: that he would fight with everything he had to heal and return home to his family.

After three months in the hospital, including time in rehab, he slowly began to rebuild his strength. With the help of a walker, he started by walking down the driveway and back into the house. Soon, he could make it to the corner of the street, then to the bus stop to greet his children after school. Before long, he was walking around the block without the walker. That progress led him to outpatient cardiac rehab—and today, nearly two years post-transplant, he walks more than three miles a day, even up and down hills with ease. Before his transplant, he could not climb a single flight of stairs without becoming short of breath.

One year after surgery, he was able to return to work as a middle school math teacher. Since then, he has been present for milestones he once feared he would miss. He watched his oldest daughter receive her top college acceptance and be crowned homecoming queen in the same week. He saw his son volunteer to play on a Unified Soccer team, competing alongside peers with special needs, and win a gold medal at the Special Olympics. He celebrated his middle daughter making her high school volleyball team, his second youngest winning the NY Metro lacrosse championship, and his youngest stepping into the goalie position on her lacrosse team. Each moment spent supporting his children has been a gift he credits to the life-saving transplant.

Harboring Hearts stood by his family during the most difficult part of the journey—the early days post-transplant. Sedated for six days after surgery and facing endless complications, his wife lived in a hotel in New York City to be close to him. Each evening when she returned, the front desk staff would share the same comforting words: “Harboring Hearts has extended your stay.” The organization also ensured she had meals and essentials, relieving her of burdens she had no time or energy to think about.

Reflecting on the experience, the family shares their gratitude: “The thoughtfulness of this organization seems to know no bounds. If there was a need for anyone in my family, Harboring Hearts would have met it without hesitation. What they do is so important because they meet needs most people don’t even realize they will have. We will be forever grateful.”