Shands heart transplant MILESTONE REMINDS BRISTOL RESIDENT OF LIFE-SAVING GIFT

I was featured in the 25th Shands Heart Transplant Progrma's Press Release:


March 3, 2011
Contact: Lindsey Robertson, Media Relations Coordinator

Shands Marketing & Public Relations
(352) 265-0373 or (800) 535-0373

Shands e-newsroom: http://shands.org/news/

Shands heart transplant MILESTONE REMINDS BRISTOL RESIDENT OF LIFE-SAVING GIFT
UF physicians and transplant staff reflect on 25th anniversary
If you would like to attend the 25th anniversary event referenced below at 6:30 p.m. March 4 at the Hilton at UF in Gainesville, please RSVP by 4 p.m. Friday to 352-265-0373.


GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 3, 2011) – Heart problems have been a part of 28-year-old Bristol resident Ramsey Brown’s life since she was diagnosed at 2 weeks old with cardiomyopathy, a weakening of the heart muscle. Brown had two open-heart surgeries before receiving a new heart last September at Shands at the University of Florida.


UF College of Medicine cardiologists and heart transplant surgeons have given 829 patients “the gift of life” since the adult and pediatric heart transplant programs began at Shands in 1985 and 1986, respectively. This month the teams will honor donor families and recipients as the Shands Heart Transplant Program at UF marks its 25th anniversary.



After her transplant, Brown experienced a quick recovery. Staff encouraged her to get out of bed and onto the treadmill within five days of her surgery.

Brown has also formed close relationships with her UF physicians and Shands nurses and transplant team members.



“If anything happens, Shands at UF is the first place I want to go or call,” Brown said. “The doctors and staff are very wonderful, very personal. They really get to know you.”



The Shands Heart Transplant Program at UF team was the first in the state to perform all thoracic solid-organ transplants – adult, pediatric and infant heart transplants as well as combined heart-lung transplants. To date, UF transplant surgeons have performed 676 adult and 153 pediatric heart transplants.



“This 25th anniversary is a very special time for us,” said Juan M. Aranda, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.C., UF College of Medicine professor of medicine and Shands Heart Transplant Program at UF medical director. “We’re reflecting on the achievements of the program and the excellent outcomes we’ve achieved. We especially honor our donor families and transplant recipients.”



The transplant team and recipient patients will gather March 4 for a reception and dinner at the Hilton at UF in Gainesville. Aranda, who has been with the program since 1997, expects about 300 to 400 heart transplant recipients to attend the reunion. Sen. Steve Oelrich, whose son Nick’s organs and tissue were donated to save or enhance the lives of 108 people in 1995, will speak at the event.



“From our UF surgeons and cardiologists, to the excellent Shands transplant and nursing teams, we have excellent collaboration to ensure good patient outcomes,” Aranda said. “It’s an honor to be able to care for patients all across the state and into the southeast.”



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For more information:

http://www.shands.org/hospitals/uf/service/transplant/heart/transplantheart.asp

http://www.shands.org/hospitals/UF/service/transplant/heart/pediatricsheart.asp

http://www.shands.org/berlinheart/

http://shands.org/hospitals/UF/service/Cardio/vad-faq.asp

http://www.shands.org/hospitals/UF/service/Cardio/vad-video.asp