Resident Wanda Griffith has a lot to be grateful for, and around Valentine’s Day she reflects on her second chance after receiving a heart transplant.
Courtesy of Daily Local News.
“It’s very hard as a recipient to express my gratitude,” Griffith said, a Caln native. “Talking about my story helps me feel like I’m spreading the joy and opening someone else’s eyes about a donation. It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am. I don’t know my donor’s family, but I made a resolution this year to share my story and get involved to pay their gift forward.”
Wanda was diagnosed at 29 with heart disease. She didn’t let it stop her though. She loved being with her family and friends, going out dancing and just having fun. She embraced life and enjoyed being a mother and having a family of her own. Then one day everything changed.
She dropped her daughter off at daycare and then began to drive to work. When she came to a red-light, she felt like she couldn’t breathe and knew something was wrong. She was literally at a crossroads. Making a left-hand turn would take her to work. The hospital was to the right. She turned right and later learned that saved her life. She had congestive heart failure. Her doctors told her that she would have died if she didn’t get to the hospital when she did. She spent two weeks in the hospital. For the next 15 years she was blessed with good health.