Grace was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy after her second pregnancy at age 32. She had an AICD (defibrilator) implanted at age 33. Her health continued to decline, she tested positive for Lyme in 2001 and by 2009 she was down to 5% ejection fraction.

The transplant team was amazed at how healthy all of her other organs were, which made her an excellent candidate for the transplant. They put her at the top of the waiting list and she received her new heart on 4/4/2012. The transplant team agreed to let Grace have her ONDAMED in her recovery room with her and she continued to treat herself everyday.

 

Grace was in the hospital and rehab for a total of almost 2 months and during that time she had no post operative infections. While in the hospital she developed a food borne illness, a fractured leg due to complications during a testing procedure, and elevated kidney levels which initially prohibited her taking antibiotics for an UTI. 

 

ONDAMED therapy was able to help her recover quickly and with less pain. Grace did not have any rejection of her new heart. She developed a massive and painful hematoma near her shoulder after they removed her AICD and using the Periosteum and Adhesions Programs along with Program 57 she was able to completely eliminate the hematoma.

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Since the transplant Grace has had a total of 25 heart biopsies and has never had an infection, which she attributes to the Ondamed pre-surgery protocol before each procedure. Grace is now 57 years old and is training for the 6 mile walk-a-thon in July to benefit the Tufts Transplant Unit.