Introduction

In 1964, a heart transplant was attempted—though it was between a chimpanzee and a human. Remarkably, the patient survived nearly 90 minutes after the procedure.

It wasn’t until 1967 that the world witnessed the first successful human-to-human heart transplant. Sadly, that patient survived for just eighteen days before succumbing to pneumonia.

Over the years, as medical knowledge and techniques advanced, survival rates for heart transplant patients improved dramatically. Today, around 5,000 heart transplants are performed worldwide every year.

One of those patients was a frightened 11-year-old girl who underwent a heart transplant over a decade ago. She now leads a happy, healthy life. My name is Payton Herres, and I was that little girl. This is my story.

If you’ve ever wondered about the impact of this life-saving procedure on both the patient and their loved ones, this story is for you. It’s also a message of hope for those who have undergone or will undergo such a journey, along with their families and friends. Above all, I hope it inspires others to consider becoming organ donors. God bless!