Transplant Throwback: Kay Walters

Kay Walters, pictured with her daughter, received a heart transplant in 1997.

Name: Kay Walters

Age: 72

Home: Holt

Transplant: Heart

Why did you need a transplant and when did it happen?

I had my heart transplant in April 1997, after years of serious health complications caused by a heart attack and cardiac arrest in 1989.

This was 26 years ago. How are you doing?

Since my transplant, I have enjoyed an overall healthy life. At my last check-up at the heart transplant clinic, my doctor gave me an A-.

Your donor’s name was Kim. What else do you know about her?

Kim was a lovely 19-year-old young woman who was full of excitement, planning her future life. She had just graduated from high school. She had a boyfriend whom she loved and a future that was filled with promise when she was killed in an automobile accident.

What are the most important events or experiences you’ve been able to enjoy because Kim saved your life?

In the years since my transplant, I have felt joy and sorrow, like most people. I am happy, thankful and blessed for the years I have been given. My old friendships have grown, and new friends have entered my life. These friendships are precious to me. I am able to participate and volunteer in my community and my church. My heart is full when I can extend my hand out to others who are in need.

I enjoyed seeing my daughter go away to college. It warmed my heart to watch her grow into a beautiful and compassionate woman, who gives of herself to many. I was able to share in the enjoyment of my husband’s retirement. We traveled around the country, and our love for each other continued to grow, as we checked off many items on our bucket list.

I was with my husband when he received a terminal illness diagnosis. Yes, it was devastating, but it was with great joy and gratitude that I was able to love and care for him at home, as he requested. Thank you for all of these magical moments, dear Kim.

If you could talk to Kim today, what would you tell her?

I give thanks every day for the precious gift you have given me. I share your story with people around the country, so your life story does not disappear. I always smile when I make lemon meringue pie, your specialty. I honor your gift and do what I hope would please you every day, Kim.

‘Kim was a lovely 19-year-old young woman who was full of excitement, planning her future life.’

Read more in the LifeLINES newsletter

 

Read More Posts
Dr. Tim Frankel is leading critical research into deadly pancreatic cancer with the help of organ donors from Gift of Life Michigan.

Gift of Life organ donors provide the ‘holy grail’ of pancreatic cancer research

Groundbreaking Michigan Medicine partnership ‘has the potential to help thousands’  Dr. Tim Frankel is in…

Read More
Donor mom Kathy Vogelsang holding a framed photo of her daughter, Rebecca

A donor mom becomes leader in the donation community

Kathy Vogelsang lends vision as chair of Gift of Life’s Governing Board  Kathy Vogelsang said…

Read More
Sheila Alston has worked as a nurse for more than 40 years

Sheila Alston has been saving and healing lives for 40 years

As a busy manager in Detroit-area hospital emergency departments back in the 1990s and early…

Read More
Tim Schramm holding a photo of his father, Ray, in military uniform

“Precious gifts saved my dad.”

One family’s story of tragedy, skin donation and 26 years of borrowed time Roy Schramm…

Read More
A donor is wheeled into Gift of Life's operating room on a gurney.

The Facts: The organ donation process

Making the decision to become an organ donor upon your death is the first step…

Read More
A physician consults with the family member of a patient.

The Facts: What is first person authorization?

Choosing to sign up on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry gives you the opportunity to…

Read More
Scroll to Top