Baptist and Mid-South Transplant hold largest-known heart transplant recipient and donor family meeting

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Baptist Heart Institute at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis and Mid-South Transplant Foundation united nine heart transplant recipients with their donor families during the largest-known meeting of its kind on National Donor Day.

Baptist hosted this event to honor the life-saving generosity of organ donors and their families while celebrating the second chances given to recipients. The reunion provided an opportunity for patients and donor families to share stories and learn about each other, and donor families spent time listening to their loved one's heart beating in heart transplant recipients through a stethoscope.

"The emotions we witnessed from patients, donor families and staff provided much love and healing today," said Renee Hatcher, administrative director of transplant services at Baptist Heart Institute. "We are honored to have been a part of such an amazing day, and we are thankful to offer this life-saving care to our community."

Nine transplant recipients met approximately 75 family members of their donors. Recipients ranged in age from 25 to 70. One donor family was local to Memphis, but the rest travelled from Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and Mississippi. This was a first-time meeting for all and a demonstration of how organ donation can make a difference in the lives of recipients and donor families.

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis has performed 490 adult heart transplants since the program's inception in 1985. In October, Baptist will mark the 40^th anniversary of the first heart transplant in the Mid-South. Baptist's heart transplant team of cardiologists, surgeons, doctors, nurses and other dedicated staff members provide follow-up care to approximately 170 post-heart transplant recipients across five states, ensuring their ongoing well-being and monitoring their progress. Baptist's longest-surviving heart transplant patient will celebrate the 32^nd anniversary of his transplant in 2025.

"These donors' gift of life makes it possible for some patients with advanced heart failure to have a second chance at life," said Dr. Dmitry Yaranov, director of Advanced Heart Failure at Baptist Heart Institute. "We are so thankful for these compassionate choices that allow us to continue this lifesaving work."

National Donor Day, originally designated in 1998, helps raise awareness for organ, eye, tissue, marrow, platelet and blood donation. Annually, Baptist and Mid-South Transplant Foundation use this day to highlight the importance of organ and tissue donation and inspire others to become registered organ donors.

Baptist Heart Institute at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis offers comprehensive heart services, including the only certified adult heart transplant and the only adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) programs in the Mid-South. Baptist also offers advanced cardiac care for patients through the Baptist Advanced Heart Failure Program. As a premier heart diagnostic, treatment and research facility, Baptist Heart Institute is the region's largest and most comprehensive provider of mechanical and circulatory support devices and therapies. In 2022, Baptist became the first hospital in the state of Tennessee to use a Barostim implant to treat heart failure, and in 2023, Baptist was the first in the state to implant a cardiac contractility modulation device. To learn more about the heart transplant program at Baptist Heart Institute, please visit baptistonline.org/services/heart/heart-transplant.

Mid-South Transplant Foundation has been connecting lives through organ donation since 1976. As the federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organization for counties in western Tennessee, northern Mississippi and eastern Arkansas, Mid-South Transplant Foundation provides services including organ procurement, tissue recovery, laboratory testing, 24-hour rapid response to referrals from our hospital partners and an array of community education promoting the importance of donation. To register as an organ and tissue donor, please visit midsouthtransplant.org/register/.

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, a 706-bed hospital located on an 80-acre medical campus in Memphis, Tennessee, is the flagship hospital of Baptist Memorial Health Care, one of the largest health care systems in the country. Named as the No. 1 hospital in the Memphis metropolitan area and No. 2 hospital in the state of Tennessee by U.S. News & World Report for 2024–2025, the hospital serves as a major referral center for patients across the Mid-South. The hospital also offers specialty, diagnostic, surgical and rehabilitation services. According to HealthGrades, an independent health care ratings organization, Baptist Memphis' cardiac surgery, stroke, gastrointestinal, pulmonary and critical care programs were among the top 5% in the country in 2009, resulting in the facility receiving Specialty Excellence awards. For more information, please visit baptistonline.org/memphis, call 901-226-5000 or follow us on Facebook at @baptistmemorialhospital-memphis.

SOURCE Baptist Memorial Health Care