

New technology cut Freya Heddington’s wait time for a new heart from two years to two months. That was incredible news for the 14-year-old. “I am ecstatic that I got such an amazing gift,” she says. The British teenager underwent a successful life-saving heart transplant with a new heart—remarkably, one that was revived outside of her body.
Doctors used a “heart in a box” device to supply oxygen, blood, and nutrients to a donor heart. This technology is saving lives by keeping organs alive outside of a human body. The device extends the time a heart remains transplantable, making it possible for hearts to come from a much wider range of donors around the globe.
Previously, hearts used in transplants came from patients who have no brain activity but whose hearts are still beating. The pioneering technology can take a heart that has stopped beating, get it beating again, and safely transplant it into a recipient. The device was used to restart Freya’s new heart and make sure it was healthy enough for her body––before it was transplanted.
“The device is vital,” says Stephen Large, a surgeon at the Royal Papworth Hospital in the United Kingdom. “The heart gets an absolutely essential infusion of blood to restore its energy.” Proverbs 4:23 addresses the health of our spiritual hearts. “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” A close walk with the Lord infuses a believer’s heart with life.
The procedure premiered at a hospital in Cambridge in 2015. But for the first few years, it was available only for adults needing a heart transplant. Now the Royal Papworth Hospital has teamed up with Great Ormond Street Hospital to benefit children too.
Marius Bergman is a transplant surgeon. He says that the breakthrough technology is helping surgeons double the previous number of heart transplants. It is reducing wait time too, thus reducing mortality in the waiting list.
Dr. Abbas Ardehali is the surgical director of the heart and lung transplantation program at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. He says, “There are not enough donor hearts to help all the patients who are waiting. If we can find ways to improve upon our limited supply of hearts, then more lives will be saved.”
Only six British children have received a new heart with this procedure so far. Four other children have gone through similar heart transplants worldwide.
incredible!!!
incredible!!!
this is crazy cool and so
this is crazy cool and so amazing it just proves to show that our GOD is truly an awsome GOD
Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow that is sooo cool and
Wow that is sooo cool and amazing!!!!!
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
?
eww/amazing/creepy
Wow
So amazing!!!!!!
Oh wow
That is disgustingly awesome
thats just crazy
im just gonna say it. WOW. that weirdly, creepily cool. i mean, imagine u had to get a heart transplant in 2105, and u wake up from the surgery, and u ask the doctor " how did it go?"
"Oh, it went fine. " U say " who's heart did i get?" the doctor says " we used up all the normal hearts, so you got the heart of a man named joe phelps."
"But thats my dad's heart!" creeepy
Weird surgery fact
Did you know that when in brain surgery the patient is still awake? It's so that the surgeons can see what part of the brain is working and what is wrong.
She's so lucky
Freya Heddington is really lucky to receive this treatment! I have never gotten surgery although I know someone who has done surgery many times. I'm sure it must be kind of painful, but Freya is probably really thankful too. I feel bad for all the people who couldn't be saved in the Middle Ages or on the Oregon Trail. Modern technology is so amazing. I hope that people use it wisely not entirely for money, power, and controlling people.
wow and eww
that is both disgusting and very cool
Interjection
UM. Okay, uh, wow.
Interjection
UM. Okay, uh, wow.
OOPS
Sorry. I pushed the button twice :D
question
are these sold at walmart
very interesting
i think it is good if it saves lives but it makes me never want to get in that kind of situation. I can only imagine waking up with the heart of some guy.
Wait A second...
If they can revive hearts, does that mean they can bring people back to life?????!!!!!!!
@Kiara
Ewwwwwww...