Natalie's Story
Mother of Three
When Natalie was pregnant with her third child, she started having difficulty breathing. After giving birth, she was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a serious heart condition. When it continued to get worse, she was sent to California Pacific Medical Center to undergo surgery for a ventricular assist device (VAD). She then learned that she would eventually need a new heart, and would have to wait for it in the hospital. While she missed her three children and her freedom terribly, her condition was too severe to allow her to go home. Finally Natalie received the news that a donor heart had arrived and she would be having surgery that day. It was Valentine's Day, 2003 -- quite a day to receive a new heart. While the surgery was a success, it left her both physically and emotionally drained. She was bolstered by post-surgical counseling and by the warm, personal attention of her nurses. They would take her outside to sit in the sun on nice days, and when she was able to eat normally again, one nurse took her to The Cliff House for her first real meal in months. Today, Natalie is healthy and strong. And not a Valentine's Day passes where she doesn't have a reason to celebrate.
