A Wisconsin heart transplant recipient returned to Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee to thank his team of doctors and nurses, celebrating the one-year anniversary of his life-saving procedure."I'm thinking, 'Oh my God look what I'm doing now and a year ago where was I,'" Mark Hetzel said. In November 2020, 70-year-old Hetzel, was diagnosed with late-stage heart failure. After traveling to Mayo Clinic in March 2021, doctors informed Hetzel he would need a heart transplant to have any future. However, they were unable to place Hetzel on the organ waiting list, due to his age. He was referred to the staff of doctors at Aurora St. Luke's where staff immediately took Hetzel in. "In our program, we look at every patient as an individual and look at what criteria we have them meet, and if they meet every criteria besides age, we don't look at that as an exclusion," said cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. John Crouch. On Sept. 2, 2021, Hetzel underwent a surgery and it was deemed successful. He now spends his days in the fast lane, he rides 15 miles every day on his eBike. "Saturday was the Michael J. Fox virtual ride across the country for Parkinson's and I rode 50 miles," Hetzel said.Hetzel is dedicated to living a healthy life, "receiving someone's organs, someone's heart, I'm committed to life."
A Wisconsin heart transplant recipient returned to Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee to thank his team of doctors and nurses, celebrating the one-year anniversary of his life-saving procedure.
"I'm thinking, 'Oh my God look what I'm doing now and a year ago where was I,'" Mark Hetzel said.
In November 2020, 70-year-old Hetzel, was diagnosed with late-stage heart failure. After traveling to Mayo Clinic in March 2021, doctors informed Hetzel he would need a heart transplant to have any future.
However, they were unable to place Hetzel on the organ waiting list, due to his age.
He was referred to the staff of doctors at Aurora St. Luke's where staff immediately took Hetzel in.
"In our program, we look at every patient as an individual and look at what criteria we have them meet, and if they meet every criteria besides age, we don't look at that as an exclusion," said cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. John Crouch.
On Sept. 2, 2021, Hetzel underwent a surgery and it was deemed successful.
He now spends his days in the fast lane, he rides 15 miles every day on his eBike.
"Saturday was the Michael J. Fox virtual ride across the country for Parkinson's and I rode 50 miles," Hetzel said.
Hetzel is dedicated to living a healthy life, "receiving someone's organs, someone's heart, I'm committed to life."
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