Dallas

Dying Woman Receives Heart Transplant on Christmas Day

No one ever wants to spend the holiday in the hospital–-unless the story ends the way it did for Stephanie Chapman.

The 20-year-old came to Baylor Medical Center in Dallas from out of state four months ago to get treatment for congestive heart failure.

Her parents, Christina Chapman and Marty Boyd, said Stephanie's medical condition was dire before she came to Baylor.

“Her heart was failing, and it was failing a lot faster than they had ever anticipated,” said Christina Chapman.

“Before we got here, she was dying,” Boyd said.           

In October, Stephanie received an LVAD, known as a left-ventricular assist device.

Her condition began improving, cheering cardiologist Dr. Susan Joseph.

“Her family told me, ‘This is the Stephanie we wish you all would have met,’” Dr. Joseph said.

Then, things got worse.

So bad that Dr. Joseph felt the only option for Stephanie was a new heart.

She was placed on the emergency transplant list less than a month ago.

“We had already started planning for Plan B,” Dr. Joseph said. “And every day I would walk in and Christina would say, ‘OK, let’s talk about Plan B.’ And I’m like, ‘I really don’t want to talk about Plan B because I’m hoping for that miracle.”

A miracle that came at 1:30 a.m. on Christmas Day.

“We knew they had a heart,” Christina Chapman said. “Truly a miracle for her and our family.”

Stephanie went into surgery and was given the donor heart, the greatest gift she could ever receive.

Her family was flooded with conflicting emotions.

“I was so excited for my daughter, but I was feeling for the other family,” Chapman said. “I know someone’s loved one passed away.”

Chapman said they hope to meet the donor family someday and thank them for giving their daughter the gift of life.

Stephanie is currently in the ICU recovering from the transplant, but she's doing surprisingly well, Dr. Joseph said.

“Just an hour after she came out of the operating room her blood pressure, everything that we look at, all the parameters, just couldn’t be better," Dr. Joseph said. "I couldn’t be happier for her and her family.” [[408285155,C]]

“She’s just a miracle in herself, not to mention the miracle she received,” Boyd added.

A close friend created a GoFundMe page to help the family with medical and living expenses while Stephanie recovers. 

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