Carol McLaughlin
“There is a day that you know changed your life. And then life gets to be more precious.” For Carol McLaughlin, that day was April 4, 2002, the day she received a new heart.
After suffering a stroke in 2001, Carol says she was never quite the same. She began experiencing heart and kidney failure and was ultimately diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, a heart disease similar to the fatal diseases suffered by her grandparents and younger brother. Carol was put on a transplant list and was greatly relieved when her doctors found her a new heart, given by an anonymous organ donor. Her transplant surgery was a success, with no complications and only four units of red blood cells needed.
As Carol recovered, knowing that a grandchild was on the way gave her the extra strength she needed to survive. With help from her friends and family, including Howard, her “rock of all ages” husband, she successfully recovered from the transplant surgery.
On August 14, 2002, Carol became a grandmother. She knows that if not for the generosity of blood and organ donors, she would not have lived to see the birth of her grandson, Christopher. In her own words, "Life goes on—as long as there are donors".