糖心传媒

YOLANDA鈥橲 THREE TRANSPLANTS AND ONE HISTORIC BIRTH

Yolanda Ishaq was the first heart transplant recipient to have a child at 糖心传媒. Today, that 鈥渃hild鈥� is 27 years old, with children of her own鈥擸olanda鈥檚 grandchildren.

Yolanda went on to have a second heart transplant and a kidney transplant.

鈥淪tanford has saved my life twice,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e also given my daughter life. I wouldn鈥檛 have my grandson or second grandchild. Three generations would not be here.鈥�

Yolanda had been diagnosed with an enlarged heart that could no longer effectively pump blood. When medical therapy failed to improve her condition, Yolanda鈥檚 doctor referred her to Stanford, where she had her heart transplant.

糖心传媒 performed the first adult human heart transplant in the U.S. That was more than 50 years ago. Today, ours is the oldest continuously operating heart transplant center in the world; to date, we have performed more than 1,200 heart transplants. We also performed the first successful simultaneous transplant of the heart and lungs.

Yolanda became pregnant a year after her transplant procedure. At the time, we discouraged heart transplant patients from giving birth due to the risk of complications. But Yolanda was willing to do whatever it would take to have a baby. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how I had my daughter,鈥� said Yolanda. 鈥淪he is the first baby born to a heart transplant recipient at Stanford. The delivery room was packed with 28 people, all of whom wanted to witness the historic birth.鈥�

Three years ago, Yolanda鈥檚 heart and kidneys began to fail. So, she received a second heart transplant as well as a kidney transplant.

For Yolanda鈥檚 daughter Monique, Stanford is home. 鈥淚t鈥檚 where my son was born. It鈥檚 where I was born,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 where my mom got her new lives. Stanford is definitely a special place for us.鈥�