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Pittsburgh man receives ‘the gift of life’

MOSES HART
MOSES HART

The lives of people on the organ transplant waiting list can be difficult. Most patients spend years hoping for the gift of life while carrying on with their daily lives as normally as possible.
While serving in the National Guard, Moses Hart discovered that he had an enlarged heart and that it was probably caused by a virus. In 2000, Hart was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, which means his heart doesn’t pump enough blood. The disease weakens the heart muscle and often leads to heart failure.
Because his heart didn’t pump enough blood, doctors inserted a ventricular assist device into Hart to help him stay alive. The device is attached to the heart. He carried the pump and power source outside of his body in a fanny pack. He even slept with it.
In January 2015, Hart received his first call from the transplant center. Unfortunately, the heart that was available wasn’t suitable for him. In the meantime, he volunteered at the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) and Allegheny General Hospital. In January 2016, Hart received his heart. He waited approximately four years for his gift of life but will tell you that it was certainly worth the wait.

As one of 58 federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organizations (OPOs), CORE works closely with donor families and designated health care professionals to deliver the gift of hope by coordinating the surgical recovery of organs, tissues and corneas for transplantation.
As a Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP) site, CORE features programming for minorities to help bridge the gap between potential donors and the national transplant waiting list.
MOTTEP’s mission is to decrease the number and rate of ethnic minority Americans needing transplants. CORE supports MOTTEP in its goal to facilitate a national information and education campaign that emphasizes both prevention and intervention strategies.
According to Donate Life America, there are currently 77,633 patients from minority backgrounds waiting for transplants in the United States. In Pennsylvania, there are more than 4,000 minorities on the waiting list.
For more facts about donation, visit www.core.org or www.unos.org. To register as an organ, tissue and cornea donor, please visit www.core.org/register.
 
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