Exciting News Indeed

Teenage Heart Transplant

Monday morning I woke up to the most surreal email I have ever received. 

Behold…

“Hi Shelby, I am an Internal Medicine resident at the University of Pennsylvania. I am currently working in the Medical Unit at ABC News in NY. I recently saw your documentary, Shelby Cooper: Three of Hearts. I am interested in interviewing you for a story on ABCNews.com. The focus would simply be on your story, and hopefully would allow you to speak to a larger audience. I would love to interview you sometime this week. I will work around your schedule, of course. Let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you!!! Thanks”

I’m so humbled and honored to speak for ABCNews. Of course I grasped this moment because I see this as another astounding opportunity to raise awareness for organ donation and heart disease! The interview will mostly be focused on my experiences and coping mechanisms. 

Coping mechanisms?

Obviously, when I was a baby I don’t recall having to cope with anything. Although, because everything happened to me at such a young age, I grew up thinking every kid took some form of medication and had frequent doctor’s appointments. When I found out that wasn’t the case, that was when I knew I was different from everyone else and that was also the beginning to becoming insecure about my heart problems, my scar, etc etc. 

My perspective, my attitude, my mentality all changed when my health began failing again in middle school. I guess the hardest part was maintaining an optimistic outlook throughout the entire transplantation waiting process. There were sometimes, I would break down at the end of the day and the day’s I didn’t cry myself to sleep, I wanted to, but I knew it wouldn’t make my situation any better so I stayed strong. 

Dealing with being away from friends?

Even though I didn’t have many friends, I tried to keep in contact with at least the closest. If I didn’t have a cell phone or skype, I definitely would’ve gone insane. I remember just talking on the phone for however long and about anything made my day. Besides phone calls, two of my friends even flew to Denver to see me! It was nice knowing my friends still cared about me and saw me as their crazy, dorky friend and not as the girl waiting for a heart. 

Dealing with being away from school? 

Although middle school wins for the worst, most awkward and tormenting time period, back then I rather be learning matrices and have gum stuck in my hair than be isolated at the Ronald McDonald House. I tried to focus on the horrible factors of middle school to remind me not to miss it too much but I still missed seeing my friends everyday and feeling “normal”. Now, I could care less about being “normal” but I think no matter how old you are; being away from home, having a picc line, going to cardiology appointments every week(including needles), and knowing the substantial circumstances you’re under is hard for anyone. 

Finale

Although it was hard to keep, I think what kept me sane was my constant optimism. I never expected I  would need a second transplant, so to have my life take a turn for the worst, keeping the slightest bit of a positive attitude is crucial. You don’t have to thank the sun for shining, you don’t have to give gratitude to the Earth for rotating, you don’t have to wake up with a big bright smile on your face every morning but for me, I was grateful to live another day and I was hopeful to beat the odds… so I did.

My name is Shelby Cooper and I have had two heart transplants. Living with heart disease has encouraged me to spread Congenital Heart Disease Awareness, and to tell kids with heart defects; you’re not alone.
Blog: teenagehearttransplant.blogspot.com