Jay Toland, who’s lived in a Boston hospital for the last seven months awaiting a heart transplant, has finally received a new heart and will be going home at last. His journey began in 2020 when he suffered a near-fatal heart attack. He has spent more than half a year at Tufts Medical Center waiting for his new heart.
On April 8th, Toland was matched with a suitable donor. Dr. Amanda Vest, Medical Director of the Cardiac Transplantation Program at Tufts, informed him of the match, which he accepted without hesitation. He immediately underwent successful transplant surgery. “We were able to get him through the procedure very nicely," Vest says. The doctor is grateful that they were able to find a match for Toland and she acknowledges how many people in the U.S. are still waiting on a lifesaving organ transplant.
Toland is now in recovery mode and says he’s feeling good. “I feel healthy. I feel strong,” he says, and adds, “I’m confident.” He admits it’s going to be tough saying goodbye to the medical staff that’s been like family for the last seven months, but he’s ready to get back to his life and is determined to honor the gift he’s received and "carry it forward."
Source: WCVB