In a remarkable twist of fate, Mary Wickersham received the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift — a new lease on life — as she underwent a life-saving heart transplant on the day of love itself after enduring a heart-wrenching medical ordeal.
Wickersham’s medical journey began innocently enough on Feb. 9 when she checked into Saint Joseph Hospital for heart valve replacement surgery. What ensued, however, was a series of unforeseen events that would lead her through two open-heart surgeries and ultimately to a life-saving heart transplant.
“I had a lot of time for introspection while I was in the hospital for a long time,” Wickersham said. “So, most of those insights were centered around basically getting a new chance at life.”
Following the initial valve replacement surgery, complications arose, necessitating two additional open-heart procedures within 24 hours. Hospital staff then embarked on a daunting task: transporting Wickersham to UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, with her chest cavity still open, to await a new heart.
Miraculously, a donor’s heart became available the same day she was placed on the transplant list. On Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, Wickersham underwent transplant surgery that lasted from morning until night, which proved successful.
“My old heart was the heart of mine ... I do think I need to do some work on bonding with my new heart,” Wickersham said. “I’m just immensely grateful to the donor for giving me this second chance ... it doesn’t beat the same. It’s much stronger than my old heart was.”
Throughout her recovery, Wickersham was supported by her husband Brad DeSwarte, and daughters Molly and Brigid. After spending 22 days in the ICU Wickersham returned home where she will continue several more months of rehab and recovery.
Heart surgery took a devastating turn when Wickersham’s heart failed to restart after the valve repair, her husband DeSwarte grappled with the reality of her deteriorating condition. The subsequent days were a blur of medical interventions and uncertainty as Wickersham’s condition remained critical.
“They basically couldn’t get her heart started again ... We had to make the decision to try to get her on the transplant list ... At that point, the only place in the entire state that does heart transplants is UCHealth,” DeSwarte explained. “I had to make the call; do we do a transplant? Or, do we let her just be on a life support machine forever? Which obviously wasn’t the right answer.”
They were initially uncertain about Wickersham’s candidacy for a transplant and had to go through several steps to determine her eligibility. Once they confirmed she was a suitable candidate, she was listed on the donor registry on Feb. 13, marking the beginning of a waiting period for a compatible donor.
“You know, it could be a day, it could be 30 days, we had no idea ... it’s very complicated … I think it’s more that you have to have the blood type and it has to be the right size,” DeSwarte said about the wait for a suitable donor, which was an agonizing one, filled with uncertainty.
“Nine o’clock that night, I got a phone call from the transplant team saying that they found a donor ... And that they will do the surgery on Mary on Wednesday,” DeSwarte said.
Wickersham’s surgery, which lasted well into the night, marked the beginning of her arduous recovery journey. As she has progressed through her recovery, each milestone became a cause for celebration.
“The first big milestone that we were waiting for was when they did the first biopsy on the new heart to check for rejection and it came back 100% perfect,” DeSwarte recalled.
Regardless of the challenges ahead, friends and family remained optimistic about her continued progress at this point. With each small victory, Wickersham’s strength and resilience have shone through.
“The very first thing that she ate, what she craved was frozen strawberry yogurt,” DeSwarte said. “She’s starting to make small steps and sitting in chairs ...Just getting out of bed and sitting in a different chair took an hour.”
Despite the physical and emotional toll, Wickersham is now determined to reclaim her daily routines.
“She’s on quite a bit of medication that makes it ... a little hard to concentrate sometimes. But she’s back into it ... reading her New York Times and reading the news,” DeSwarte said about Wickersham who is a fan of Sudoku puzzles and word games.
The two share a love for hiking in the mountains, which was a significant factor in their decision to live in Longmont, pointing to a deep connection to outdoor activities and nature.
“We love to hike in the mountains and camp ... maybe if we can walk a mile by July 30th, that would be outstanding,” DeSwarte shared about their next big possible goal.
With Wickersham’s ability to work limited and continued care needed, the costs of her medical procedures and extended ICU stay are substantial. In response, a GoFundMe campaign was initiated by close family members to alleviate the financial strain so they could focus solely on her recovery.
“It’s a medical miracle that a heart became available that quickly, and it was a match ... and that she’s had zero rejection so far,” DeSwarte concluded with gratitude. “The ICU nurses who worked 12-hour shifts ... they were amazing.”
