Aging with Dignity: My Heart Transplant Story

Ron Gainsford of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania should have been dead of heart failure a long time ago. Instead, through grit and determination, extraordinary medical intervention, and by the grace of God, Ron received a heart transplant in 1994 and is very much alive and active today. In fact, he still swims, having competed in the World Master's Championships in Germany and Italy and earning five bronze medals in the 70-75 age group. Indeed, Ron at age 82 may be the oldest surviving patient of a heart transplant at currently 17 years living because of his new heart. In this inspiring true story, Ron takes the reader from the streets of industrial Pittsburgh in the 1930s Great Depression, through the War years, and then through his career as a school teacher and scuba diving instructor and leading divers on scuba adventures. He was healthy and active until his heart started giving up on him. At almost the last minute while he lay deathly ill in the hospital, the nurse came into his room and said, "Mr. Gainsford, your heart is here!" and Ron replied, "Let's go!" Through the struggle of recovery, Ron keeps an upbeat and positive attitude. With humor and an appreciation for life, Ron tells his story.