Inspirational Stories

Hello, my name is Keana. I am 26 years old, and I was born in Columbus Ohio. I was born with a rare heart condition called “hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.” It is a hereditary disease on my mother’s side. Many family members, including my mother, have passed away from the disease, and the other half received heart transplants, which is what led to me. I recently got my heart transplant in September 2021 and was admitted to the hospital for three months, one before and two after. After my heart transplant, I came in contact with COVID. After getting COVID, it was discovered that I had a rare cancer due to the donor's heart having mono, and I never had, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). I am currently still going through treatment. I was admitted to the hospital after having a stroke due to the stress of it all. It’s going on 11 months of treatment. I just want to inspire other people to keep going and never give up!