Heart Transplant Recipient, Brittney Moreno

Happy family!  Brittney, Marcos and Benjamin (who was not looking at the camera ;-) )

(In her own words)

My name is Brittney Moreno. I'm 24 years old and I was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. This is where the whole left side of the heart is underdeveloped. I was in need of a new heart to save my life. My doctors sent me home with my parents to let nature take its course because, here in Denver in 1990, they were not doing heart transplants. Three months later, I was still holding on to life and in need of a miracle. Loma Linda, in Southern California, was my chance. I was air lifted by Angel Flight and immediately put on the transplant list. That weekend, a heart became available but it wasn't the right size or the right blood type. I was in such dire need of a heart that we prayed for a miracle. Within hours of a successful surgery, I was already thriving. It was the first time my parents actually had seen my cheeks pink and a smile on my face. It was truly a miracle.

We later found out that my donor was a little, 20 month old toddler boy. In his parents time of grief, they thought about others and I can't thank them enough for their difficult decision that day. That decision would forever change my life.

I am now 24 and living life to the fullest. Still with that same heart that saved my life that day. Because of Danny, my donor, and his family, I was able to have a second chance at life. I met the love of my life, Marcos Moreno, and we got married September 5, 2014 and just had our little boy on April 16, 2015.

All because one family said "YES" to organ donation.

Brittney and baby Benjamin

**Note from Kim: I would love to turn this into a weekly feature.  If you're a recipient (pre or post), donor family member, or living donor, I would LOVE to feature you!  Just give me your name, how you're connected to organ transplant, and some pics!  You can either write it yourself (like Brittney has done) or ask me to phrase it.  Please submit it by Friday at 7 PM (ET).  Thanks and thank you Brittney for being my first feature!

Also, I know Brittney via the Transplant Games. She is on Team Rocky Mountain and has won numerous medals over the years!  :-D