Transplant recipient Jessie Salter, pictured enjoying a wintery walk with her daughter and dog, recently celebrated her five-year “heart-iversary”
March 11, 2025
Since 1972, London Health Sciences Centre’s (LHSC) Multi-Organ Transplant Program has been transforming the lives of patients and families through organ donation and transplantation. The team at LHSC began performing heart transplants in 1981. As the program continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in transplantation, we are highlighting some of our patient success stories.
Jessie Salter recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of her life-saving heart transplant that took place at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). Since receiving a donor heart, Jessie’s life has completely transformed – she is back to work in her field, married, and embracing the joys of early motherhood.
Experiencing a tumultuous decade of progressive health struggles related to a very rare heart condition, Jessie dealt with the many challenges that came with leaving behind the plans she had for her future. She was in grad school on a PhD track in her field when her health began to rapidly decline, and she had to slowly switch from full-time to part-time work, eventually finding herself no longer able to work and living below the poverty line. Physically, she was no longer able to walk a city block, and it would often take her upwards of 30 minutes to climb three flights of stairs to the apartment she had at the time. Thoughts of dying young were at the forefront of her mind until she experienced a health emergency event where she learned she was a candidate for a heart transplant.
“I was on the waitlist for six months, and my life immediately changed after my transplant surgery,” says Jessie. “I had been prepared for an extensive recovery process and woke up in the ICU ready to go. My new heart was such a good fit and so many of the pulmonary symptoms I had been dealing with, like hypertension, were gone.”
The ability to live a full life is not lost on Jessie and she credits her donor and their family for this immeasurable gift.
“I am forever grateful for my donor and their family and am always sorry for their loss that has gifted me my life back,” says Jessie. “Transplant is a treatment that has taken me from someone who barely had the energy to walk, to someone who plays in work baseball tournaments, goes to the gym, and keeps up with and carries around a busy seven-month-old. I do have my health hiccups along the way, but I choose to lead with a positive mental attitude and never lose sight of the fact that this has literally changed my life. There was a time not that long ago where I could have never imagined I would be living the incredible, full life that I have today. It is truly amazing.”
As Jessie continues to appreciate the many upsides of her life, she feels it is important for people to know that a single donor can save up to eight lives and enhance the lives of 75 others. Anyone aged 18 or older can self-register to be a donor regardless of their current age or medical history, and it's important to discuss your decision with your family so they are aware of your wishes. For those individuals and families with privacy concerns, please be assured that organ donation is confidential; even the recipient won’t get any identifying details, and your privacy will always be respected.
In Ontario, 1,400 people on average are waiting for a lifesaving organ each and every day. Currently, Ontarians are six times more likely to need an organ transplant than to become a donor, and together we can change this statistic. For more information about organ donation and to register your consent to be a donor through Service Ontario, please visit Be A Donor. For more information about LHSC’s internationally renowned Multi-Organ Transplant Program, whose research, clinical innovation, and expertise continue to improve patient outcomes, please visit our website.