Megan Mehta

Type of Donation:          heart recipient

Age and Location:          CA

Donation Date:             2022

Sponsor:                   Honored by Donor Network West with Stanford Children’s Hospital

MEGAN’S STORY

Megan was born with a lust for life and has spent the past five years reclaiming that energy after having spent ages 8 to 13 in a state she can “best describe as the color gray.” Thanks to the generosity of blood and organ donors, Megan was able to overcome heart failure and receive a life-saving transplant at age 13. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to live her life to the fullest, a life she now describes as “the color of sunshine, happiness.”

From an early age, she loved to be involved in anything and everything. By early elementary school, she was active in basketball, was deeply passionate about taekwondo and loved any opportunity to run around a playground or go hiking or biking with her family and friends. However, at age eight, Megan began exhibiting some concerning symptoms, and her family took her to the hospital to have her evaluated.

They were devastated to learn that Megan was dealing with the effects of dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that makes it progressively more difficult for the heart to pump blood over time. To avoid strain on her heart, Megan was immediately pulled out of all of her sports and was forced to avoid any strenuous physical activity for her own safety.

From second through seventh grade, Megan could not participate in PE, could not ride bikes or run, could not play any sports. She could not even go on field trips due to strain from too much walking and physical activity. Then, in February of the next year, they got their miracle: Four months after she was put on the transplant waiting list, she was told that she had a new heart. Instantly, everything changed.

Megan received her transplant on February 24, 2016. Since then, she shared, “Life has been sunshine, or pink. All my happiness returned.” Just a few months after her transplant, she has a very vivid memory of riding her bike five miles, just enjoying her freedom and her ability to live life on her own terms once again.