Tracey Warren-Hein

Type of Donation:             Tissue recipient

Age and Location:             Age 45 – Jensen Beach, FL

Transplant Date:               September 1, 2017

Sponsor:                               Honored by Pinnacle Transplant Technologies in partnership with Donor Network of Arizona

TRACEY’S STORY

Tracey Warren-Hein is a wife and mother to two. That is where her priorities are. When doctors diagnosed her with breast cancer, she thought her time with family might be limited.

In 2017, Warren-Hein had frequent hot flashes and breast tenderness, but she dismissed them as the onset of menopause.

“I have no family history of breast cancer, and frankly, I had the smallest chest possible,” Warren-Hein told the audience when she presented at Donor Network of Arizona (DNA) for Breast Reconstruction Awareness (BRA) Day Oct. 17, 2018. “Breast cancer was the furthest thing from my mind.”

Still, something told her to visit her OB-GYN. She got a mammogram, an ultrasound and a biopsy. She had the unthinkable—cancer.

Doctors originally told her the cancer was curable and that she would not need radiation or chemotherapy. However, after a double mastectomy, they learned the cancerous cells had spread to multiple lymph nodes.

The original promise of a relatively simple recovery turned into exhausting treatments and hair loss. She was surprised to learn that during her mastectomy, she received tissue from two donors.

“Honestly, I had never thought of skin as something that is donated,” says Warren-Hein, adding she feels grateful to the donors who helped her heal through reconstructive surgery and return to a healthy, fulfilling life.

“I never imagined I’d be the recipient of such a precious gift. Organ and tissue donors are making recipients stronger in body and spirit,” Warren-Hein says.

BRA Day educates women and others about the options for reconstruction following a mastectomy. Only 23 percent of women know the wide range of breast reconstruction options available to them. Breast reconstruction means more than just restored appearance. It helps women feel whole again after the physical and emotional challenges that come with a breast cancer diagnosis.