Christine Galan made surgical history on Oct. 24, 1998, when she received a simultaneous heart and liver transplant after an 18-year battle with illness. Following an eight-month wait and 11 weeks in the intensive care unit, a donor was found just in time to save her life.
“The wait was the hardest part,” Christine recalls. “As a result of my successful surgery, I have worked diligently to bring more awareness to organ donation.”
Determined to honor her donor’s gift, Christine became the first heart and liver transplant recipient to complete the New York City Marathon in 2001, using her story to raise awareness about the critical need for organ and tissue donors.
Years later, when her kidney began to fail, another lifesaving gift came from a perfect stranger, who volunteered to donate a kidney, giving Christine yet another chance at life.
Now, almost 28 years after her first transplant, Christine works full-time and lives in Florida, where she enjoys golf, water aerobics, yoga and baking. She also continues to advocate for organ donation, dedicating her life to educating others about the life changing impact of saying yes to registering as a donor.
She plans to meet the mother of the heart and liver donor who gave her a second chance at life — a moment that will bring her remarkable journey full circle.
