In episode 45 of The Heart Chamber Podcast, we dive into Aimee Mackovic’s inspiring journey through a triple organ transplant during the pandemic. An accomplished poet and English professor from Austin, Texas, Aimee shares her battle with a congenital heart defect and subsequent heart and liver failures. Her memoir, “Contains Recycled Parts,” available on Amazon, details this life-altering experience. Aimee was born with a congenital defect and needed the Fontan procedure at 15 months old. To her surprise, she learned at age 44, she would need a new heart and liver and then, eventually, a new kidney. We discuss the challenges she faced, including recovery, the importance of understanding medical information, and the invaluable role of community support. Aimee emphasizes the significance of emotional readiness and the impact of writing as a healing tool. Tune in to hear her incredible story of resilience and the life-saving power of organ donation.
A Little More About Today’s Guest
Aimee Mackovic was born with a congenital defect (a hole in the middle of her heart) and underwent her first open heart surgery at 15 months for a pulmonary banding, which was a temporary fix. That “fix” lasted until she was 22 years old. At 22, Aimee underwent another open-heart surgery to potentially now repair the hole. Due to the nature of the defect, a full repair was not possible, so they did a newly touted Fontan procedure, which was meant to be a bridge surgery to an eventual heart transplant. Well, another 22 years later with another hospital stay, she is admitted to Dell’s Children Hospital in Austin, TX with heart and liver failure. The very complex and urgent nature of her case caused her to be taken on by Stanford Hospital in California, where she received her heart and liver on December 13th, 2019. She received a kidney transplant in June of 2022. In June of 2023, she moved back to Austin, TX, where she resumed her teaching life at Austin Community College and her social life with her friends. Her memoir, Contains Recycled Parts, is a humorous, gut-wrenching look at her triple-transplant journey.
How to connect with Aimee
Instagram: @aimeemackovic
Website: www.aimeemackovic.com
Book: Contains Recycled Parts – https://twosisterswriting.com/book/contains-recycled-parts/
How to connect with Boots
The Heart Chamber – A podcast for heart patients (theheartchamberpodcast.com)
Email: Boots@theheartchamberpodcast.com
Instagram: @theheartchamberpodcast or @boots.knighton
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/boots-knighton
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