Episode 67: The Gift Of Receiving A Heart Transplant With Donna Jones Baker

This Thing Called Life

During this episode of This Thing Called Life podcast, host Andi Johnson speaks with Donna Jones Baker who recently received the gift of life through the donation of a kidney and a heart. Donna has learned to appreciate organ donation and its ability to help save so many lives!

Episode Highlights:

• February 14th is National Donor Day, a day to honor all those who have been affected by organ donation.
• Donna was originally born in Paducah, Kentucky and went to Murray State University.
• After getting married, Donna lived in Baltimore for 22 years before moving to Cincinnati to become the CEO of The Urban League.
• Had it not been for the heart attack that she suffered, Donna believes she would still be at The Urban League.
• Initially, Donna received a Z-pack for what she thought to be a cold or a flu.
• Donna was able to make it to the hospital after suffering from a heart attack where she was equipped with an LVAD.
• Doctors wanted to give Donna a heart transplant, but couldn’t because they discovered cancer on her kidney.
• After doctors removed her kidney, Donna was placed on the transplant list for a new heart and kidney.
• According to the numbers, people of color suffer disproportionately from the effects of COVID.
• The months between her kidney removal and kidney/heart transplant were very scary for Donna.
• Doctors feared that Donna’s remaining kidney would not be able to support her and that she would have to go on dialysis.
• The same doctor that fixed Donna’s LVAD performed her heart and kidney transplant.
• Donna had to be careful with the medications that she took because the heart and kidney don’t want the same things.
• With the help of her husband, Greg, Donna was able to make it through a transplant during a pandemic.
• Donna advises those going through a similar situation to try not to think about it all the time.
• The gifts of life and grandchildren keep Donna grateful for every day that she opens her eyes.
• Through the pandemic, Donna has remained in touch with her children and grandchildren via Zoom.
• Working in organ donation is a tough job, but one that saves many lives.
• Donna hopes to schedule a trip to Baltimore to visit her grandchildren once the pandemic is over.
• Right now, there are over 100,000 people in need of a life-saving transplant surgery.

3 Key Points:

1. After initially thinking she had the flu, Donna agreed to host a round table event on Friday the 13th. That following Sunday, she suffered a heart attack from Giant Cell Myocarditis.
2. Many African Americans decline to become organ donors out of a fear that if someone of note needed an organ, doctors would take it from them without consideration for their lives.
3. To stay in touch and grow with her family members, Donna has started a Sunday night Zoom Bible study.

Resources Mentioned:

• LifeCenter (website) (Facebook) (Instagram) (YouTube) (Twitter)
• Andi Johnson (website) (LinkedIn)
• Donna’s Story
• Urban League Of Greater Southwestern Ohio