Mark Raegan
Heart Recipient
“Mr. Raegan, we are dancing,” these are the words Mark Raegan’s nurse told him at 5:01pm on March 20th. After 7.5 years of waiting for his second chance, over 250 cardiac arrests, over 150 defibrillator fires, and countless days in the hospital…Mark was getting a heart transplant. It all started in 1995 when Mr. Raegan travelled to Brazil for business. He began to feel sick and went to see the doctor to gain more insight on what was making him feel so bad, only to discover his heart was essentially destroyed from a virus he contracted while in Brazil, and he was in congestive heart failure. His doctor said, “You need a heart transplant. There is no Plan B here…go home and get your affairs in order.”
In the fall of 1998, Mark went into cardiac arrest for the first time while on a work trip in Boston. A coworker performed CPR for 11 minutes…he went to the hospital and woke up with a defibrillator. It was now a matter of buying time while awaiting the next step in the transplant process. He completed all the testing and evaluation needed to be placed on the heart transplant waiting list. In October, he went in for three days of testing but was deemed too sick to go home, resulting in a hospital stay that lasted longer than 160 days. In March of 2003, his medical team was debating placing a pump to help his heart function, but were hesitant because it could hinder his chances of receiving a transplant. The decision was to be made on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day. At 5:01pm on March 20th, he was told there was a heart and it was a match. At 2:30am on March 21st, Mark received the gift of life because his 19-year-old Donor Hero said yes to donation.
Mark has a beautiful connection with his donor family. It was Mark’s mother’s letter to his donor mom that led to them meeting. You see, Mark lost his sister when she was only 16, so his mom knew the heartbreak of losing a child. His donor’s mom wrote back, “It would be a dream come true, a miracle, if I could meet you, hug you, and hear my son’s heart again.” They met, and it led to a beautiful relationship that they continue to cherish today.
Statistically, after all that Mark has been through, he had a one-in-a-million chance of still being with us today. He has immense gratitude for the many people in his life, including his medical teams, his two sons, his wife, and, of course, his donor family, who have fought for every single moment of his life to this day. He has witnessed the pure goodness and compassion humans have to offer. It is still overwhelming for him to know that every single day, these people dedicate their lives to saving his.
Mr. Raegan hopes that more people in SC see the impact of organ, eye, and tissue donation and say YES to donation. He is passionate about expanding access to education and creating new opportunities to share his story, inspiring others through the mission of donation. After all, he can celebrate life every single day because of his donor hero.