An Indiana bride gets a heart transplant on her wedding day. Kimberly Woods, 21, grew up with an inherited heart condition that causes her heart muscle to thicken over time. Having been diagnosed at 12-years-old with the disease she shares with her mother and brother, she’s learned to live with it. But when she was 20, things got much worse for her. Her health was deteriorating, she was at constant risk of death and would need a transplant to survive.
Kimberly was living on borrowed time and was told that finding a transplant could take years, so she gave her fiance, Anthony Woods, an out. She told him that their path was going to be tough, but he was committed to their relationship. The couple decided then that they wanted to get married and started planning a wedding for years down the road. But just six months later, Kimberly got the call that a heart was available for her.
Uncertain what the future would bring for them, the couple decided to move their wedding up — to that day. In a simple ceremony, they said “I do” in front of their family and closest friends who were available at the last minute. Then they got in the car and drove four hours to the Cleveland Clinic so Kimberly could get her new heart. The surgery was a success and she’s is expected to live a long life. The newlyweds plan to do some traveling before they settle down and start a family.
Source: WKYC