Notable People with Heart Transplants

Notable people with heart transplants

Dick Cheney

  • Who: Former U.S. Vice President

  • Transplant Date: March 2012

  • Age at Transplant: 71

  • Notes: Had a long history of heart problems, including multiple heart attacks. Received a transplant after being on the waiting list for about 20 months.

Larry Hagman

  • Who: Actor (best known for “Dallas”)

  • Transplant Date: 1995

  • Age at Transplant: 64

  • Notes: Received a liver transplant due to cancer, but also had a heart condition. His case is sometimes cited when discussing multiple organ issues.

Erik Compton

  • Who: Professional golfer

  • Transplant Date: First at age 12, second in 2008

  • Age at Second Transplant: 28

  • Notes: One of the few professional athletes to compete at a high level with a donor heart. He’s had two heart transplants and continued his golf career successfully.

Simon Keith

  • Who: Former professional soccer player

  • Transplant Date: 1986

  • Notes: First professional athlete to play after a heart transplant. Now a motivational speaker and organ donation advocate.

Rod Carew – MLB Hall of Famer

  • Career: Rod Carew had a distinguished 19-year career in Major League Baseball, primarily with the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels. He was an 18-time All-Star and seven-time batting champion.

  • Health Challenges: In September 2015, Carew suffered a massive heart attack while playing golf, leading to the implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to support his heart function. Complications from blood thinners resulted in a brain hemorrhage, making a heart transplant necessary.CNN+2www.heart.org+2ESPN.com+2ESPN.com

  • Heart Transplant: In December 2016, Carew received a heart and kidney transplant from Konrad Reuland, a former NFL tight end who tragically passed away at the age of 29 due to a brain aneurysm. Remarkably, Carew had met Reuland when he was 11 years old, and both were immune to hepatitis B, making the transplant possible.

Matt Millen

  • Position: Linebacker

  • Teams: Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins

  • Heart Condition: Amyloidosis, a rare disease causing abnormal protein buildup in organs

  • Transplant Date: December 2018

  • Details: Millen underwent a successful heart transplant at age 60 after being diagnosed with amyloidosis, which had reduced his heart function to 30%. NFL.com+1ESPN.com+1ESPN.com+1NFL.com+1

Jerry Richardson

  • Position: Former NFL wide receiver

  • Team: Baltimore Colts

  • Role: Carolina Panthers owner

  • Transplant Date: February 2009

  • Details: Richardson received a heart transplant at age 72 after being placed on the waiting list following a hospital stay related to a pacemaker installation. NFL.com

Greg Olsen’s Son, TJ Olsen

  • Age at Transplant: 8 years old

  • Condition: Congenital heart defect

  • Transplant Date: June 2021

  • Details: TJ, the son of former NFL tight end Greg Olsen, received a heart transplant after undergoing three open-heart surgeries. His family has been active in raising awareness for pediatric heart health. NFL.com+1NFL.com+1NFL.com

Sam Wyche

Underwent a heart transplant in 2016. After living with cardiomyopathy for 15 years, his heart began to fail, and he was placed on the transplant list. In September 2016, he received a donor heart and underwent successful surgery. Remarkably, just nine days later, he was discharged from the hospital. WLWT+2WYFF+2The Washington Post+2WLWT

Wyche, who led the Cincinnati Bengals to Super Bowl XXIII, became an advocate for organ donation following his transplant. He worked with NFL teams to promote awareness and encouraged others to consider becoming organ donors. NFL.comWYFF

Tragically, Wyche passed away in 2020 at the age of 74. His family expressed deep gratitude for the donor

Jason Gray-Stanford

  • Known For: Portraying Lieutenant Randy Disher on Monk

  • Health Journey: In early 2018, Gray-Stanford experienced severe fatigue and was diagnosed with heart failure. He received a heart transplant at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.

  • Post-Transplant Life: Eight days after surgery, he was discharged and has since returned to acting, including roles in NCIS and Grey’s Anatomy.

  • Advocacy: He actively promotes organ donation awareness and shares his journey to inspire others. helpstpauls.com

Robby Benson

  • Known For: Voice of the Beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and roles in Ode to Billy Joe and Ice Castles

  • Health Journey: Diagnosed with a heart murmur due to a bicuspid aortic valve defect, Benson underwent multiple heart surgeries, including a bovine valve transplant in 1984 and a “reverse Ross procedure” in 2010.

  • Post-Surgery Life: He has become an advocate for heart research and organ donation, even writing and starring in the Off-Broadway play Open Heart. Wikipedia

J. Madison Wright Morris

  • Known For: Role as True Danziger on the sci-fi series Earth 2

  • Health Journey: Diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy, she received a heart transplant in 2000.

  • Tragic Outcome: Morris passed away in 2006 from a heart attack shortly after her marriage and college graduation. Wikipedia

4. Greg West

  • Profession: Actor and costume designer

  • Health Journey: Diagnosed with severe heart failure, he received both a heart and kidney transplant at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital.

  • Post-Transplant Life: West returned to acting and costume design, performing in plays like Superior Donuts and working at Metro State University. UC HealthUCHealth