PATIENT STORY :
HEART , DOUBLE-LUNG TRANSPLANT GIVES UAB STUDENT NEW PERSPECTIVE
Cooper Pierce was just 13 when diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension . After undergoing a heart and double-lung transplant at UAB Hospital , he now is a student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and hopes his story can inspire others .
Pulmonary hypertension is a disorder in which blood flow from the right side of the heart faces increased pressure , making it work harder to pump blood out to the lungs . The right side of the heart enlarges and thickens in response to this extra work , and over time it can cause the heart to fail .
PATIENT STORIES – LUNG
“ The way I like to describe it to people is like really bad asthma ,” Pierce says . “ I used to play baseball , and if I hit the ball , by the time I got to first base , it was like I was already out of breath and blue . Or , I would walk up a flight of stairs and I ’ d be blue and breathing really hard .”
After nearly a year of waiting and tests , Pierce was told he would receive a heart and double-lung transplant , which was performed by Charles Hoopes , MD , a professor in the UAB Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery .
“ Pulmonary hypertension is not common in people his age ,” Dr . Hoopes says . “ There are only about 40 heart and double-lung transplants performed a year , but because he was so young , we thought it would be best to go through with a transplant .”
After nine days in the hospital , Pierce felt a major difference in his breathing .
BLAZING AHEAD Pierce is a student at UAB with an undeclared major , but he ’ s always had an interest in engineering , specifically 3D printing — something he hopes to incorporate into his future .
“ I ’ ve always enjoyed engineering things ,” Pierce says . “ I was 3D printing well before I had my transplant , and once I got my transplant , I saw that a lot of people were already printing organs for transplant . If I can be on the forefront of that or forefront of any additive manufacturing stuff , that would be awesome .”
Cooper Pierce underwent a heart and double-lung transplant at UAB .
Pierce received his transplant before he came to college , but he always had UAB in the back of his mind as a place to further his education .
“ The facilities at UAB are always nice , and I don ’ t live too far from here ,” he says . “ I could live at home . That was a big thing , because I had to commit to UAB before I got my transplant , and so it was close to home .”
ORGAN DONATION Pierce knows that he would not have received his lifesaving organs without the passing of someone else . It is something that constantly reminds him how fortunate he is . And while he has not had an opportunity to meet the family of the person who donated the organs , he says he will be forever grateful .
“ I hope people can find inspiration in my story ,” he says . “ I ’ m a best-case scenario . I wouldn ’ t be where I am without someone else ’ s sacrifice .”
uabmedicine . org / refertransplant 29