A new heart for Samuel - Farewell to the LMU Clinic

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685 days. That's how long Samuel has been waiting for a new heart. And with him his family, his twin brother, the nursing staff, caring doctors and many other employees of the LMU Klinikum in Großhadern. The redemptive call came in mid-January: a donor heart had been found for Samuel. That same night, a team led by the two pediatric heart surgeons Prof. Dr. Sebastian Michel and Prof. Dr. Fabian Kari operated on him.

"The heart was an absolute stroke of luck," says Prof. Fabian Kari from the Section for Surgery of Congenital Heart Defects and Pediatric Heart Surgery at LMU Klinikum München. "Because it fits Samuel perfectly in terms of weight, size and age." The six-hour operation went accordingly well. "He came through the operation very well and was extubated after just a few hours," a good sign.

Just a few days after the operation, Samuel was already walking independently again, exploring the ward much more freely than was previously possible with the "Berlin Heart" artificial heart. "I can't even put my feelings into words," says Matthias, Samuel's father. "On the one hand, there is extreme joy and hope." Because the 685 days with the Berlin Heart were a huge burden for the whole family. "At the same time, I know that another family has lost a child because of it. That's a terrible thought."

Getting used to the new reality

Samuel's family is now in rehab for two to three weeks. And then? "Then it will be back to normal at home, I can't believe it," says Moana, Samuel's mother. "I think we'll all need some time to get used to it again." For over two years, the hospital was normal: Samuel decorated Christmas trees and shared highs and lows with the entire team in the pediatric cardiology intensive care and normal care units. "We are incredibly grateful for the support and solidarity we received from the whole team," says Moana.

"We are delighted for Samuel that he is doing so well so soon after his transplant. This is precisely why the topic of organ donation is so important to me, because it gives someone a new lease of life," says Prof. Nikolaus Haas, Head of the Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine.