Naiya Atkins, a 37-year-old first-time mother from Newark, New Jersey, has left Newark Beth Israel Medical Center after successfully undergoing a heart transplant, just in time for her son’s first birthday. Atkins had been battling a near-fatal heart condition, being diagnosed with Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection, which caused her artery walls to spontaneously tear, blocking blood flow to her heart. Following the diagnosis, doctors removed the blockages and provided medication, but Atkins went into cardiac arrest. Eventually, she received a life-saving heart transplant on January 5, performed by Margarita Camacho, the hospital’s decorated surgical director of heart transplants. Atkins was able to leave the hospital on January 31, a day before her son’s first birthday.
Atkins had been admitted to the hospital in November and was placed on the waiting list for a transplant. She spent both Thanksgiving and Christmas away from her family and newborn son. The wait finally ended on January 5 when she received a call that a heart was available. The surgery was successful, and she was able to leave the hospital just in time to celebrate her son’s first birthday. This remarkable recovery showcases the incredible advancements in medical science and highlights the importance of organ donation in saving lives.
