The transplant warrior
A lawyer by profession working full time for the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, Ashley Beihl had been swimming since the age of 5, played softball, did cross-country and track running and when she entered law school was into triathlon. She had Type 1 diabetes since 16.
Sometime in April of 2017, after a softball practice, she felt pain between her shoulder blades. Later in the evening, she felt dizzy and threw up then started feeling warm that she had to lie on the bathroom floor to cool off. Going to the hospital, the pain radiated from her shoulder down to her arm and then to her chest. It was so painful that she couldn’t walk.
Given two EKGs, the results were non-conclusive that Ashley was flown to another hospital 230 miles away for more tests. There, she was intubated and put on life support for 10 days and by the first week of May was stabilized that she was able to go home, but advised by her doctors to be within 30-minute drive from the hospital for monitoring.
She developed heart failure that it became impossible for Ashley to sleep lying down because she can’t breathe. Food taken immediately gets thrown up and survival means getting back to the hospital, where doctors decided that she needs a heart transplant and was placed on the transplant waiting list.
On June 28, a heart was available and Ashley had a new heart the following day and spent 11 days in the hospital recuperating.
For eight weeks, she couldn’t raise her hands above her head that she was reliant on her mother and her muscles shrunk. Three time a week, Ashely did cardiac rehab and over time, got her strength back and was able to jog, do squats and lunges. There are frequent trips to the doctor for heart biopsies, EKGs, medications and immunosuppressant pills to take. Between 2018 and 2019, she was hospitalized at least 10 times.
Transplanted hearts last an average of 12 years and Ashley eventually needs another transplant. A kidney transplant will also be needed at some point because medications she’s taking damages her kidneys.
Her heart donor, Jessica, was also 26-years old and she wrote to her donor’s family of her gratefulness that up to now, she’s still in contact with her mother, younger sister and grandmother. “I had a freak heart attack that I barely survived, she had a freak stroke that she didn’t survive”, Ashey said. She made it a personal vow to travel to Japan because Jessica dreamed of going there.
From August 2 to 7, Ashley joined the Transplant Games of America in Utah, a gathering of individuals who received organ, tissue and corneal donations and met other transplant recipients there. Games included among others, basketball, volleyball, tennis, cycling, swimming, track and field, bowling and virtual triathlon which is spread over two days. She competed in 12 events, including swimming and v-triathlon, winning 10 medals. She plans to join the event scheduled in July next year at New Jersey.
As an athlete, the will to survive the competition is strong. “Post-transplant life is full of difficulties and struggles. We’ve all fought hard to live. Everyone who has survived a transplant is a warrior in their own right”, she said.
- Latest
