MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — An event this weekend is an opportunity to make a positive difference. For one man, it's also a chance to deliver an overwhelmingly important "thank you."
"It's so important to stay active and keep the heart pumping," said Hillary Broome, speaking just before a walk.
"It was 1998 I noticed my heart would start racing uncontrollably," he said. "I had my first heart attack in 1999. 39-years-old. I had four heart attacks. Nine stents. I had cardiac ablation, pacemaker, defibrillator, trying to keep my heart pumping."
Broome was eventually told he'd gone into heart failure.
"I was walking death," he nodded. "Many people thought I was going to die at any given moment."
There was hope for Broome in a heart transplant.
"I ended up getting connected with the transplant team there at [Ascension St. Thomas Hospital West]," he said.
In 2022, that transplant was a success. Immediately, Broome had that question. Who was this person who was his heart donor?
"Fortunately, my donor's mother reached out to me within the first two months," Broome said. "Her mother told her daughter's story. Maiya was 22-years-old. She was on the autism spectrum. She was not verbal. She could say one or two words but not complete a sentence. Maiya was a very avid reader. She loved to read, and she graduated from high school."
"Maiya, she had a brain bleed, and there was nothing they could do," Broome continued. "They couldn't get her to the hospital fast enough. I'm still living because of Maiya."
With a gift like Maiya's, you've got to do something good with it.
This Saturday morning, the Rutherford Heart Walk is starting at Murfreesboro Medical Clinic. It's hosted by the American Heart Association. Broome's walked in it before to tell people about Maiya and promote heart health.
"My job is to protect her heart, what she's given me," he said. "It's really been a blessing to me to tell the story and help people to know. I'm going to make sure she is recognized and appreciated. I am so thankful for her. She gave me a gift of life. There's no way to fully describe it."
For more on the Rutherford Heart Walk, visit here.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
Austin Pollack brings us an update on a remarkable young man facing great odds, and his family has one simple request: pray for Cole. I believe in the power of prayer and hope you'll join me in lifting up Cole and his family.
- Carrie Sharp
