Chicago (CBS) ——Two sisters received heart transplants at the same age (seven years apart), and their hearts are filled with gratitude.
Sister Meredith Everhart and sister Abbey Cannon are now bonded over a genetic disease and a second chance at life.
“The irony is that when she needed a heart transplant, I needed a heart transplant at the exact same age,” Cannon said. “There is a seven-year age difference, and there is a seven-year age difference within 30 days after the transplant. Our birthdays are also within 30 days.”
The sisters, who were given a second chance at life at the age of 38, share a special bond.
Both sisters have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, also known as HCM.
The genetic disorder is a heart disease that causes the heart muscle to thicken.
In 2012, Cannon developed chest pain. She was misdiagnosed in Nashville, Tennessee, and got a second opinion at Northwestern Medicine in 2016.
“Within six months, I was in the hospital with an aortic balloon pump waiting for a heart transplant,” Cannon said. “I finally got my heart after 32 days, so my date is February 27, 2017.”
A few months after Cannon received his transplant, Everhart was also diagnosed with HCM. She tried medications and enrolled in clinical trials, but her condition continued to worsen.
“To me, she was right — I was in denial for a long time,” Everhart said. “I didn’t want to get sick. I was in my 20s. I was in my early 30s. I was like, this is not That didn’t happen and I saw how badly she was suffering.
In May 2022, Everhart contracted COVID-19, which caused her heart failure.
A year later, she was placed on the transplant list.
“I got the call on January 29, 2024, and it’s been a journey,” Everhart said. “But it’s awesome. Northwestern is great.”
Cannon said she can’t stress enough the importance of becoming an organ donor.
“None of us would be here if someone hadn’t given us the most selfless gift,” she said.
