Still beating strong: A look back at a historic Bay Area heart transplant
STANFORD -- Nearly 39 years ago, a toddler living in Cleveland Ohio was facing what was then considered an inescapable death sentence.
Like her four siblings before her, Elizabeth or "Lizzy" Craze was diagnosed with a genetic condition which would cause her tiny heart to fail. The condition is endocardial fibroelastosis.
Three of her siblings died from heart failure. Her oldest brother Andrew was fortunate to receive a heart transplant. But he was 16, Elizabeth was only a tender 2 years and 10 months old.
He told his parents to fight for Lizzy and to urge them to try a heart transplant on her too.
They approached Stanford Medical Center and pleaded with the doctors. Stanford was world renown for its pioneering approach to heart transplantations on adults. But with children, the procedure was considered experimental
"It was considered experimental," Stanford's Dr. Seth Hollander said. "We did not know how well these patients would do and whether it was fair to put children thru such a drastic procedure."
Dr. Hollander is a pediatric cardiologist and Medical Director of the Pediatric Heart Transplant Program at Stanford Children's Health.
One pressing concern was whether or not a donated heart would grow in a pediatric recipient. Another worry was the anti-rejection drugs used by adult transplant patients and whether the use of these drugs would have an adverse impact on a child's health.
Her parents persevered. Stanford created an ethics committee to review the case.
Andrew helped to argue Lizzy's case in front of the committee, and it then finally agreed to do the experimental surgery.
A young girl from Utah tragically died in a car crash and her organs were donated. The heart went to Lizzy. It's been beating in her chest ever since.
In 1984, Lizzy was one of the youngest successful heart transplant recipients in the world. In 1986, former KPIX anchor Dave McElhatton traveled to Cleveland Ohio to meet up with Lizzy and her family.
Thanks to pioneers like Lizzy and the Stanford medical doctors, these surgeries have now become routine procedures. Stanford has now performed more than 500 pediatric heart transplantation procedures.
Dr. Hollander said there was another group to acknowledge and to give thanks.
"Behind every successful heart transplant story, is a heroic donor in their family who made the hard but incredibly generous choice to donate their child's organs so that someone else could have a second chance at life," he said.
As for Lizzy, she works in the tech industry on the Peninsula, is married, a mom, and an accomplished amateur athlete.
"I'm a runner. I run marathons," she told KPIX.
Needless to say, there's a lot to be grateful for in their home.
"It takes luck. It takes belief and it takes spirituality and science," said Elizabeth's husband Jeff.
And a big heart.
Lizzy has been on medication since her transplant surgery. The side effects have resulted in the need for a kidney transplant. She is gearing up for her next marathon.
The nation's transplant system continues to grow. More than 400,000 people are alive today with a functioning transplant.
Last year, the United States reached a milestone: since the very first U.S. organ transplant involving a kidney was done in 1954, the United States marked its 1 millionth organ transplant in 2022.
More than half of these million organ transplants were done in just the past 15 years, highlighting the remarkable innovations in transplantation science. But more organs are always needed. At the beginning of 2023, nearly 105,000 patients remain on a waitlist.
If you are interested in registering to become an organ donor, visit www.registerme.org.
